When was memoirs of a geisha published

I really did feel like I was sitting down for tea with Sayori, many years later, and she, as a way of entertaining me, was telling me her life story. Golden interviewed a retired geisha by the name of Mineko Iwasaki who later sued him for using too much of her life story to produce this book. I wonder if Iwasaki was still the perfect geisha, keeping her story uplifting, and glossing over the aspects that could make her company uncomfortable. I notice some reviewers take issue with Sayori.

They feel she did not assert herself, and take control of her life. She does in the end, but she is patient, and waits for a moment when she can predict the outcome. I feel that she did what she needed to do to survive. Most of the time she enjoyed being a geisha. It takes a long time to learn not only the ways to entertain, but also all the rigid traditions that must be understood to be a successful geisha.

As she gets older, and can clearly define the pitfalls of her actions, we see her manipulating the system in her favor. View all 84 comments. The novel, told in first person perspective, tells the story of a fictional geisha working in Kyoto, Japan, before and after World War II.

In , nine year-old Chiyo Sakamoto and her 15 year-old sister, Satsu, are sold by their father to work within the entertainment districts of Kyoto. They are taken from their home, the coastal fishing village of Yoroido along the Sea of Japan, and travel to Kyoto by train; upon arrival, Chiyo is taken to the Nitta okiya geisha boarding house in Gion, whereas Satsu - deemed less attractive and therefore a poor investment - is instead taken to a brothel within Kyoto's pleasure district.

Chiyo is taken inside, and is introduced to Auntie, Mother Auntie's adoptive older sister and the matriarch of the house and Granny, their elderly and poor-natured adoptive mother and the okiya's former "mother".

Both Auntie and Mother are strict, though Auntie is kinder to Chiyo, whereas Mother is driven by money and business. Chiyo is also introduced to Hatsumomo - the premier geisha of the okiya, its primary earner, and one of the most famous, beautiful and ill-mannered geisha of Gion. Hatsumomo takes an instant disliking to Chiyo, and goes out of her way to torment her. Auntie warns Chiyo against both angering and trusting Hatsumomo, knowing the ill-mannered geisha's true nature very well.

View all 9 comments. May 13, T. Damn if you aren't one of the most problematic things I've ever read, Memoirs of a Geisha. Like much of non-Asian America, I was swept up in the delight of reading this book in I was fifteen and precocious, and the narrative was arresting. I couldn't put the book down. I wrote this in "Golden has hit pay dirt with this masterpiece. An insightful, curious, and caring look into the mysterious world of geisha, Arthur Golden peels away the ignorance and labeling that westerners have covere Damn if you aren't one of the most problematic things I've ever read, Memoirs of a Geisha.

An insightful, curious, and caring look into the mysterious world of geisha, Arthur Golden peels away the ignorance and labeling that westerners have covered the secretive Japanese profession. Although it sinks at times into a near melodramatic prose, the book's protagonist is interesting, insightful, and enjoyable. Her witty anecdotes and thoughtful mannerisms in speaking make Memoirs of a Geisha a delightful and unstoppable read.

And I'm mad at myself. God, I was naive. This novel, while entertaining is so problematic I rarely have time to descend into my criticism. It continues the Orientalism that Edward Said loathed so very much; rather than "skillfully entering" the world of a Japanese woman, it apes her identity, and ultimately deprives her of a voice, creating a sort of Orientalist imagination for us to enjoy without ever really seeing her.

The book is still engaging as a narrative, but the sappy ending, the frankly sexist portrayals at some points, and Sayuri's outright inability to identify outside of her Chairman is rather frightening. It serves to objectify fetishism at its worst. Yet I can only give you three stars, because I'm still partly under your spell, Golden. View all 12 comments. This book was wonderful. I absolutely love the movie, which I now need to watch!

In many ways, this was a sad story for me. I would really like to read a biography of a geisha and watch a documentary to really look into their world.

