Memoirs of a Geisha

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Summary: Memoirs of a Geisha
Review: Chiyo was a little girl when her mother got very ill and was unable to take care of herself. Her father was a fisherman who went fishing almost every day. One day, when Chiyo's mother was especially ill, Chiyo was sent out to the village by her father to get some ceremonial insence, for Chiyo's mother was on the verge of dying.She was running down the road when she slipped and fell. Her lip was cut wide open. She continued on until a man came up to her and told her that he would fix her up and that she shouldn't have been running in the rain; and he also pointed out to her how lovely her gray, sparkley eyes were. She thought that this man was very kind, and learned that he owned a fish company. His name was Mr. Tananka. She hoped that one day, she would see him again. And she did. The next day he called her and her sister Sayo to come and spend the night. When they got there they were checked over by a fortune teller, who said that they were very healthy. A few weeks after leaving Mr. Tananka's house, Chiyo came home to see Mr. Tananka talking to her father. She heard some words that led her to believe that she and her sister were going to be adopted, seeing as their mother was soon to perish. The next day, Chiyo and Sayo were called to meet him at the fish factory his family owned. Chiyo was certain that they were going to be adopted, but they were pushed in to the back of a wagon and taken to a train station. They were wondering what was going on. The train stopped somewhere around Kyoto, and they were taken to the city of Gion by wagon. When they got there, she and her sister were separated and put into different Okaiya's. They had sooned learned that they had been sold. Chiyo was to become a Giesha, or entertainer, while her sister was just to be used as a maid. Chiyo started out as a maid too, but she was able to work her way up. She became friends with another maid there, called Pumpkin, but became enemies with the household Geisha Hatsumomo. Her only choice, she found out, was to become a Geisha. And with the great Memeha on her side, things seemed possible. She was set on ruining Hatsumomo's reputation as a Geisha, and being able to go back to her Hometown, Yoriodo.The Depression was a great problem; though somehow, she managed to get through it.

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Summary: For Lack of a Better Word. . . .Extraordinary
Review: This book, was probably the best book I've ever read, even though I'm only 14.

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Summary: Junk reading--a true Geisha would never share her memoirs
Review: This book was loaned to me by another fawning fan. It reads like junk food. The artificial flavoring may be tasty, but it was largely empty calories.

For anyone who has spent time in Japan and amongst Japanese, the book rings false. It is purely a Caucasian male's projection.

As an alternative read, I would recommend Tanizaki's Makioka Sisters (and if you can find it on video, it is a wonderful film as well).

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: A great book, amazingly well written. It takes you into a world of reality, and at times you don't even know it is fiction. The book is great and beautifully detailed, the reader can almost picture exactly what is going on. Full of vibrant information that keeps you reading. I love the book and can't wait to read another one byArthur Golden.

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Summary: Gloriously haunting
Review: Memoirs of a Geisha is a beatuifully descripted book showing the harsh reality of a strange and unusual world. This book makes you think about what you have in life and the simple things what others would love to have - freedom being the word that comes to mind

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Summary: The game we play in life
Review: Memoirs of a Geisha is a fictional book that includes many facts of Japan. Arthur Golden, the author of Memoirs of a Geisha uses skill and artistry to coalesce fact and fiction together. The book covers diverse issues from how men and women were in Japan along with how they played "mind games," against each other. Often times we wonder what "mind games" really are and through this book, you will come to realize how strong and scary they can be. Also, all things can be as pretty and delicate like a rose, but at the same time they are sharp and thorny and will most definitely go unwillingly like Hatsumomo (the evil geisha) does throughout the whole story. The book is fictional as mentioned before, but Arthur Golden created this book by actually interviewing former geishas that lived in Japan. This book has facts on what a geisha did and leaves us with the thoughts of what the geishas were required to do. We define a geisha today as an entertainer and a lady who serves tea. It sounds simple enough by its definition and standards given today, but in the story the definition is nowhere close what a geisha was in reality. Throughout the story the characters give you a real good insight into the life a geisha and what she has to do in order to "survive" in the competitive world. I would personally suggest this to people who really want to hear about the "Art of Seduction, " and other techniques in luring others so that they may get what they desire. As you read the book, you will notice that without beauty and brains a geisha has nothing more. A life as a geisha is a survival for the fittest. You will learn that prudence is an absolute necessity and indolence is a road that is bound to lead to absolute corruption. Because make-up and hair was expensive and hard taken out stuff, you will learn how these women had to deal with these conflicts and will most definitely pick up a thing or two whether you are a man or a woman, I can guarantee that you will not leave this book without gained knowledge. This book should be recommended for teenagers+ primarily because of the nature throughout the book. One can say that the book does get graphic and in detail. In the end all I can say is that this book a real page-turner and I would know because I hardly ever read books.

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Summary: Brilliantly written
Review: I think the book is brilliant. Having never been to Japan, I don't know much about the facts and whether they are accurate (apart from the fact that pineapples do not grow on trees). But as a work of fiction, I think that it is very believable. Once I started reading, I simply could not put it down, and for 2 days I went to work with eyebags for lack of sleep due to reading into the wee hours of the morning. At certain points in the story, I even laughed and cried with the heroine, Sayuri.

Well done Mr Golden, I thoroughly enjoyed your book.

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Summary: It should have been called "Memoirs of an American Geisha"
Review: I admit that I was reluctant to read this book because of the "hype" that surrounded it; but being curious and trying to keep an open mind, I did finally read it. I was extremely disappointed -- although it is not a terrible book, and it does strive to capture the aura of life in Gion in the 30's, I find Sayuri completely unbelieveable (and unlikeable) as a Japanese character. I realise that there is "dramatic license" in fictional novels, but I still find that (in my opinion) she is just too "western" in her thinking and mannerisms to try to pass as a credible Japanese character. While I do commend Mr. Golden on his extensive research, as evident in the details, there are still a few small factual errors (e.g. pineapples do not grow on trees) that he has missed. All in all, although Mr. Golden may have done a fair job of trying to relate the details of the life of a geisha in Gion (I do applaud his efforts here), I think that he could never fully comprehend the Japanese psyche and personality, let alone try to emulate one in his novel. As such, I find it impossible to empathise with the character of Sayuri (or to even care about what happens to her), thus making the novel very difficult for me to enjoy.

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Summary: Couldn't Put It Down
Review: I finally broke down and read this book after a friend nagged me to death about it. Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop. I even took a "mental health day" from work and read this book all day long. :-)

The ending didn't seem to match the rest of the book and at times I felt angry thinking of the lives the Geisha endured... the whole male/female drama... and having just finished reading "Woman" made it even more thought provoking. But I loved the book all the same.

Not an award winner but a huge step up from "brain candy summer reading". :-)

Rating:
Summary: O.K
Review: I read "Memoirs of a Geisha" because of the incredible acclaim of the book. Yet, I feel very unsatisfied with the story and also feel suspicious about the motives of the author. To this day I am not trully sure I know what a Geisha really is. I guess we all need to take this book as a work of fiction and realize that we are viewing the Japanese culture through the eyes of an American author. The book itself was entertaining and should be praised as such, but let's not consider ourselves more informed about the Japanese culture after reading it...