First book I've read on Geisha's and I loved it so much it has fueled my need to get to Japan and my fascination with all things Japanese.

I thought this was a fantastic book and a great insight to the culture although I am aware of the controversy surrounding it and the liberties the author took but this will still remain an all time favorite for me.

Una niña de hermosos ojos gris traslúcido, las intrigas de una okiya y una famosa geisha que hará todo lo posible por destruirla.

Yoroido, años 30. Cuando la madre de Chiyo se encuentra al borde de la muerte, su padre las vende a ella y a su hermana Satsu al no poder hacer frente a su manutención. Las niñas son separadas al llegar a Gion y Chiyo se ve obligada a crecer en un okiya, una casa de geishas, cuya principal protagonista, Hatsumomo le hace la vida imposible nada más llegar. Separada, la niña trata de encontrar a su hermana mientras sobrevive a las trampas que le pone Hatsumomo, a su formación como aprendiza de geisha y a la difícil vida lejos de su familia.

Arthur Golden nos transporta al fascinante mundo de Japón y las geishas, donde las apariencias son lo más importante, así como la virginidad de las niñas, que son adiestradas en el arte de entretener y seducir a hombres poderosos para ser mantenidas y ascender en la escala social. Una novela narrada por una Chiyo ya anciana y que nos cuenta su vida. Una historia repleta de amor, suspense y erotismo cuyos principales temas son el poder, el sacrificio, la guerra, la pobreza, la prostitución, el sexo, la supervivencia, la traición y el dinero.

✔️ Puntos fuertes: las descripciones y la envolvente ambientación y retrato de la cultura japonesa, los personajes bien construidos (como la protagonista Chiyo y su "hermana mayor" Mahema), las intrigas de la trama, una historia cautivadora, la tensión creciente, las relaciones entre los personajes, los giros y la emotividad de la lectura.

❤ Te gustará si: buscas una lectura histórica ambientada en Japón, en el mundo de las geishas o de la época de la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Memoirs of a Geisha is an American novel, and as such the attempt at West does East, especially on the complex and delicate subject of the geisha, is compelling, interesting, but also heavy-handed and ultimately ineffective (even more so in the case of the film). It is a wonderful introduction to geisha, Japanese culture, and the East for the uninitiated Western reader, and I can see why the book is popular, but I found it disappointing. For the reader already familiar with the culture, western influences are all too clear and the book comes off as a bit clunky and imperfect. I also had some problems with the general perception of the characters by readers versus the way the characters were actually portrayed in the book--Memoirs is far from the good-willed fairy tale that people assume it is. By all means, read it, but leave it open for critique and remember that a more authentic representation of eastern culture, especially in the details, will come from the east itself.

A lot of my critique stems from the fact that this movie has attained such wide-spread fame and been made into a movie, to be sure. I feel like it is being perpetuated as something it is not. Even the introduction to the book (a faux translator's note) perpetuates the myth that Memoirs is an accurate, beautiful, in-depth reflection of the life of a geisha, when in truth it is no more that historical fiction and is written by an outsider. Golden has done his research and is well-educated on his subjects, and I have no problem with people reading from, taking interest in, and even learning from this book; I do, however, think it is important that readers don't conflate the American novel with Japanese reality. They aren't the same thing, no matter how much research Golden did, and if we take the book as an accurate representation we're actually underestimating and undervaluing geisha, Japan, and Japanese culture.

Because Golden attempts to write from within the geisha culture, as a Japanese woman, he must do more than report the "facts" of that life--he must also pretend to be a part of it. Pretend he does, acting out a role as if he has studied inflection, script, and motivation. He certainly knows what makes writing "Japanese" but his attempt to mimic it is not entirely successful. The emphasis on elements, the independent sentences, the visual details are too prevalent and too obvious, as if Golden is trying to call our attention to them and thus to the Japanese style of the text. He does manage to draw attention, but to me, at least, what I came away with was the sense that Golden was an American trying really hard to sound Japanese--that is, the effect betrayed the attempt and the obvious attempt ruined the sincerity of the novel, for me. I felt like I was being smacked over the head with beauty! wood! water! kimono! haiku! and I felt insulted and disappointed.

The problems that I saw in the text were certainly secondary to the purpose of the text: to entertain, to introduce Western readers to Japanese culture, and to sell books (and eventually a film). They may not be obvious to all readers and they aren't so sever that the book isn't worth reading. I just think readers need to keep in mind that what Golden writes is fiction. Historical fiction, yes, but still fiction, therefore we should look for a true representation of Japanese culture within Japanese culture itself and take Memoirs with a grain of salt.