We lead our lives like water flowing down a hill, going more or less in one direction until we splash into something that forces us to find a new course. Happy Reading! View all 24 comments. I became fascinated with Japanese culture when I was a teenage girl and since then I have read many Japanese-related books and articles and have watched many movies and animes that depict parts of Japanese culture but the fact remains that I am not Japanese, I have never been to Japan and I am a foreigner, captivated by this exotic and very different culture.

As a foreigner, I see many beautiful and unique aspects to Japanese culture but I also know about certain painful historical facts such as I became fascinated with Japanese culture when I was a teenage girl and since then I have read many Japanese-related books and articles and have watched many movies and animes that depict parts of Japanese culture but the fact remains that I am not Japanese, I have never been to Japan and I am a foreigner, captivated by this exotic and very different culture.

As a foreigner, I see many beautiful and unique aspects to Japanese culture but I also know about certain painful historical facts such as treatment of women in certain eras of Japan. I am not Japanese and I am not a historian and therefore, I am not qualified to judge. So I keep my opinion and impression Geisha to myself.

It appears that this story is based on the life of a certain geisha, but the author clearly states that both the story and characters are fictional and I am going to stick with that. I admit that I was disappointed when I realized that this turned out to be fiction, only and only because I had been told otherwise by author himself while reading the preface. I admit, as I reached the end of the book, I came to realize why the author tried to portray this story as a real life story when writing the introduction but I will write about that later.

I liked the writing style. Some people may find it pretentious but I understood that this is an attempt to write as close as possible to Japanese style of writing and story-telling and to seem poetic.

I should mention that Chiyo and Sayuri are the same person. Some people may say, parts of the story drag on and on and yet nothing important happens. This is not a perfect book but it is an amazing one.

Little Chiyo simply captivated me with her story. I wanted her to survive, to fight and to find happiness. They are all different human-beings with flaws of their own that struggle to survive and get by their hard lives.

Some choose to do so by crushing others and some choose to do so by fighting their way through and lending a helping hand when they can. I have Japanese friends, so I know what I am talking about it. Chiyo is quite young when she falls in love with a man much older than her, too young in my opinion to fall in love but I understood her feelings.

The moment she meets the love of her life, Chairman, is a turning point in her story and happens to be my most favorite part. Yes, she focuses her entire life on reaching this man.

As a woman, I would have liked her to have bigger goals and dreams of her own and for example, seek freedom or independence but when I think about her situation, her education and upbringing, I get her. Chiyo is a slave, being trained for the sole purpose of pleasuring men. Men that mean nothing to her and are like alien beings. Up to this point, not a single person has shown her any kindness without ill intentions and when she is about to lose her faith in humanity, a man appears out of nowhere and shows her true kindness.

Finally, a man means something to her. One of these men that she is supposed to serve has a face and value to her. I am not surprised she made it her life-purpose to reach him. Considering her life, that was a big goal.

He was the symbol of true kindness. Her dedication to reach him was moving and touched me very deeply. As I said before, during parts of this story, nothing important really happens, but I was eager to learn more about Geisha life. The author is obviously well-informed and has done his research. The story was interesting enough. All characters seemed real and relatable.

I even liked Hatsumomo! And even though I wanted Chiyo to reach the love of her life and therefore happiness more than anything, I liked Nobu a lot too. Sayuri is simply human. She too acts selfish and neglects her friends. I also clearly felt the touch of war and the darkness that spreads over hearts and souls at such a time. The fear, pain and misery as everything changes and there is no longer any certainty to the future.

I was touched by the relationship between Chairman and Nobu, even though it was only behind the scene and between the lines. Once you think about it, it was a very deep and touching bond. Although poor Sayuri had to suffer because of this very bond, I understood why Chairman had to act the way he did. It was mentioned abruptly and I found it very funny. Two nuclear bombs and this is what Sayuri comments about. It takes time for certain wounds to heal. At the end, this is not a fairy-tale.

