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Summary: Take a peek into a secret society
Review: I read Memoirs of a Geisha over a year ago and was totally fascinated with the story of this once very secret society. I,like many others, had my own "little" ideas about what a Geisha really was and what they really did. But after reading this book, I came away with a totally different opinion and understanding of thier lifestyle. I found it quite sad that most of the young Geishas really didn't have much of a choice in entering this world. That decision, for the most part was made by someone else seeking to gain from the surrending of a young girl into this world. It also amazed me that so much training at such a young age went into the making of a Geisha. Memoirs of a Geisha is a very fascinating read because you will both learn and enjoy at the same time.
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Summary: "Memoirs" is Golden
Review: As an avid reader and anime otaku, I am always eager to read about Japanese culture and subculture. When I read "Memoirs," I found myself captivated. Golden's prose paints elegant, definite pictures in the reader's mind, capturing every detail of Chiyo-chan/Sayuri-san's life, from the little fishing village of her birth, to the Nitta okiya in Kyoto. His talent for placing himself in Sayuri's mind is extraordinary: As I read, I felt that I was listening as a Japanese woman told her life story, rather than reading the words of an American man. Golden's style is highly epigramatic, with wise sayings such as "A shopkeeper who leaves his window open can hardly be angry at the rainstorm for ruining his wares" peppering the entirety of the novel. Overall, "Memoirs" is a truly well-written novel whose monetary success testifies to its quality. Truly a must-read.
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Summary: Review for Memoirs of a Geisha
Review: I thought that this book was written so well. It is a story about a girl growing up in Japan in and around the 1920's. She takes us into the mysterious and not so often-talked about world of a Geisha. This book does a wonderful job of getting every small little detail exact with the time and setting. The author had a very good voice, and through out the book, you feel as if Sayuri is sitting across from you at a table drinking tea. You feel like she is talking directly to you of her accounts. This book is fantastic and I highly recommend this book to anyone. Especially if you are interested in Japanese culture or would like to learn about the whole life of a Geisha. Thank you for your time.
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Summary: Supermarket Cinderella
Review: There are some books (and some movies) written using a well-known formula. These formulas almost always guarantee bestseller success. One of the most popular is the "Cinderella". It is a surefire way to sell books, and this is why you see it time and time again. This is how it goes:· Hero or heroine must be born into poverty or come to it fairly quickly in the story. · Hero or heroine must possess extraordinary beauty and/or above-average intelligence. · Hero or heroine is subject to the most hideous trials and tribulations while still a child, and when you think nothing worse can happen to the creature, it does. · Hero or heroine possesses a heart of gold. · Hero or heroine has the opportunity to be equally evil to those that damaged him/her, but because s/he is compassionate, s/he refuses to. · Hero or heroine rises above adversity and survives all calamities · There is always a happy ending. "Memoirs of a Geisha" is a perfect example of the "Cinderella" format (some readers called it Oliver Twist, some Jane Eyre; it's all the same). Chiyo is an extremely beautiful child (the constant reference to her gray eyes became too much too soon) and very smart, whose father is a poor fisherman, not very bright, and whose mother is dying. She and her sister are sold and soon separated, and poor Chiyo (who will later change her name to Sayuri) suffers enormously for the next 400 pages or so. The best part of this book is its detailed descriptions of all things geisha, from makeup to hair to clothing to ceremonies to education to housing... After reading the book, i felt that i had learned a lot about this important subgroup of Japanese culture. I also enjoyed the prose, for the most part. As a person who sometimes has to explain foreign customs to others, i identified with the tone that Sayuri used when describing things. The story of young Chiyo is also quite entertaining, from her days in the tipsy house till she gets under Mameha's wing. After that, the story line goes downhill. The worst part, from a literary standpoint, is that the book is formulaic, and uses many artificial devices to keep the plot going. For example, how come Hatsumoto is so bent in destroying Chiyo from the moment she meets the poor girl, who is only 9 years old? Hatsumoto can't be that much older than Chiyo, yet she is machinating like an old witch, and we do not know exactly for what reason. Also, Chiyo's encounter with The Chairman is so brief, yet she is so affected by it for years and years to come. Even though when they met she was crying and her vision was blurry, she remembered his features like they were engraved in her brain. The Chairman and Hatsumoto are artifices to make the story move along. The flow, especially after Chiyo becomes Sayuri, is really poor. The intrigues and the "convenient" situations and coincidences that take place really detract from the story. The final pages are particularly bad. All of a sudden, the author wanted to wrap it up and there is absolutely no development and scenes just do not make sense. I can't really explain some of my objections without spoiling the end, but all things related to The Chairman were so very unbelievable. There is no amount of willing suspension of disbelief to make me swallow the final chapters. People love to see these plots because they are predictable and there is a feel-good quality to them. For example, i have to admit i couldn't wait till i found out what horrible ending Hatsumoto had, after being so cruel and despicable to poor Chiyo. But overall, except for the cultural aspect of the book, this is as bad as a cheap romance novel from the supermarket.