I also had problems with the rushed end of the book, the belief that Sayuri is a honest, good, modest, generous person when she really acts for herself and at harm to others throughout much of the book, the perpetuation of Hatsumomo as unjustified and cruel when she has all the reason in the world, and in general the public belief that Memoirs is some sort of fairy tale when in fact it is heavy-handed, biased, and takes a biased or unrelatistic view toward situations, characters, and love. However, all of those complains are secondary, in my view, to the major complain above, and should be come obvious to the reader.

Memoirs goes quickly, is compelling, and makes a good read, and I don't want to sound too unreasonably harsh on it. However, I believe the book has a lot of faults that aren't widely acknowledged and I think we as readers need to keep them in mind. This is an imperfect Western book, and while it may be a fun or good book it is not Japanese, authentic, or entirely well done.

I'm not sure why it's taken me this long to read this one, but I'm so glad I finally got to it.

This is decidedly a slow burn of a novel. The introduction confused me a little bit with a translator talking about meeting with Sayuri- a well known geisha that wanted to tell her story to this one person and leave her legacy behind. The reader is quickly taken back to the 1930's in Gion as we watch Sayuri become one of the most renowned geisha in Japan. The writing was beautiful and this is novel to slowly savor. It moves as slowly as I imagine Sayuri walking in her kimono across the pathway. The life of a geisha is thoroughly researched and detailed for the this novel. The characters are well drawn and I appreciated the delicate almost brutal pacing.

At times this just went too slow for me, and at other time, I couldn't get enough. This book was so engrossing and I can appreciate the extra time it took for me to have the relationship I did with it. Now, I plan to watch the movie.

Chiyo and her sister, Satsu, live in the fishing village of Yoroido, on coastal Japan. Her father gives them to Mr. Tanaka Ichiro. He sells Satsu into a brothel and Chiyo into a geisha house. Satsu escapes but nine year old Chiyo does not. Because Chiyo tried to run away with her sister, she is demoted to a maid for two years.

Life in the okiya (geisha house) is difficult. Hatsumomo, a geisha who lives in the okiya, is cruel and manipulative. She lies and twist events around so that Chiyo gets in trouble. Luckily for Chiyo, Mameha, another geisha, takes an interest in Chiyo. She becomes Chiyo's older sister. Soon Chiyo's training as a geisha begins and her name will change to Sayuri.

I found this novel intriguing and captivating. I stopped the description so as to not spoil the book for future readers. Chiyo/Sayuri's journey keeps the reader turning the pages to discover what happens next. I will tell you the ending is perfect for this story. Very satisfying. I am renting the movie next. Can't wait to compare it to the book. I recommend this novel to those interested in the life of a geisha. The story reads like an autobiography. It's hard to keep in mind that it's fiction. Happy reading!

Golden earns points for creativity, but loses them for inaccuracy.

The "memoir" of the elegant Sayuri, whose life as a high-class geisha is disrupted by the outbreak of war, is written in an intriguing and alluring monologue -- purportedly narrated by Sayuri herself to the author -- that pulls the reader in from the very beginning. Unfortunately, the real narrator, Arthur Golden, took some dramatic liberties with history and cultural practices, and the fallacious elements sprinkled throughout detract from a potentially fascinating story. (This may not present a major issue to a reader who has no prior knowledge of Japanese culture, but such a reader should also be warned NOT to take this book as a factual representation of life in Japan.)

Additionally, although the narrative starts strong, it loses momentum partway through the story. By the time the inevitable tremors of World War II began to shake the cultural bedrock of Japan, I was already beginning to lose interest in the artificial suspense.

Overall, the book is written fairly well, and I can see why some readers would like it... but even while I was reading, I couldn't help feeling that I should have enjoyed it more.

I remember watching the film when I was in my 2nd or 3rd year high school for a movie review. I barely remember what happened and decided to finally pick the book as it sits on my shelf for more than 3 years.

I didn't expect to like it because historical fiction isn't my usual kind of read and I find it refreshing. The premise of this book is compelling and beautiful. I was hooked from the very beginning and I can't seem to stop. The story tells about the journey of Nitta Sayuri/Chiyo being a Geisha. She came from a small town in Japan and came from a less fortunate family. Her mother became sick and her father is too old to sustain her and her sister, Satsu. They were offered to a business man and left with no choice but to take the sisters in Kyoto where they must find a great opportunity of being a Geisha/ an entertainer.

