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.

Memoirs of a geisha is what I'm talking about! the type of historical fiction I like. I'm so very glad I read it. I really enjoyed learning about Japan culture during WW2. Not sure its a favorite read but very enjoyable.

We start off following a young girl named chiyo who is poor and from a fishing village. Her mother is sick and about to die and her father is old and unable to take care of chiyo and her sister. They both are sold the pretty chiyo to be a geisha and her older sister to be a whore. The sister runs away from her whorehouses and chiyo never hears from her again. One immediately thought was how mean everyone was to chiyo. Most notably the houses main geisha hatzamomo. She was horrid along with mother and granny the owner of the house. The only bright spot is another young girl her age nicknamed pumpkin and a failed geisha know as aunty. Memoirs of a geisha is a love story despite all the strife chiyo who's name changes to Sayuri after becoming a geisha goes through. I as always don't want to give to much away so I'll stop the synopsis here. Sayuri survives WW2 which isn't as easy as you would think and moves to New York. All in all I think she had a great life compared to other geishas.

I'm not sure how true the story is but geishas being entertainers, I will once again state I was fully entertained. I was enthralled by every detail because if a story is told well you will most likely enjoy it even if it's about kimonos and keeping disgusting men company!

4.5 stars
This novel is very rich and full of diverse characters and shows a big deal of the classic Japanese tradition.

-Every character represents an aspect and an attitude of humans

-Although it is lengthy but I don't find it boring,the length of the book helped in building up the anticipation for the end,thus more satisfaction.

-some people find it insulting to women,well it is a novel not the author's belief.

-I kinda liked Hatsumomo and felt bad for her end,she was the salt of the book.

-the age of the characters along the novel is a little peculiar,and the age difference between Sauyri and the chairman is huge if left to the readers calculations.

-The writing style of the author is nice,and it seems to be affected by the meticulosity of the Japanese.

I wish i have read it before watching the movie,which i will watch again after finishing it.

Absolutely stunning and flawless.
Promoted to one of my all-time favorite books.

I've no clue how the author wrote this, being that he is not a geisha, not Japanese, not a woman, not from the World War II era, etc., etc.... but it is absolutely incredible.

Non si diventa geishe per piacere ma per necessità. Queste poche parole, pronunciate da una delle protagoniste, sembrano racchiudere il senso di questo romanzo, la condizione di una donna-oggetto destinata al puro piacere dell'uomo, che, nella propria condizione di prigionia, si sforza di cercare brandelli della libertà perduta e negata e, nei giochi di potere con le altre geishe, l'opportunità di esprimersi e farsi valere che non ha più. Illusione e auto-inganno necessarie a vivere una vita che potrebbe solo condurre alla disperazione. Tentativi più o meno riusciti di far proprio uno stile di vita inaccettabile e illudersi di poter ancora vantare un'esistenza degna di tal nome.

Very interesting,entertaining, and quick to read! Chiyo/Sayuri and her sister Satsu were sold into slavery at the age of 9 by their father, Sayuri tells of her traumatic arrival at the Nitta okiya (a geisha house), where she endures harsh treatment from everyone, In spite of the problems she had to face, Sayuri became the beautiful geisha accomplished in the art of entertaining men.







“He was like a song I'd heard once in fragments but had been singing in my mind ever since.”

“Can't you see? Every step I have taken, since I was that child on the bridge, has been to bring myself closer to you.”

I had seen Memoirs of a Geisha described many times as the “Perfect Novel” and one of the 100 books you should read before you die, so perhaps my expectations were a little height for this one as I was expecting an emotional read and a novel that would transport me in time and enlighten me to mystery of the Japanese culture of the time but sadly this story while good and well written was too slow moving and an unemotional read for me

I had been wanting to read this novel for years and they say “what’s for you won’t pass you by” so when I found this one in a used book shop I felt it was time to finally take this one home. It has been loved by so many of my friends over the years and I really was intrigued by the the lives of Geisha.

TBH I actually thought this was a true story and only realised about 30% into the book that it was a fictional account. The novel tells the story of a fictional geisha working in Kyoto, Japan before, during and after World War II. I loved the first first 100 pages of this novel, the story starts out strong and the characters and culture is intriguing. I enjoyed the slow pace (to start with) but then the book just seemed to drag and become dreadfully descriptive and I found myself page counting and wishing the the novel was 100 pages shorter.
I enjoyed the characters to begin with and yet by the end I was very glad to part company with them.

