Rating: 
Summary: A Great Novel worth the time to Read it
Review: This book is definetly worth the time to read it! It is full of suspense,history, and a little romance. Arthur Golden wrote beautifully from the viewpoint of a geisha, including situations which are both exciting and realistic. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Rating:
Summary: Very descriptive words that seem to paint pages...
Review: This was a carefully contrived piece and a mental scenography of sorts. You can definately see Golden's research pulled together to form a vivid picture of a young girl's hardships and suffering percieved through the eyes of an experienced geisha, or so it seems. The only down fall was the similies and metaphores that seem to be a cliche' interpretation of the Chinese and Japanese culture. That's a small technicality and I wouldn't let that stand in the way of reading such a great neoclassic. He also explores the sad and competive world in which the geisha lived (that isn't as attractive and flawless as society may assume) and unfolds how most of them REALLY got into the business/art. A book that is difficult to put down and will keep you thoroughly intrigued throughout your read. This book is sure to leave a lasting impression.
Rating:
Summary: Not a sweeping epic, but an exquisite jewel.
Review: From the wistful, yearning notes of the "translator" to the final glimpse of an elderly lady in a kimono on a New York street, this book utterly captivates the reader. I was unable to put it down, staying up most of one night to finish it. (I recommend a long weekend, if you're the slow, savoring type, or a regular weekend if you view books as consumables). Sayuri and her "biographer" look unflinchingly into the past and deliver a story that does not spare the reader the realities of a geisha's life. The emotional, physical and spiritual path of glass walked by Sayuri has been crafted with exquisite grace. Those who shape her life, from Mr. Tanaka, to Mameha, to Pumpkin and Mr. Nobu, are as fully realized and deeply crafted as the central figure. There are no ciphers here. They are, perhaps, more enigmatic, more hidden within the layers of action than one tends to expect from characters in a western novel, but that is part of the fascination of this story. Few occidentals can truly know whether the book is "true" or "correct", but I felt I had been priveleged a small glimpse and understanding of Japan and its culture. But in any period, in any place, these people, this story would be enchanting.
Rating:
Summary: Astonishing..
Review: Well I have to say that it struck me to realize (only now after finishing the novel) that its fiction! All the way through my reading, and I was imagining the Geisha Sayuri herself telling the story! and more than that, I kept on imagining the people, how they looked like, what they were doing, how the surroundings were! as if everything is real.. If that meant something, it sure meant how seducing the novel is and how talented the writer to write such a thing with so ease into it that it seems so much natural and true. I loved it.. It's amazing!
Rating:
Summary: A very well crafted book
Review: This was a wonderful book. I purchased it because of rave reviews in a local newspaper. I enjoyed seeing the world out of the characters eyes. Nothing was too detailed and everything had just the right amount of information. That can be tough because the author had to describe a world few people have any idea of. It would be easy to give too much information. The story of the young girl that came to be a Geisha, was probably not all that uncommon in it's route, but unique most likely in it's conclusion. As an avid reader of fiction, science fiction and romance novels, I did not find the ending unsatisfying, but quite surprising given the pragmatic handling of this young girls life. My only disappointment was when I finished the book I wanted the story to go on. I feel that in a very pleasant way, I have learned about another culture that previously was not in my view. This wasn't just facts and details, but as if, I had been there. That is wonderful when an author can do that and tell a great story too.
Rating: 
Summary: Did the novel betray Mrs Iwasaki MIneko ?
Review: WHile the book is indeed a great read, one must question whether author Golden did indeed betray the trust Mineko Iwasaki in Kyoto gave him when she told him her story. Did he betray her? She intends to sue for libel. This brings up another question: who wrote the book, really?
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Summary: Being True to Oneself
Review: I was instantly taken by the metaphors. They continued to be frequent and high quality throughout the book. As an American who has lived in Japan for 14 years, I of course have stereotypes about Japan but am not surprised when people break them. Sayuri remained true to the dream that had been the only thing that sustained her through long years of adversity, even when it meant making a difficult choice to hurt someone deeply. Being true to oneself is not an alien concept in Japan. She acheived her dream, and then the portrayal of it was admittedly a little flat, but still very emotional for me because of what she had had to go through and how long she had had to wait. But then again, Japanese men are more than just a little flat when it comes to expressing there love for a woman. Sayuri's closing metaphors about life contain a profound spirituality that I don't often see here in Japan, but she was a unique character.
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Summary: A rare, fictitious peak into the Geisha culture!
Review: This tome is as richly rewarding in it's depth and descriptive detail of the life of a geisha as Pearl S. Buck's book was of China in " The Good Earth. " Both carefully weave the reader through the trials and tribulations, the emotions and the characteristics of lives so foreign to our American psyche. The portrayals of sacrifice, perseverance, and personal triumph, takes the reader into a miasmic, panoramic journey that shows what the human spirit can endure and overcome. Although the post-WWII portions of " Geisha " were not as precise as the previous content, I would highly recommend this read.
Rating: 
Summary: Missed the boat
Review: Sometimes I really wonder what attracts readers and generates best sellers. The first half of this novel, admittedly, was engrossing as we learn of the intimate details in the life of a pre-war geisha and come to know Sayuri and her struggles to find meaning to her life. But its all down hill after that, and it would have served the author well to quit right there as he seems to have run out of steam and relied on the contrived Hollywood ending allowing Sayuri to fall into the arms of her long-time idol, whom we actually know nothing about (except for one sentence that says he is married!) and live happily ever after jet-setting between Japan and New York. You spend 400 pages getting to know her only to find out that she is a big disappointment.Was this maybe the intent?
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: This book was truely amazing. Never before have i been so blown away by something as wonderful and as profound as Sayuri's story. Upon the completion of this book, i felt that i knew this girl, that she had been part of my life and that she had written her story especially for me. i didn't see her as a "prostitute" i saw her as a geisha, she had gained my respect and i felt as if it were my place to defend her against the West's perception of her profession. The story is captivating from first to last page...you simply cannot stop reading. It truely did amaze me that this powerful novel could have so much impact on the way i think and the way i now see people. i no longer judge by what i am told, by the common view. Sayuri's story was so real, you couldn't help but feel you knew her. Arthur Golden is briliant!
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