Memoirs of a Geisha (1997)

I have loved the movie version for a long time so I was glad to finally get to read the book. It was beautifully written and I loved the parts that differed from the movie. It was rather slow paced though, but I still very much enjoyed it. ( )

good/but not true, Kyoto Japan much detail @ civility + gentility

In Memoirs of a Geisha, we enter a world where appearances are paramount; where a girl's virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men; and where love is scorned as illusion. It is a unique and triumphant work of fiction - at once romantic, erotic, suspenseful - and completely unforgettable.

This really was an amazing book. It makes you FEEL. I cheered for Suyin the entire time, hated the people she hated, loved the people she loved.

The descriptions were very good at painting a picture of where she was. It's made me add Japan to my to see list (even if it isn't the same as it was in the 1930's).

If you have any interest in the culture or history at all, definitely pick up this book. ( )

Holy cow, I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. It was fantastic! Here’s a bit of a summary (spoiler free):

Memoirs of a Geisha follows young Chiyo as she is sold out of her childhood home and into a life of slavery. Although she is only a child, her pretty face wins her a position as a maid in an okiya, a home in which geisha are trained and which is supported by the earnings of the geisha who live there. (Satsu, Chiyo’s less attractive sister, is sold into prostitution.) The plan is for Chiyo to become an apprentice, with the hope that eventually she will be transformed into a beautiful, artistically talented geisha herself.

After a failed escape attempt and a subsequent beating, Chiyo is rescued by two people: Mameha, the most renowned geisha in Gion, who offers to become her “big sister” and train her in all things geisha; and a chairman who offers her a kind word on the street. Chiyo—who will later be known as Sayuri—becomes fixated on becoming a successful geisha for the sole purpose of reconnecting with the Chairman.

Now, to me, a really good book is one that makes me want to learn more about some aspect of the story, and Memoirs of a Geisha is definitely one such book. I’m eager to check my library for books about Japanese culture now, and geisha culture in particular. I want to know more!

I loved reading about Sayuri’s various geisha rituals, classes and accoutrements: the bidding war for her mizuage (virginity), her shamisen (a stringed instrument) and dance classes; the different types of shoes she wears; the intricacy involved in putting on a kimono and applying makeup; the way she successfully navigates her many social appearances; the drama of finding a suitable danna (a man who supports her financially).

Memoirs of a Geisha is a fast read. Knowing from the beginning that Chiyo is to become one of Japan’s most well known geisha made me want to find out how she got to be that way. Chiyo’s life is full of dramatic ups and downs, but she always finds a way to gather her inner strength and push through. I was very pleasantly surprised by how quickly I grew to love her. ( )

Yes, I am continuing to enjoy my reading journey of fiction stories disguised as memoirs or personal history retellings. I never tire of these types of stories! [Memoirs of a Geisha] is not your typical “rags to riches” kind of story, even if the selling into slavery is a good “rags” starting point. I grate at the idea of treating human beings as “commodities” but I couldn’t help but be captivated by the details of geisha life and the depiction of Japan of the 1930’s. Giving the story extra “oomph”, Golden surrounds our protagonist with a cast of characters that is, on its whole, just the right blending of fairy tale heroes in Mameha and the Chairman and villains in Hatsumomo, that I almost chuckled a bit at Golden’s version of the proverbial ‘glass slipper’ when it made an appearance. While the story kind of fizzles out near the end for me, Golden’s portrayal of Sayuri and her struggles in the geisha world of Gion is richly rewarding glimpse into a forbidden world, even if Sayuri comes across overly naïve at times. ( )