The book does offer a fascinating glimpse into the hidden world of the Geisha and this was an aspect of the novel that I really enjoyed and the reason I rated this one 3 stars (which means I liked it but didn't love it) but I am afraid this copy will make its way back to the used book shop and hopefully another reader will enjoy the experience more than me.

“Contándote mi vida, la he vuelto a vivir”; dice la protagonista. Y también nos ha permitido revivirla junto a ella como lectores gracias al particular estilo de narración que nos ofrece la voz de Sayuri, tan colorido como transparente.

Me parece increíble que este libro haya sido escrito por un hombre blanco occidental, pero me complace que, pese a las diferencias entre su cultura y la de Japón, haya sido capaz de retratar toda una vida ficcional con un realismo desconcertante a partir de eventos históricos y una rica documentación que viene de diversas fuentes: desde libros hasta entrevistas con mujeres que se dedicaban a prestar sus compañía en las casas de té entre los años 30 y los 60. Se nota la dedicación y el empeño que invirtió tanto a la historia de Sayuri como a la investigación que necesitaría para dar voz a las geishas, a su rol en la historia de Japón y del mundo, a sus conflictos propios y al desarrollo de su identidad, sin caer en estigmatizaciones ni clichés. Qué refrescante se siente conocer la historia a través de un personaje tan real, guiado por la pluma de un autor que sabe hacer justicia a las costumbres, la cultura y la perspectiva femenina en ese contexto, a la par que evidencia el impacto de la mirada masculina en el mundo de las geishas.

Golden hizo un trabajo admirable y me ha hecho sentir partícipe de estas memorias. Es verdad que hay puntos en los que la cantidad de descripción puede ser algo agobiante, pero si ustedes aman las historias de este estilo, con un ritmo reposado y que se disfrutan más leyendo entre líneas, valdrá la pena, porque al final habrán experimentado una vida más: la de Sayuri, su historia con “el Presidente" y, en suma, el conjunto de grandes y pequeñas casualidades que la llevaron a convertirse en una geisha como pocas.

P.D.: Ahora por fin voy a ver la peli

Nitta Sayuri story begins in a poor fishing village in 1929, when, as a nine-year-old girl with unusual blue-gray eyes, she is taken from her home and sold into slavery to a renowned geisha house. We watch her learn the art of dance, make-up, and fashion. The simple flick of the wrist when pouring sake is a learned skill meant to entice. How petty jealousies can turn deadly, and your virginity is sold to the highest bidder. In this world, love is an illusion. To survive, you have to learn how to beguile the most powerful men.

This is a beautiful book. It transports you back in time. I enjoyed the movie as well. Watching Nitta dance was powerful. Highly recommend both!

حين كنتُ أدرس التاريخ الجاهلي في شبة الجزيرة العربية كانت هناك فقرة تتكرر دائما عن وضع المرأة في المجتمع عبارة كنت أشعر أنهم يكررونها بشكل متعمد لإهانة جنس النساء كان المؤلف يصف معاملة الرجل المرأة على أساس إنها متاع أو ما شابه حين كنت أقرأ الجيشا رنّت تلك العبارة في ذهني مسترجعة قسوة الرجل ولامبالاته تجاه هذا الكائن الحي !
أي وضع مأساوي كانت تعيشه المرأة في الهند أو الصين أو اليابان أو عند العرب أو غيرهم شرقا وغربا لم يكن يختلف !
الأنثى كانت تدور دوما في فلك الرجل تموت و تحيا لأجله !
الجيشا درّبت لتكون على هيئة لوحة جميلة يتبارز عليها الرجال وينالها أكثرهم سطوة وحظوة وذكاءا ..
هذا الوضع المأساوي ونوعية التفكير الذكوري المتوارث بلا شك يثير الحزن والحقيقة إنني طوال قرائتي لتلك الرواية أتعجب كيف كانت النساء تبيع أنفسهن بهذه الطريقة المخجلة وعلى الرغم أن الأمر مازال يمارس بأشكال مختلفة وأكثر بساطة في الكثير من الأماكن التي يخيم عليها كابوس الفقر إلا أن ما يثير الدهشة كيف أن الجيشاوات خلقن لهم عالما خاصا به قوانين خاصة تسيرها نساء غلبت عليهم شهوة الطمع والسيطرة وانتفت معها كل معاني الإنسانية !

