MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
Published: 1997
Genre: Historical Fiction
Page Count: 434
Rating: 5 stars + Heart
Description
Through Chiyo’s eyes we enter an exotic world of Geishas. Once an ordinary daughter of a fisherman, Chiyo is sold to a geisha house in the district of Gion. Chiyo’s beauty stems from the unusual color of her eyes which are blue-gray. As much as they attract attention from people, they also invite the dislike of Hatsumomo, the sole geisha in the house where Chiyo has been sold. Over the years, Chiyo is transformed from a 9 year-old maid, to Sayuri, a beautiful geisha.
Sayuri will win favours from extremely important men in Japan, will have a marvellous geisha as her mentor and will have opportunities that only a few lucky have. But Sayuri’s heart lies with one man and in the midst of all the glamour and gaiety she will pine for that one man for years.
Review
My second reading of this novel… and just as enchanting as I remember it. The first time around I fell in love with Sayuri, Mameha and the Chairman. But this time I loved the characters of Nobu, Pumpkin and even the evil Hatsumomo. There is something endearing about all of them.
I know Arthur Golden has faced some criticism over this book, but I can’t help admire the world he has brought to life. This is one of those rare books that reads like a fairytale. What a lovely book to kick off the year with!
More about the Book
Opens with the line
“Suppose that you and I were sitting in a quiet room overlooking a garden, chatting and sipping at our cups of green tea while we talked about something that had happened a long while ago, and I said to you, ‘That afternoon when I met so-and-so … was the very best afternoon of my life, and also the very worst afternoon.”
Main cast
Sayuri
Mameha
Hatsumomo
The Chairman
Nobu
Recommended Next
GEISHA OF GION BY MINEKO IWASAKI
I have read the book and seen the film and I absolutely loved it. The scenes, the characters.. wow.
Just watched the movie recently and loved it!
I agree with Magdalena – sometimes words aren’t enough to describe Sayuri’s fictional life! It’s such a beautiful world that Arthur Golden creates (even, as you say, Hatsumomo is both horrific and somehow wonderful at the same time), and it’s just so easy to get drawn into her story. I used to read it during 15 minute breaks at school, and more than once completely forgot where I was!
Yeah, it just is one of those books. It was my first ever book about Japan when I read it a couple of years ago, and since then I’ve been hooked onto stories that are set in that location.