This book did not do it for me. I cannot relate, nor do I identify with this lifestyle. I forced myself to finish this book, but it left me feeling.............meh.

The first thing that struck me when this book arrived through the post were the amazing pictures. They were in a sophisticated style, taking the form of large mosaic pieces, and yet still simple enough for a child to understand. The story was simple and charming, although it finished quite abruptly and I found myself wanting it to continue. A came out of reading it was a greater understanding of the saintly origins of Valentine's Day.

I read this book while living in Japan (before "Memoirs of a Geisha" was published). We visited Kyoto often during our 31 Months there, and Liza'a insight helped inform our experience. We were fascinted and interested in reading about other westerners' experiences adjusting to the Japanese cultural. (Visiting Japan is VERY different than living there!)

It is an interesting insight into the hidden world of the geisha. This way of life is dying since younger women aren't interested. So, records of 'how it was' are worth exploring.

Great work.

Excellently written and researched book about the little known world of the geisha. Thorough and interesting...good companion to the "Memoirs of a Geisha" book.

Very easy to read, concise and fascinating read. Would definitely recommend. However her research is slightly limited, though her interviews are conducted in Japanese to prevent mistranslations

If you have ever read "Memoirs of a Geisha" then you should read this book too. Liza Dalby gives a whole different perspective on being a Geisha as she herself, a foreigner, became an actual geisha!! Excellent book!! What an eye-opener!

I read it a few (well a lot of) years ago and it was quite an study of a culture that here in this part of the planet we can not understand at all, how can a woman can sell just time to a mn without sex? what do they do then? are Geisha prostitutes?

If you want just destroy that myth, this is the book to read

Halverwege heb ik het boek weggelegd.....
De inhoud vind ik op zich boeiend en ik wil graag ook meer weten over "geisha". Alleen heb ik bij het lezen van dit boek steeds het gevoel dat ik eerst een ander boek had moeten lezen om echt goed mee te kunnen (terwijl er geen "eerste" boek is). De auteur schrijft nogal chaotisch en houdt geen chronologische volgorde aan (welke volgorde precies heb ik niet kunnen ontdekken).
Lezen is voor mij ook een vorm van ontspanning en op deze manier erger ik me meer dan me ontspannen.....

Jammer dus.

This is a fascinating book giving all kinds of insight into geisha life and Japanese culture. Liza Dalby studied geisha life as an anthropologist, and by living as a geisha. There were places where I found the narrative structure/underpinnng logic hard to follow, moving between subjects. The book is neither fully detached and academic, nor purely personal account, and sometimes the mingling of the two is awkward, and frequently it left me wanting more.

That said, there was much that I enjoyed, I learned a great deal, the images included were excellent, and mostly my problem was that wanted the book to be twice as big and laden with far more detail.

About an american woman who joins the ranks of geisha and learns all the tricks of their trade and becomes one. Lots of details. A nice study of the culture of the Japanese.

Interesting read. This is anthropological non-fiction but read like Memoirs of a Geisha. Wish I had read this before I went to Kyoto and walked through the geisha district without any knowledge at all.