What Chiyo have been through during the course of her training to be a Geisha is really difficult and harsh. Hatsumomo, a Geisha in okiya, put her through hell because she was a failed Geisha and was insecure with Chiyo's beauty. After all the efforts, she survived. Chiyo was rewarded with many things and surpassed her. Thanks to Mameha for training her to be a refined, beautiful and well-mannered woman.

Getting to know the Japanese culture is pretty challenging but I love how Arthur Golden thoroughly explained such details and it kept me fascinated. It was a nice historical fiction to explore to. The mizuage (a deflowering ceremony) quite shocked me in some ways. It was unbelievable. There is a little love story in this book which I enjoyed as well.

Overall, it's a great historical fiction. It's nice to explore something different from my tastes.

رواية جميلة ومؤثرة، رغم أنها طويلة ومليئة بالتفاصيل، إلا أنها تفاصيل ممتعة، خصوصًا فيما يتعلق بأسلوب حياة فتيات الغايشا. فالغايشا المتدربة تكون للرقص ولصبِّ الشاي والساكي، أما الغايشا تصبح متوفرة للرجال لخدمات أخرى!. والغايشا تصبح مشهورة ويرتفع اسمها ونجمها عاليًا وتكون مطلوبة في الحفلات عندما يكون لديها دانا يصرف عليها وبذلك تصبح عشيقته. الغاي في كلمة غايشا تعني الفنون، لذا كلمة غايشا تعني الحرفيّ أو الفنّان. فمهنة الغايشا هي الفن والموسيقى والرقص وتسلية الرجال.

رواية عن عبودية المرأة ماديًا وجسديًا وعن عبودية الحب للقلب والروح، بالرغم من أن بطلة الرواية سايوري بيعت هي وأختها لتصبح غايشا، وكذلك يحصل مع أغلب الفتيات الفقيرات في اليابان، إلا أنّ الحب أيضًا استعبد قلبها ومشاعرها لسنين. فلا تدري هل تشفق عليها من الرق الجسدي أو من الحب المعنوي الذي استعبدها!

أسلوب الكاتب سهل سلس وشيق، وصفه الشاعري للأماكن والملابس، والتعبير الذي رسمه للوجوه والمشاعر الإنسانية المختلفة شكّل لوحة جميلة وفريدة استولت عليّ أثناء القراءة.

سيرة مفعمة بالأسى والألم والأمل وبالحبّ والجمال والرومانسية.




اقتباسات



“نحن نعيش حيواتنا كالمياه المتدفّقة على الهضاب في اتّجاه واحد إلى حدّ ما، حتّى نصطدم بشيء يدفعنا إلى أن نجد مسارًا جديدًا”.

“أنّى لنا الهرب من البؤس الكامن فينا!”.

“أجمل لحظات العمر حين يمر فيها شخص، أو حدث، يجعل حياة أحدنا ذات معنى، ويثبت أنّ شيئًا آخر غير القساوة موجود في هذا العالم”.

“حين يختبر أحدنا أمسية أكثر إثارة من غيرها في حياته، يحزن لرؤيتها تنتهي؛ ومع ذلك يشعر بالامتنان لأنّها حدثت”.

“حين تمشي المرأة، عليها أن تترك في من يراها انطباع الأمواج المترقرقة على الرمال”.

“تذكّري أنّ الغايشا المتدرّبة التي تكون على وشك الحصول على “الميزواج” تصبح كالوجبة المقدّمة على المائدة. ولن يرغب أيّ رجل في تناولها إن سمع أنّ رجلًا آخر حصل على قضمة”.

“الحزن أمر غريب، وليس بأيدينا حيلة لمواجهته. إنّه ببساطة كالنافذة التي تُفتح بكامل إرادتها، فيسيطر البرد على الغرفة وتعجز عن الحدّ من الرّجفان. وبرغم ذلك، يتقلّص حجم فتحتها مرّة تلو الأخرى، حتى تصبح غريبة علينا، إلى حدّ لا نعرفها، ونتساءل عمّا حدث لها”.

“القدر ليس دومًا كحفلة في نهاية أمسية ما. وأحيانًا، لا يكون سوى الكفاح في الحياة من يوم إلى آخر”.

“لا نصبح غايشا حتى تكون حياتنا مُرْضية. نصبح غايشا لأنه ما من خيار آخر لدينا”.

“من المؤلم أن نرى أسرارنا قد كُشفت وهُتكت فجأة”.

“صاحب المتجر الذي يترك شبّاكه مفتوحًا لا يحقّ له أن يغضب من المطر الذي قد يُتلف سلعه”.