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Summary: Mesmerizing Novel
Review: This book was extremely interesting, especially for a person who knows little of the world around them. It portrays a life that I believe few could imagine, giving insight to a world beyond the typical day experience. This book has the abilty to transport a reader into another time, and into another place. At the same time it is about coming into womanhood (to which any woman can relate)in a world where women are viewed as property rather than as individual persons. It is very well written (which really shocked me, due to linguistic and cultural differences). From my limited understanding of the cultural differences, details are well translated into Americanized ideology while maintaining the flavor of this foreign, but at the same time, familiar, story about coming of age. Anyone interested in global awareness must put this on their "Must Read" list, but I do forewarn you that you may become so intrigued that a trip to Japan, in attempt to find a traditional tea house, may be in order!
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Summary: depressing
Review: I cannot recommend this book. I found it to be rather tedious and boring
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Summary: Another World
Review: Memoirs of a Geisha is an exciting Cinderella story of pre World War II Japan. While reading it, the reader's heart aches for little Chiyo as she is sold into slavery in the form of a geisha house, cheers for her as she overcomes all obstacles to become Sayuri, one of the most famous geisha in Japan, and is delighted when Sayuri discovers the true meaning of love. This book is well written with an insight into the little known world of Japanese geisha, where women live to entertain men with jokes, dances, and parties. Golden's version shows the women underneath the makeup of the geishas and how they are simply women forced to make a living the only way they know how. Sayuri shows the reader that even when there seems to be no hope for the future, all of that can change in the blink of an eye. "After all, she said, Who would have thought one of the greatest geisha in Kyoto history was born in poor fishing village?" Despite being branded as a poor investment who will never become a geisha, Sayuri perserveres. She does so because it is the only way she can keep contact with the man she loves. As the years pass and Sayuri gets older, the reader experiances her life of few choices, survival during World War II, and finally her true love. This was a very well written and captivating book.
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Summary: lovely story
Review: I don't know what I liked more...the characters or the history of the "Geisha's". You really feel for these women, and the struggle they go through to become what the Japanese men deem to be desirable. I love the relationships between the women, with all the jealousies included. I even admit to some culture shock not growing up in a country with such ingrained customs. I felt bad for the little girl dragged into the life of a Geisha, but I rejoiced in the woman she became. Readable, and very enjoyable. I reccomend this book highly.
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Summary: A Fascinating Trip Through Another Life
Review: There were two points that stood out for me after I had finished this book. The first was the rich detail of this novel's world. While it is possible that it does not exactly match the reality of a geisha's world, the language and writing style Golden uses makes his version of that reality very believable for a reader. The other point that struck me was the subtle, yet prevalent, religious tone to the geisha's lifestyle. From the intricate ceremonies to the unwritten code of behavior, Golden quietly makes the point that a geisha's life carries with it a sense of duty and servitude similar to those that a religion would espouse. Thus, the book not only depicts a life and a search for love, but could also be said to show one person's spiritual development. I realize that my interpretation likening a geisha's lifestyle to one of a religious bent might seem a little outlandish. However, good literature allows the reader to experience something new while still remaining universal enough to reflect their interests. Memoirs of a Geisha accomplishes this task. It is a deceptively simple guide to a place and lifestyle that has rarely been visited by other authors. Yet, the bonds of emotion and obligation depicted in its pages should be familiar to any reader. The result of this combination is a book that is worthy of the accolades it has received.
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Summary: A Japanese Fairy Tale.. very good read
Review: I thought this book was a very sweet and sad story of a young girl who was forced to become a geisha. I recommended it to all my friends and every one of them loved it. I read it in 3 days. It has alot of historical information about geishas but it also adds a little love story to it as well. Very sweet book.
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