يحكي آرثر غولدن قصة فتاة وشقيقتها والدها صياد كبير في السن بينما والدتها كانت تعاني من مرض عضال أفقدها القدرة على الحياة ومع الوقت تفقد فعاليتها ويرجع صوت الألم مجلجلا ليحرم بطلتنا الصغيرة من الشعور بالأمان ومرارة الإحساس بقرب النهاية
وفقا لذلك لم يكن هناك من يرعى الطفلة بطلة القصة وشقيقتها المراهقة ، خرجت شيو لتحضر الدواء لوالدتها ولكنها أصيبت فأحضرها الصيادون إلى رب النعمة تاناكا ، اللقاء مع تاناكا هو الذي غير حياتها إلى إتجاه آخر تماما لم يكن يخطر في بال تلك الفتاة الصغيرة
شيو كانت تتمتع بعينين رماديتين تسرق الأنظار على الرغم من إنها تسير حافية القدمين مبعثرة الشعر والملابس إلا إن السيد تاناكا انبهر بتلك العينين وبدأ يرى مستقبلا آخر سيعود عليه بالمال !
ونظرا لظروف الفقر القاهرة والمستقبل الغامض الذي يحيط بالفتاتين اضطر الأب إلى بيع فتاتيه إلى السيد تاناكا الذي باعهم بدوره،، الصغيرة لأحد بيوتات تربية الجيشاوات والمراهقة إلى أحد بيوت الدعارة ومن هنا يبدأ مشوار عذابات الطفلة التي تضاءلت أحلامها في بيت ورعاية جيدة في معية السيد تاناكا

آرثر غولدن درس أصول الفن الياباني وهذا الأمر إنعكس بشكل بارع في روايته الجيشا وفي توغله لعالم الجيشاوات الذي يقوم على تربية الفتاة لتكون راقصة وعازفة ومتذوقة للفن ومتحدثة وقادرة على خدمة الرجال في بيوتات الشاي الشهيرة التي يجتمع فيها رجالات المجتمع الراقي ، ما لفت نظري بل سلب لبي هذا الوصف الشائق والدقيق الذي اعتمده غولدن في وصف الكيمونوات وهو اللباس الذي كانت ترتديه الجيشاوات لجذب اهتمام الرجال ويمثل مبارزة حقيقية بين الجيشاوات للحصول على أفخر وأجمل أنواعها وكان غولدن يسترسل في الوصف حتى تعرف أن الكاتب نفسه مولع بهذا النوع من الفن فيصف القماش واللون والرسوم ويقوم بتحليل حركتها فتبدو وكأنها لوحة تضج بالحيوية والحياة ، لقد كان غولدن أيضا يتوغل في تفاصيل صغيرة كالصباغ الأبيض وطريقة طلاء الوجه والشفاه والعينين وكل هذه الأمورالتي تذكرك أن غولدن استغرق أعواما طوال ليكتب هذه الرواية كما فعل باموق في اسمي أحمر هذه الدقة وهذا الشعور بالمسئولية تجاه الكتابة ألا يجعلك تقف احتراما للكاتب خاصة إنه قرر الدخول إلى عالم لا ينتمي له في الحقيقة !

إن الأمر لم يقتصر فقط على الدخول لذلك العالم ولكن بحبكة مشوقة لم تنتهي عند عذابات تلك الصغيرة مع منافستها التي لم تألو جهدا في زعزعة وجودها في الأوكيا ولا بفكرة الهرب التي ظلت تراودها للبحث عن حياة حرة وكريمة تلك الفترة المظلمة التي حولتها إلى خادمة مهانة
حين تخلى عنها الأب والأخت برق أمل وحيد كان دافعا لها لكي تصبح الجيشا الأكثر شهرة في تاريخ الجيشاوات
بل بهذا الأمل الذي يخلقه الحب ليصبح هو الدافع الرئيسي لإحتمال كل ما لا يمكن أن يحتمل ، إن اللقاءات التي جمعت بين سايوري ورجلها الوحيد كانت من أجمل المشاهد الدافئة والحميمية وإن كانت لقاءات متباعدة وقليلة وتحمل القليل من الأمل والكثير من اليأس ..

