I don't know what to make of this one. I liked the writing, I found the story okay but it was hard to get through. Not that it was bad but just the sexualization of everything had gotten a bit too much.
Apparently, the author made a lot of things up? well ¯_ಠ_ಠ_/¯

I think this is going to be one of those books you either love or hate, or is that a tattoo I’ve seen somewhere?.

Having checked my Almanac I knew I had to finish this book before the east wind of Hurricane Milton reached the Tiger Claws of Alligator Alley. Thank goodness I did, the leaves need sweeping.

Although a fictional tale set predominately in Japan in the 1930’s, it gave me a wonderful insight into the vanishing world of a life of a Geisha.

From childhood, to apprentice Geisha, to a fully fledged Geisha was a daunting ride.

The Characters for me made this book. On one side you had the main Geisha’s battling out for their dominance of Gion. All sorts of mixed cunning methods, friendly, smart or down right wickedness hidden behind the white faces and beautiful kimono’s. The other main Characters being the customers visiting the tea houses mainly Businessmen, Politicians, Generals and Doctors. Some of these perhaps more caring than others and some simply that give you the creeps, let’s not talk about Dr Crab.

Anyhow, I worked out the ending pretty quickly but still loved the plot.

Geisha meaning artist, performing artist or artisan. What a wonderful way to describe something else, only the Japanese could do that.

Sadly there was no Dancing Queen when the Shamisens were playing, although I’m sure there was an hint of a Gary Glitter track “you want to be in my gang” when Dr Crab paid a yen or two.

There is actually a Shamisen Thunderstruck cover on YouTube, check it out.

If you hate metaphors, you will hate this book, it’s full of them. There are more metaphors than dinghy’s blowing north in the Channel.

Off to buy some more books but I need a danna.

5 Stars.

Ce carte interesantă! Eu nu am avut tangențe cu cărți despre culturi asiatice până acum, iar pe aceasta am ajuns să o citesc ca propunere pentru un club de carte. Și pot spune că am rămas plăcut impresionată.

Povestea este despre gheișa Sayuri, care, ani mai târziu, alege să își spun�� povestea de viață unui prieten bun, scriitor. Își deapănă trecutul, încă din copilărie, când era o simplă fetiță ce locuia într-un sat de pescari. Din cauza problemelor financiare, dar și familiale, fata și sora sa vor ajunge în Kyoto. Dar, pentru că frumusețea le deosebește, una din fete va ajunge în zonele rău famate ale orașului, în vreme ce Chiyo va avea șansa să devină gheișă. O vom însoți pe parcursul acestei transformări, aflând câteva dintre secretele frumoaselor gheișe.

Primele 200 de pagini au mers incredibil de ușor, am fost fascinată de poveste, efectiv. Însă, încet, povestea a început să mi se pară problematică, judecând cu mintea unui european al secolului nostru. Îmi este greu să văd obiectiv unele aspecte și să trec peste faptul că fetele acelea ajungeau să întrețină bărbați care le puteau fi tați, ele fiind minore... A fost o bătălie morală pentru mine să trec peste niște pasaje.

Din păcate, am simțit că am fost dezamăgită de final. A fost surprinzător, dar grăbit și, aș îndrăzni să zic ca nedorit. Aș fi vrut un altul, mi se părea mai cinstit, după câte am îndurat timp de 500 de pagini. Totuși, cum spuneam, fiind prima carte despre obiceiurile asiatice pe care o citesc, a fost o surpriză cu adevărat plăcută. (Am devenit curioasă și de film acuma

(Book 93 From 1001 Books) -tMemoirs of A Geisha, Arthur Golden

Memoirs of a Geisha is a historical novel by American author Arthur Golden, published in 1997.

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 1929, 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. ...