I am a fan of fairy tales and I firmly believe in happy endings. Ironic, since in real life, I am very realistic and even cynical. But when I open a book, I want happy endings. Somewhere along the way, I had started to dream of a fairy-tale style happy ending for little Chiyo and reading the last pages of the book left me a little sad. All throughout the book, the story tries to remain realistic Which is why sometimes nothing really happens and it's important to remember this, when reading the bittersweet ending, Otherwise, the ending might feel a little unsatisfactory and even rushed.

But the truth is, the bittersweet ending was still a happy ending, just a realistic one. I agree that the author could have done better just by adding 50 pages or so. In conclusion, this is the beautiful story of a little innocent girl as she fights her way through life and hardships in an unfair society and struggles to reach her loved one and have a reason to simply wake up every day and live. This is not a fairy tale but it does contain certain elements of those tales therefore this book is not for everyone, but I really enjoyed it and find it very memorable and special.

View all 72 comments. I read this a long time ago a favorite Its amazing a 'male' wrote this book. Dec 02, Fabian rated it really liked it. Well, I finally got around to this one. Only in popularity. This time, the fairy tale with "Girl" it seems as if we're more comfortable with the cautionary tale in the 10's has a Cinderella and many suitors after her. It is absolutely immersive I see the geisha in that light: like La Marilyn, the geisha are symbol of t Well, I finally got around to this one.

I see the geisha in that light: like La Marilyn, the geisha are symbol of tragedy and misplaced youth and beauty. The plot is orchestrated in that well-intentioned Great Novel tradition. Also, Hastumomo, in the role of ugly stepsister, is an adversary from hell.

Grrrreat character! Too bad she leaves the narrative at too-crucial a juncture the anticlimax meaning, then, the immediate displacement of anything that did not fit into the societal standards from the board She is a worthy nemesis to our heroine--as voracious for fresh meat as a Great White. The feud between them two is the centerpiece of this Fanny Hill-like tale, this enormously feminist?

For in Gion, Japan, the geisha are treated like a lot of women have been, like objects, pawns, or even disembodied ideas. This was one of the best-written books I have ever read. There was something so special about the writing style, I can't really put it into words. It was just so "fitting" and transported me right into this fascinating world. I knew absolutely nothing about the Geisha tradition going into this book, and I feel like I've learnt so much! It is extremely evident that the author did a lot of extensive research and clearly appreciates the Japanese culture.

I never would have guessed that I could beco This was one of the best-written books I have ever read. I never would have guessed that I could become so invested in the life of a single girl, who is growing up in a country I don't have any connection to, and who is living a lifestyle I've never thought all too much about before.

I thing the exquisite writing style is what truly makes this book. Of course the plot is interesting as well especially if, like me, you don't know anything about all the work that goes into becoming a Geisha , but without Arthur Golden 's wonderful storytelling it would have been only half as good.

He made me feel things I wouldn't have felt otherwise. He managed to make even the most mundane things sound exciting and interesting. I especially need to mention the fact that there were many things happening I would have found disgusting and appalling under different circumstances this is not a critique on the book itself; these situations are realistic and an attribute to the time period the book takes place in. However, the author pulled me so far into the story and had such a beautiful way of describing things, that I just couldn't bring myself to be angry at anything.

All in all, this was an absolute perfect book to me. If I were to teach a writing class, I would definitely choose this novel as an example on great storytelling. It deserves all the hype and acclaim it gets. View all 19 comments. In a small Japanese fishing village of Yoroido, on the coast of the Sea of Japan, a child Chiyo Sakamoto, 9, lives with an ancient father, dying mother, and older sister Satsu, in a dilapidated home, leaning over a cliff, the year , things are tough and will get harder, as the Great Depression is about to commence Pretty Chiyo, with beautiful eyes, to become a geisha after a long apprenticeship and the unlucky, plain Satsu, a In a small Japanese fishing village of Yoroido, on the coast of the Sea of Japan, a child Chiyo Sakamoto, 9, lives with an ancient father, dying mother, and older sister Satsu, in a dilapidated home, leaning over a cliff, the year , things are tough and will get harder, as the Great Depression is about to commence Pretty Chiyo, with beautiful eyes, to become a geisha after a long apprenticeship and the unlucky, plain Satsu, an abused prostitute In a house that never becomes a home, in the former royal capital of Kyoto, in the section called Gion, where most geisha live, and the tea houses to entertain rich men, there, the scared girl is under the complete control of three money- hungry women, who show no pity, Granny, she has coins in her heart the matriarch, and her two adopted daughters, Mother, the real boss, and Auntie, they love nicknames, both are as unfeeling as Granny.

