Passionate, heart rending and sometimes funny! (Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden)

Member Name: janharper

Product:	Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Date:	06/07/06 (195 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent read, I couldn't put it down

Disadvantages: A little bit heavy to read in parts and sometimes long passages of description

This heart rending, evocative and often funny novel was written by American author Arthur Golden. It is a fictional work but is backed up by some pretty solid research.

The novel is the story of a young Japanese girl and her training to be a Geisha. A Geisha was trained in music, art, conversation and entertainment. Contrary to popular believe, a Geisha was not a prostitute but more of an accomplished companion and entertainer. This is the story of one girl's journey towards earning the honourable title of 'Geisha'.

It was first published in the United Kingdom by 1997 by Chatto and Windus and has been reprinted several times. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Denmark have also printed their own editions.

Golden himself was brought up in Tennessee and in 1978 he graduated in art history, specialising in Japanese Art. He went on to do an MA in Japanese history at Columbia University. He even worked for a time at a magazine in Tokyo. So, his credentials are very good when it comes to things Japanese.

What makes the book so fascinating is not just the story line which is in itself intriguing and often very sensual and moving but also the attention to detail. Golden paints a historically correct picture of the time. In order to do this he researched his subject well before weaving it into a powerful story.


The day-to-day life of a Geisha is true to life and for the period which is 1930's and 1940's. Much of his research was assisted by Mineko Iwasaki, who was a top Geisha in the 1960's and 1970's. She furnished details of the daily life of a Geisha, from their routines to their living arrangements, their finances and their toilettes.


This book captured my imagination and I could not put it down. It tells the tale of Sayuri who is a purely fictional character, and takes the reader through 25 years from 1929 to the years just after the second world war. It describes and reveals an enchanting erotic world which is also tinged with exploitation and sometimes degradation.

This is a very powerful mix of emotions and the author successfully evokes those feelings in the reader by his emotive use of language.

Sayuri tells her story in a gentle and always courteous manner and the reader grows to like her very quickly. The story unfolds into a beautiful and powerful experience.

This is book that will stay in your memory for a long time. It is well worth reading a couple of times as it seems to be more powerful the second time.

This novel has been made into a film which I haven't seen yet but I wouldn't mind betting that it doesn't have the same powerful impact as the book does.

I bought my copy from Ottakers at £7.99 for the paperback edition, but I believe they have it in their special summer reading section, and you can get it for £4.99 at the moment, if you want to buy it.

This book should be listed as a modern classic. A 'must read'!

Summary: A must read!