خاطرات یک گیشا - آرتور گلدن (سخن) ادبیات؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: در ماه مارس سال 2003میلادی

عنوان: خاطرات یک گیشا؛ نوشته: آرتور گلدن؛ مترجم: مریم بیات؛ تهران، سخن، 1380، در 640ص؛ شابک 9646961703؛ موضوع: داستان - ژاپن - تاریخ از نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا- سده 20م

نمیدانم، یادم نمانده، کدامیک از سالهای بگذشته بود، که برای نخستین بار، یک پی.دی.اف از همین کتاب، با ترجمه ی بانو «مریم بیات»، برایم رسید، برنامه ای نوشتم، تا متن پی.دی.اف را به فارسی آفیس نسخه 2003میلادی برگردانم، بسیار سخت گذشت، بارها و بارها برنامه را مجبور شدم هوشمندتر کنم، تا اینکه کتاب را پس از تلاش بسیار، در 174733کلمه، و در 409صفحه ی 31سطری، و هر سطر میانگین 22واژه، و هر واژه میانگین بیش از چهار حرف، برای خویش آراستم، البته باز هم مجبور شدم، بیشتر صفحات را ویراستاری کنم

نقل نمونه متن: (یادداشت «آرتور گلدن»: چهارده ساله بودم، که در غروبی در بهار سال 1936میلادی، پدرم مرا به تماشای یک برنامه ی رقص، در «کیوتو» برد؛ از آن برنامه، تنها دو چیز را به یاد دارم؛ نخست اینکه من و پدرم، تنها تماشاچی غربی در میان تماشاگران بودیم، تنها دو سه هفته بود که از کشورمان «هلند»، به آنجا سفر کرده بودیم، بنابراین هنوز نتوانسته بودم، خود را با انزوای فرهنگی تطبیق دهم، و تاثیر آن بر من هنوز فوق العاده زیاد بود؛ دوم اینکه خوشحال بودم، که پس از ماهها فراگیری زبان «ژاپنی»، آنهم به صورت فشرده، میتوانستم از حرفهایی که میشنیدم، جسته گریخته، چیزی سر دربیاورم؛ از زنهای جوان «ژاپنی»، که روی صحنه میرقصیدند، به جز اشکالی مبهم، از «کیمونو»های الوان درخشانی که، بر تن داشتند، چیزی به یاد ندارم؛ مسلم است که به هیچ راه، به ذهنم هم خطور نمیکرد، که در زمان و مکانی بسیار دور، یعنی تقریباً پنجاه سال بعد، و در مکانی به دوری «نیویورک»، یکی از همان زنان، نزدیکترین دوستم خواهد شد، و خاطرات استثنایی اش را برایم تقریر خواهد کرد؛ در جایگاه یک تاریخ نگار، همیشه خاطرات را به چشم منبعی از مواد نگاه میکنم؛ خاطرات، سوابقی را فراهم میآورد، که بیشتر به دنیای خاطره نویس، تا خود او مربوط است؛ خاطرات با «بیوگرافی» فرق دارد، چون در «بیوگرافی»، خاطره نویس نمیتواند، جنبه هایی را ببیند، که برای «بیوگراف» نویس، امری عادی و منطقی است؛ «اتوبیوگرافی»، البته اگر واقعاً چنین چیزی وجود داشته باشد، به این میماند، که از خرگوش بخواهیم برایمان بگوید: وقتی توی علفزار، بالا و پایین میپرد، به چه شکل درمیآید؟ از کجا بداند؟ از طرفی، اگر بخواهیم چیزی در مورد علفزار بدانیم، هیچ کس بهتر از او، نمیتواند برای ما آنرا توصیف کند، مگر آنکه در نظرمان باشد، که در جستجوی چیزهایی هستیم، که خرگوش، قادر به مشاهده ی آنها نیست؛ ....)؛ پایان نقل

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 28/05/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 09/05/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

Read as part of The Infinite Variety Reading Challenge, based on the BBC's Big Read Poll of 2003.

There's nothing positive about this book, so let's just go straight in to why it was so bad.

The narrative was unbelievable. And I don't mean "OMGA DID YOU SEE THAT?" kind of unbelievable, I mean it was so unconvincing it was dire. At not point did it feel like a woman, a Geisha, a girl, a human being was telling me a story. It felt so flat and boring and my gosh, she was tedious. She had the emotional range of an egg.