The only genuine geisha in residence, is stunning Hatsumomo, as beautiful as she is detestable, and takes an odd, instant hatred to the little girl and torments her nonstop. One day while doing an errand, the child starts crying in the streets, her miserable life has no joy, a man known as the chairman , the owner of an important electronics business, stops and comforts Chiyo, leaving her, his monogrammed handkerchief, it will be the most prized possession, the girl has, at last, someone cares After an aborted escape try with her sister, she falls from the roof of a neighbor's house, injuring herself, things become even more dismal, Chiyo is demoted to a lowly maid in the house, no more school to learn her profession, to the elation of cruel Hatsumomo.

Still life is cloudy, and is never foreseen, even the fortune -tellers, the geisha go to, often, can't predict accurately Her name is changed later to "Sayuri", she returns to school, becomes a fine dancer and does a solo, at the annual celebrations in the local theater, her poster is painted by a famous alcoholic artist in town, the career prospers, but the chairman, that Sayuri constantly meets in the tea house parties, where the men get drunk on Sake, listen to stories told, watch the singing, the dancing, and music played by the geisha is rather distant, and doesn't recognize the grown- up woman The years roll by, and war is on the horizon, change is coming, it always is The most famous, popular, geisha, Mineko Iwasaki, now retired, one of the characters is based on her, in the novel greatly helped Mr.

Arthur Golden , in research, revealing to him, in confidence, the secrets of the mysterious life of these women , for the first time, much to her later regret View all 26 comments. This one is going to be a bit difficult for me to review. I enjoyed it, but it was kinda weird. It was interesting, but kind of slow. The historical fiction aspect is interesting, but I have seen many reviews critical of the actual truth of it all.

The pros: - Very good storytelling - Each chapter was its own short story and I found it easy to read and stay interested.

In fact, I was so invested I could feel my loathing for one of the bad characters This one is going to be a bit difficult for me to review. In fact, I was so invested I could feel my loathing for one of the bad characters curdling in my very soul. It's usually a good sign when you want to reach into the book and smack a character.

The Cons - This one may not be fair because it is probably historically accurate, but the Geisha culture made all the male characters seem like creepers. So, even when there is one you are supposed to like or who is supposed to be a hero, you know that he is all about pre-pubescent, up-and-coming Geisha and hoping to be able to deflower as many as possible.

Just skews things a bit. Often, other, more reliable titles are suggested. But, was this supposed to be a non-fiction memoir, a story based on some facts surrounding the Geisha culture but equal parts fact and fiction, or just a completely made up story? I am not completely sure, but it should provide some interesting follow up research. So, I am going to go with 4 stars because it was an interesting story and despite some slow spots and creepers, it was pretty entertaining.

View all 22 comments. Very entertaining, but kind of made me gag. Everything was written in this faux-asian "My heart ached like cherry blossom petals floating on the river View all 10 comments. What a disappointment. Why is it that in most books' reviews, only the marginal niche fans vote massively, upholstering the average score so unfairly.

Unless, it is the romantics who do read diversely that in their unbiased way, gave the book four to five stars. Even people who gave the book the same score as me must have done so for different reasons. Maybe the ending threw them. Maybe I'll never know. I'm left scratching my head as to why this book is considered the best historical fiction on What a disappointment.