كان غولدن متفوقا في رسم شخصياته الخيالية وكأنها شخصيات حقيقية ، إن تفرّد الكاتب جاء في المساحات التي قدمها لكل شخصية كتب عنها قد تكون صفحات كثيرة وقد تكون أسطر قليلة وعلى الرغم من أن سايوري هي الشخصية المحورية في هذه الرواية إلا أن حضور الشخصيات الأخرى كان متساويا من حيث قوة تأثيرها على مجريات السرد غولدن الأم التي تدير الأوكيا بجشعها وتسلطها
وهاتسومومو المنافسة الجميلة التي ظهرت كالأنثى الحية تبدل جلدها حسب ما تقتضيه مصالحها الشخصية أحببت جدا طريقة رسم هذه الشخصية المتحركة حيوية مجنونة مليئة بالغرابة والإدهاش , الفارس النبيل الرئيس , البارون القبيح المنفوخ كبالون والدكتور الذي تفوح من أسطر غولدن حين يتحدث عنه رائحة المستشفيات
ومامها الأنثى الجميلة العاقلة نموذج للجيشا المثال التي كانت تزاحم بنضج الأنثى ذات التجارب
ونابو آه من تلك الشخصية إنها بالفعل من أروع وأعظم شخصيات الرواية على غرابته وتصرفاته العنيفة التي كانت ترافق صفات أخرى نبيلة
لا أدري لم إستدعت هذه الرواية سيرة تلك النساء الصينيات ( بجعات برية ) كنتُ أفكر في الرابط بين الروايتين
ربما هو عالم الشرق أو ربما هي الأنثى المهانة ولعلها العذابات التي عانتها الصغيرة أو قد يكون ذلك النوع المتفرد من المتعة والتشويق الذي حصدته في الكتابين عن عالمين مختلفين عني تماما !

American author Arthur Golden studied Japanese art and history at Harvard and Columbia and did extensive research to write this fictional account of the life of a geisha in Kyoto before, during and after WW II. And it shows: The story offers a lot of information about the time and the profession, and the storyline, though rather conventionally crafted, unfolds wonderfully. At the same time, the text is clearly targeted at a Western audience that also wants to be enchanted and entertained, and this aspect of exoticism combined with a certain degree of kitsch is a little questionable. Our protagonist and first-person narrator is Sayuri who, as a 9-year-old child, is sold into slavery and forced to become a geisha - but her dream is not to be free, but to be loved by the so-called chairman, a powerful, married businessman. Maybe it is unfair to frame the story like that, because Sayuri grows up and has to survive in a world where the idea of a woman living on her own terms would be fantastical, but still, there is a degree of romanticization of the "Pretty Woman" variety, Eastern style.

Then again, "Pretty Woman" is great fun and a classic, and so is this book. And it's certainly not without its literary merits: Golden does a great job illustrating the life in Kyoto's geisha district, the dependence and fear that comes with the job, the focus on reputation and superficial traits - but the novel never gets gritty, and even when Sayuri's virginity is auctioned off, the sex scene does not make it seem like this is a woman undergoing trauma because she has to give her body to the highest bidder to get rid of her debt and because custom requires it. While the chairman is portrayed as a real romantic interest, he is de facto more of a fantasy than a real-life character, a man Sayuri hardly knows and onto whom she projects her love (the ending makes the whole thing even more surreal). This always remains a comfortable read, which isn't necessarily a plus considering what Sayuri has to undergo.

We accompany Sayuri from her childhood in a fishing village through her training in Kyoto, we learn about the occupation of a geisha and the course of history and often, it's utterly fascinating to read. Golden interviewed several geisha for this novel, among them Mineko Iwasaki who later sued him for defamation and using confidential information (they settled out of court). The movie version of the book looks stunning and won three Oscars for Cinematography, Art Direction and Costume Design.

So all in all, this has the flaws of a popular book explaining complex cultural phenomena while aiming at a broad audience, but it is still intelligent and just very fun to read.

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.