The world description was non-existent. The beginning, when we are in the Japanese countryside, was the only part that was descriptive: we had a lovely house and lovely scenery, and then we moved to Tokyo and all of a sudden it's just grey and stone, and that's it. And oddly empty of people. No atmosphere, no city scenery; it was vague at best. It could have still been happening in the fish factory.

There also needs to be an amendment to the Bechdel Test. 3.1: Two women have a conversation about something that isn't just bitching about other women.

And, whilst I don't agree that "culture" automatically means you forgive something, and I realise it was a different time and a different place, but I don't want to read about creepy old men who creep about pubic hair growing on twelve year olds' vaginas. I just don't.

And I know this is the most unhinged and incoherent review ever, but I also didn't find myself learning anything particular about Geisha. In fact, I'd agree with most other reviewers and say it was far too Westernised and almost Romanticised.

Fun Fact Amendment: All Geisha were originally men. Think about that.



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I first read this book in high school, and although I remember liking it, I don't think I was paying very much attention because I seriously thought the book was just about a bunch of Japanese hookers. But I reread it a few weeks ago, and I loved the story. Memoirs is about the life of this peasanth girl, Sayuri, in pre and post-WW2 Japan who is sold into life as an apprentive Geisha, and then ultimately, an actual Geisha.

The novel is full of these really great, vivid details of a variety of characters: gorgeous but evil rivals, the heinous older ladies who run the Geisha houses and practically enslave these girls, and the Geishas' patrons. Readers discover the world of the Geisha through the eyes of Sayuri, as she struggles to find her place in this society and at the same time, follow her heart
(very cliche, I know, but I don't want to give away the story!).

So the Geisha are women in Japan who are trained in the arts - playing music, dancing, acting, performing tea ceremonies, etc. They make their living entertaining wealthy Japanese men (business men, doctors, political figures), usually in large groups, in tea houses. In pretty rare cases, some of the most popular Geisha undergo a binding ceremony where the geisha is hooked up for life with a Dannah- a very wealthy man who supports her and takes care of her, in exchange for intimacy with her. There are some pretty disgusting scenarios in the book where they just come off like highly-paid prostitutes, but for the most part, the girls in the book are very colorful, strong-willed, and interesting. It's just a very fascinating look into old Japanese culture.

'Memoirs of a Geisha' is an incredibly exquisite novel to read. The life of the Japanese geisha Sayuri, the main character, in 1930's Japan is so realistically described I believed at times I was reading an actual memoir. The writing is as liquid and lovely as an ornamental pond with a small designed waterfall. Reading this book is entirely all delight - which it shouldn't be considering the subject is about forced formalized prostitution. However, Arthur Golden is a beautiful writer, and luckily, his main protagonist (based on a real geisha's interview) Sayuri is a fighter, the type of woman who made lemonade from lemons.

She was born with the name Chiyo, but she kept it only as long as she was an ordinary little 9-year-old girl, daughter of a small village fisherman, living in a typsy shack by the ocean with her dying mother and older sister, Satsu. After her mother took to her bed with cancer, her father sold her and Satsu to a rich industrialist, who in turn quickly sold them into prostitution in Kyoto, Japan. Satsu ended up performing as a low-end prostitute immediately, being transferred to a very low-class house, but Chiyo is given to a high-class okiya, a place where geishas were trained and indentured for life. Chiyo has a destiny she is forced to embrace because she has the luck to be a beautiful child with grey-blue eyes, and poor parents sick with bad health.

She struggles against her dictated fate and succeeds in derailing the house's owners, Granny, Mother and Auntie, from their plans to train her as a geisha. She does this with with an attempt to run away, intending to return to her parents. Instead the escape ends in disaster and she is returned to the okiya by the neighbors, all of whom fully support the okiyas and the geisha system, because without the money produced by the party-girls, there would be a lot of suppliers and other businesses which would struggle to lure wealthy businessmen to spend. So, although she is returned to her owners, she is in disgrace. Granny and Mother make the decision she is too much of a risk to train as a geisha, an education which will cost the house thousands of dollars by the time Chiyo is a teen. She becomes a maid, cleaning and polishing while watching the magnificent geisha, Hatsumomo, already in place and supporting the entire house through the entertaining of men in tea-houses and invitations to appear on the stage in plays.