I'm left scratching my head as to why this book is considered the best historical fiction on this site. I'll pool all my misgivings from the last third of the book in this paragraph. Chiyo's outlook towards life is delusional, and is vindicated by her being united with her beau. I wonder what friends I myself would have had my life been more successful. Chiyo's memories of her past are very selective. Sometimes she wants to be a geisha, but anyway she has no choice. Her heart breaks and reseals itself over her journey in becoming one.

Her infatuation with the Chairman and her laughable dressing of her repulsion to Nobu sums up the genre of romance. The book is an ungodly mess in its themes. The analogies and lesson-like counsel that passed for wisdom at the end made it all clear. This book's just an escapist dream for delusional romantics of all genders and ages.

My reason for my score is mainly that at not one point did the book reel me in. I was never hooked. I have to consider Hatsumomo, most of the book's main archenemy. She is described as stupid, but reveals herself as cunning. The latter attribute is proved beyond doubt. But her stupidity, abetted by drunkenness, only comes at the end. This was a missed opportunity to dress up a promising character. When Hatsumomo mars a kimono belonging to her rival, it's almost an act of vandalism.

I first intended to write more than I'm doing. But I want to put this book behind me quickly. I want to make two points which is more than my favorite team can make at the moment. First, I knew that such a dishonest and cowardly book would make of the tragic Pumpkin, a mean spirited person. I knew it! Her separation from Chiyo should have been temporary. Instead, she estranges herself from joy and purpose in life in the most random way. She is very wimpy in her decision to "join the dark side".

It's just not that convincing. Maybe her scavenging act early on foreshadows what the author did with her. It's not an excuse though. Second thing, the stupid and bizarre episode between Chiyo and the Baron.

It should have had consequences, but it seemed like the mother of all treaties had been signed between all parties. Very inexplicable.

Inexplicable but quite welcome. It's an occurrence that made me distance myself from the narrator. I don't have to be concerned with her when she troubled trouble. This book, were it a flawed masterpiece and dealt with a genre I detest, would still have gotten more than two stars.

But at no point did Memoirs reach a pinnacle or peak of sorts. No event was reciprocal, there was no theme except from a rags to riches story. Please read below: In the early s, Arthur Golden set out to write a novel about a topic that he had no previous background knowledge or study in. Upon trying to do the research he stumbled upon a person who could introduce him to the most famous geisha of the 20th century: Mineko Iwasaki.

Golden had spoken with her on the assurance that his book would be an accurate representation of the geisha profession, and upon its release in , it became an international bestseller. However, in order to sell more copies and to make it more sensational Mr. Golden bent the truth and added in parts about geisha selling sex like prostitutes.

As such, the book sold poorly in Japan and was mostly ignored until Mineko Iwasaki sued Mr. Golden for defamation as she claimed that many of the events in his story were taken from her own life and then twisted into a prostitution narrative. Mineko was scouted as an heir to the Iwasaki Okiya at a very young age and was legally adopted by them when she was just a teenager.

In real life, Mineko dated a man who was almost two decades older than her for a few years. Mineko Iwasaki has stated that this actually happened to her in real life! In the world of geisha, mizuage refers to how much money a person makes from working at ochaya in a single year.

In this case, Mineko did have the highest mizuage for six years straight, which was a record at the time, and this made her the most famous geisha of the century. In when a movie adaptation of the book was released it gained wide criticism across Japan for its depiction of Japanese women by Chinese actresses and for its wholly inaccurate storyline. Geisha across the country were furious at their portrayal by an American man who did not understand what their profession actually entails.

Most of the movie was filmed in an artificially built village in the US as the city of Kyoto did not allow the film crew to temporarily remove the electricity poles on the street. War And Peace. The Lincoln Highway. The Man Who Died Twice. A Slow Fire Burning. Snow Country. Our top books, exclusive content and competitions. Straight to your inbox. Sign up to our newsletter using your email. Enter your email to sign up. Thank you! Your subscription to Read More was successful. To help us recommend your next book, tell us what you enjoy reading.

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