“أنا لا أسعى إلى هزيمة الرجل الذي أحاربه، بل أسعى إلى أن أهزم ثقته. فالعقل الذي ينشغل بالشّك لا يستطيع التركيز على النّصر”.

“سأتذكّرك كلّما احتجت إلى أن أذكر أنّ في العالم جمالاً وطيبة”.

“المحن هي كالريّاح القوية. لا أعني بذلك فقط أنّها تمنعنا من الوصول إلى أماكن نريدها، بل تقوم أيضًا بتمزيق كلّ الأشياء إلا التي لا يمكن تمزيقها، حتّى نرى أنفسنا في ما بعد على حقيقتنا، وليس تمامًا كما نرغب في أن تكون”.

“الآن، أصبحت أدرك تمامًا أنّ عالمنا ليس ثابتًا أكثر من موجة ترتفع في البحر. مهما كان حجم كفاحنا أو نجاحنا، ومهما عانينا بسببه، سرعان ما سيتلاشى كلّه، كما يتلاشى الحبر المائيّ على الورق”.

“If you aren't the woman I think you are, then this isn't the world I thought it was.”



Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha is a beautifully written novel about one of Japan's most famous geisha. I just wasn't sure I trusted the immersion into geisha life that the novel purports to represent. I enjoyed the read, but everything, all the dramatic tension from Sayuri becoming a geisha to auctioning off her virginity, fit way too nicely into a competition between Sayuri and her rival, Hatsumomo. It gave Memoirs of a Geisha a page-turning quality (and maybe that's just good writing), but here it struck me as a little false. I need to remind myself that it is fiction, but this prevents me from accepting the world of the novel. 3.5 stars

Wow, reteading this I’m realizing how fucked this actually is. But Yes, this is still my favourite book

If I hadn't paid for it, I would not have read it. Although historical fiction is not a genre I normally read or enjoy, I had high expectations for this book. Despite the controversy, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It took me a long time to read and annotate it. I felt a strong connection with the characters. The author's writing style was fantastic. The characters were given more depth. The story's pace, which was languid at times, docked one star.

Overall, this was a fantastic experience. This book marked the end of my 2021 reading challenge..

Memoirs of a Geisha is an amazing novel that discusses the life of a Geisha, a Japanese artist-entertainer. Both its very exotic setting, with its extremely different value system, and its fascinating plot, which grabs your interest early on and keeps you waiting for more all along, contribute to making this novel a special book worthy of reading.

The best quality in this novel, in my opinion, is the way the narrator (Chiyo), tells the story. Her reflections concerning much of the events in the novel are very similar to those of the reader. At least I felt I could connect with her, and approved of – even if I didn't always agree with – many of her actions. The pain she suffered is well-depicted in the novel, we almost start to feel that pain with her; we often share the same surprises with her about the different things a geisha should or should not do, and even share the pleasures of success regardless of the fact that most of us despise the geisha way of life.

A slave, sold by your own family, and trained for the sole purpose of pleasuring men, whether you like it or not. Imagine living such a life; I know I cannot. Yet, at some point, you are happy that Chiyo succeeded in becoming a geisha. If that's an indication of anything, it's the skills of the author.

They say a geisha is no prostitute; well, that may be true, but as the story truly shows, the main revenue for a geisha is through sex, at least when she is a successful one. To me, sex for money, no matter how much you sugar coat it, is still some form of prostitution.

I don't like what she did with Nobu, but I understand her perspective. Our emotions are not necessarily affected by how other people treat us, but by how we feel about their behavior. The chairman in my opinion was much more the Chiyo type than Nobu is, and her dedication to reach him amazes me, though not the methods she used to achieve it after her desperation.

The destruction of Hatsumomo was, in my opinion, the brightest point in the story. I feel that the story, and the geisha life, has changed forever after the Second World War, so Chiyo, or any other geisha at the time for that matter, could not have been more successful after the war, nor could the story be more fun.

Yet, another bright point was the encounter with the Chairman. Since Pumpkin caused the Chairman to run into Chiyo and the Minister, I knew the Chairman and Chiyo are going to have a future together. In fact, when Iwamura Electric called for Chiyo to the Ichiriki Teahouse, I guessed – correctly – that Nobu won't be there, but the Chairman.

The most disappointing thing in this novel, in my opinion, is the way the author talked about the US. If the novel had talked about any other place than his country, this might have been tolerable, but when an American author, writing a novel that takes place in Japan for the most part, makes the main character fall in love with the US, and talks about it like a country much better than Japan, there is something wrong. Unless, and I hope this is the case, he did this mainly because the actual geisha upon which he based his novel had described this to him. Then I might accept it.