Hatsumomo is so important to the survival of the entire okiya, she is permitted every angry vengeful attack on everyone who displeases her. She is careful to maintain her appearance and dancing, singing and music lessons, keeping within the boundaries for her behavior by the traditions of the institution of the geisha - a Japanese word which means 'artist entertainer'- but her angry neurotic spite leads her to abuse every member of the house, especially those whose beauty or geisha apprenticeship threaten her place in the hierarchy of the house. She has hopes of being adopted as Mother's daughter, which means she would inherit the okiya upon Mother's death.

When Hatsumomo's number one Kyoto competition, Mameha, an independent geisha supported partially by a danna, shows up in the okiya one day, offering to become Chiyo's older sister, an official designation in geisha culture of a personal trainer, it changes Chiyo's path once again. No longer a maid, she is given a new name - Sayuri.

While these momentous happenings are shifting Sayuri's life around like a windblown leaf, the Depression is causing starvation throughout Japan. However, Japan's industrialists are doing well, so the geishas are also doing well since they are hired to entertain the wealthy industrialists. It isn't until near the end of WWII the geisha enclaves feel the upheaval all of Japan, including the industrialists, soon feel because of losing the war. Meanwhile, Sayuri, who has decided to be the best geisha she can be, is having to defend herself against the malicious attacks by Hatsumomo against her character and reputation. If she cannot build her clientele list or if she loses a single male supporter, she could end up in rags once again, scrubbing toilets and starving. Only one can be left standing...whoever becomes Mother's adopted daughter. Game on...

I have used current idioms for my review, gentle reader, but Sayuri's narration, and Golden's words, are far more eloquent and beautiful than my more mundane review. I should also mention, that while Sayuri eventually embraced the geisha life, had to be one for survival, and the book emphasizes the Fine Arts a geisha are trained in, fully describing the makeup, clothes and the ceremonial work behind being a professional companion, along with the cultural environment and traditions of mid-20th century Japan, she believes sex is far down the list of what is expected of a geisha. I do not share the geisha viewpoint in this. There would not be a geisha institution if not for the sexual desires and hierarchical dog-pack requirements of rich men. It simply boils down to whether a girl is a high-priced talented courtesan or a street whore by the price she charges for her services and what effort she makes at providing an illusion of having a good time with horrible men.

Examples of Golden's superb writing ability :

"The path from our house followed the edge of the sea cliffs before turning toward the village. Walking it on a day like this was difficult, but I remember feeling grateful that the fierce wind drew my mind from the things which troubled me. The sea was violent, with waves like stones chipped into blades, sharp enough to cut. It seemed to me the world itself was feeling just as I felt. Was life nothing more than a storm that constantly washed away what had been there only a moment before, and left behind something barren and unrecognizable?"

"During those first few days in that strange place, I don't think I could have felt worse if I'd lost my arms and legs, rather than my family and home. I had no doubt life would never again be the same. All I could think of was my confusion and misery; and I wondered day after day when I might see Satsu again. I was without my father, without my mother--without even the clothing I'd always worn. Yet somehow the thing that startled me most, after a week or two had passed, was that I had in fact survived. I remember one moment drying rice bowls in the kitchen, when all at once I felt so disoriented I had to stop what I was doing to stare for a long while at my hands; for I could scarcely understand that this person drying the bowls was actually me."

The world of 'Memoirs of a Geisha' is unforgettably mesmerizing.


Below is a link to a geisha dance to a Lady Gaga song: Bad Romance

https://youtu.be/Hvwu80LT9To


This is a BBC/A&E production of the history of geishas:

https://youtu.be/4b4khFSChd4

A beautiful, sad , evocative, exciting and intriguing novel which engaged me from start to finish about a nine year old Japanese child, Chiyo Sakamoto , from a poor fishing village sold by her ill and poverty stricken parents into the world being a slave to the whims of men and more powerful women, though her sister Satsu suffered a far crueler fate being sold into an brothel and into the hellish world of forced prostitution.

