An enchanting story following the life of a Geisha (Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden)

Member Name: helenmay80

Product:	Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Date:	23/08/05 (2671 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: beautifully descriptive story about an ancient tradition

Disadvantages: none

'Memoirs of a Geisha' by Arthur Golden is an enchanting story which follows the life of a beautiful, young Japanese girl named Chiyo in her quest to become a geisha. The story begins in 1929 in Chiyo's birth town of Yoroido, a small fishing village on the Sea of Japan. Chiyo lives here until the age of nine, with her mother, father and sister Satsu in a little 'tipsy house' on the cliffs. Everything is normal is Chiyo's life, until one day she and her sister are bought by Mr Tanaka and taken by train to Kyoto. Once in Kyoto, Chiyo is sold to a renowned geisha house in Gion and is separated from her sister, who is later to be found working as a prostitute.

To begin with Chiyo hates the idea of becoming a geisha and is tormented by Hatsumomo, the other geisha in the house. Chiyo rebels and tries to escape Gion with her sister but is unsuccessful, and as punishment she is told she can never be a geisha and must work as a maid instead. During this time she is constantly humiliated by Hatsumomo and looses touch with her only friend Pumpkin and her sister, as well as finding out that her parents are dead. Alone in the world and feeling as though she cannot carry on, Chiyo meets a kind man by the banks of the river who restores her faith in humanity and love. Spurred on by this man's warmth, Chiyo vows she will become a successful geisha and find this man again to repay him for his kindness.

The story continues with Chiyo's mission to become a geisha, following her life through her training and apprenticeship, the auctioning of her virginity for a record price, the lavish parties she attends, and to her search for a 'Danna', a rich patron who will pay for her geisha lessons and her daily upkeep. Throughout this time Chiyo is searching for the man she was comforted by on the banks of the river and dreams of telling him how much he means to her. One day she finally meets the man again, but can she tell him how she feels when she finds out it is his best friend who finds her attractive and that the man she wants to be with doesn't even seem to notice her.

The story is told through the eyes of Chiyo, who later becomes known as Sayuri when she becomes a geisha. Through her vivid descriptions and explanations of her life in Gion, the reader is transported to a faraway world and we learn about living the life of a geisha and the rigorous training and customs they must follow. There are many rules and procedures that must be followed in order to become a successful geisha, and the competition is fierce between the geisha. Just as Sayuri is settling into her new life as a geisha the Second World War strikes Japan and Sayuri finds she must reinvent herself once again.

**What is a geisha?**

Many people presume that a geisha is a glorified prostitute, but it actually means artisan or artist. A geisha must train long and hard to master the arts of music, dance, clever conversation and the seduction of wealthy patrons. Geisha training starts at a very early age as it takes many years to learn the skills involved.

**The author, Arthur Golden**

This is Arthur Golden's debut novel has sold over 5 million copies and was top of numerous bestseller lists in the late 1990's. Golden gained degrees in Japanese Art and History from Harvard and Columbia, plus an M.A. in English. After studying, Golden met a man in Tokyo who was the illegitimate child of a well-known businessman and a geisha. Following this chance meeting Golden was inspired to spend 10 years researching the life a geisha must follow and the training involved. He also had the privilege of talking to a real geisha, named Mineko. Geisha are renowned for the secretiveness, so Mineko asked not to be named in any credits in the book. However Golden did not follow this request and is now being sued by Mineko.

**My opinion**

I love this beautiful book and have just finished reading it for the second time. The language used is incredibly descriptive and vivid and captures a strange and mysterious world as if you were there yourself, drinking sake in a tearoom. The book is written as if Sayuri is talking to a translator about her life story, so everything is covered from her point of view and her feelings. You see her growing up and beginning to understand the strange new world that she must now live in. She explains the different geisha customs and what each of the Japanese words mean. Although based on huge amounts of research and a meeting with a real geisha the book is fiction, although Golden seems to achieve the impossible and make the reader believe that they are really sitting and listening to Sayuri talking about her life story.

I knew nothing about what being a geisha involved before reading this book, but I have now been spurred on to find our more, as this book really brings an ancient world to life. The book begins in a little fishing village and you begin to wonder what it has to do with becoming a geisha, but you are shortly sucked into a beautifully told story. Each page makes you want to read on and you find yourself cheering Sayuri on in her struggles toward becoming a successful geisha. The only disappointment for me was the last chapter of the book, as it feels as though it has been rushed and doesn't contain the same depth of descriptions as the rest of the book.

'Memoirs of a Geisha' is due to be released as a film in December, produced by Steven Spielberg, so I urge you to read the book before the film, as I think the film will destroy the wonderful images you create in your head while reading this amazing book.

This book in incredibly thought provoking and is a wonderful book to read if you enjoy being taken away to a faraway land and forgetting your real surroundings. A definite classic of our time.

'Memoirs of a Geisha' is published by Vintage Books for £6.99

Summary: A thought provoking book about an ancient custom