Chiyo is a survivor, who uses her white, savvy and survival instincts, as well as pure strength of character to go from a basic child slave , and survive the wicked wiles of the evil supreme Geisha geisha, Hatsumomo, the cruelty of 'Granny' the matriarch and the greed of 'Mother'
A sad reflection of life for women and children sold or forced into the sex trade.Something epidemic today including in Western countries
The kindness of the Chairman of a major Japanese corporation and her mentor and so called 'elder sister' Geisha Mameha,provides her with some salvation. And her story is a fascinating one
Always against the backdrop of the Japan of the times, shows us of the country during both the glory of the 1930s Japanese empire and the deprivations of World War II. The whims of the men who become her Danna, basically sexual master and patron.
Encapsulates the sights, expounds and smells of the Japan of the time,. As we really get into the head of Chiyo who becomes Sayuri after her deflowering. And I found myself anxious for her throughout the novel, felt her trials and tribulations but also learned from the history and social issues, threaded through this excellent bestseller.

Very interesting book of the culture of the Geisha. I really thought this was going to be more like an actual memoir, but apparently it is not. The story was well written but developed very slowly.
I enjoyed very much about learning about the history of the Geisha, but the ending was very disappointing.

Allowing for the author's creativity, this book is a brilliant telling of Chio's life in her own words. I was immediately drawn into her story to make a moving thought-provoking memoir. Told in such a way as you the reader can almost palpably feel every emotion. From overwhelming sadness, fear, to tears of joy and elation. I loved everything about this book. The characters are interesting and well developed and the plot is riveting.

I finally got around to reading this book! I've had it sitting in the bookcase for time, so I'm glad to say I've read it. I was almost afraid it would disappoint, but I'm happy to say, disappoint it did not.
This novel really is quite something. The story is told in such an exquisite style, that it captures your interest from the very beginning. The story tells us of the life of a Geisha, called Chiyo. The setting in which the story is told is beautiful and I felt as if I was with Chiyo, in her story. Japan has always fascinated me, and this has just made me feel like I'd love to learn more.

As the reader, I felt rather connected to Chiyo somewhat, or at least to a certain extent. Many of the choices she made or was forced to make, I could certainly relate to, even if I didn't necessarily agree with them. When she felt pain, the narration was written in such as way, that you, as the reader, could prominently feel that pain too.

The life of a Geisha really interests me, and this book helped feed that interest. I simply cannot imagine what it would be like to be sold as a slave by your own family, just to be trained up, to live a life just pleasuring men. It sends shivers down my spine just to even think about it.
I do disagree with a Geisha not being classed as a prostitute. That may be how it is seen through their eyes, but a Geisha's main income comes from them having sex. I think sex, especially when it involves any kind of payment, is a form of prostitution.

The ending of the story I found to be rather abrupt, and I didn't feel fully satisfied when I'd closed the book. I think I still have a few questions that will remain unanswered. Overall though, it remains a remarkable book and I can understand why it is such a classic.

This started so well but then it got more and more boring with each chapter.

I was hooked on this as soon as I started reading. I found myself storming through it and totally invested in the story. Then somewhere, around half-way through, I found myself growing terribly bored. My reading rate slowed down. It started to feel like a chore, and it took me almost five months to finish it.

What happened?

The story seemed to stagnate, and the descriptions felt very similar and reused. Moreover, it didn’t seem to be going anywhere other than the obvious direction. Granted, it picked up towards the but by then I had lost interest and wanted the book to be over. It seems rather trite in a book review to complain about the length of a book, but I’m going to do it anyway: this felt too long. I have no problem with big books if they need to be big. This one felt padded out and like parts needed to be stripped back and the writing made tighter. It waffled on and I grew tired of it.

It was slow, so painfully slow

I’m disappointed because I feel like I should have loved this one and I thought I was going to. I wish I had something more positive to say, but I can’t find anything else I enjoyed about it. It had a good hook but that’s it. Consider me very unimpressed.

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