Chain Reading

While author Arthur Golden has done his homework on Japanese culture, this book little more than a picture book of geishas. It lacks the emotional effect of a true memoir (probably because it is fiction). There is a definite distance from the subject matter, only hightened by the story that encases the "memoir" in which the geisha tells a fictional male "author" about her life. Unnecessary....

Maybe it's just me, but a book on Japanese women written by an American man seems odd. I found it hard to trust the author, as I watched him stumble through subjects like menstration and virginity. The book often sounded read like a textbook describing Japanese culture. In attempts at character exposition, the author would suddenly begin discussing a piece of art, or a kimono.

Why is it 'Worth Reading'? Because Japanese culture is incredibly interesting, even when filtered through the mind of an American man.

I loved this! Yes, it took me a long time to get around to reading it, but when I heard the movie was coming out, I could no longer waste any time. It was a lovely story. Contrary to what another reviewer wrote, I don't think it mattered at all that this was written by a man. You wouldn't know it! To me the story was told as though it were real, not fiction.

I recommend this to anyone who likes coming of age stories, strong minded main character based stuff, love stories.

The author's over-reliance on analogies and similies in attempting to explain the depths of the Japanese mind in the person of Sayuri, the geisha, is annoying if not distracting. I must admit that I learned a lot about Japanese culture thru this book, especially that mysterious and elaborate relationship of a geisha and her dana. It's an interesting book because of the subject it's tackling, but it's not "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck, which by the way, is how I think a western writer does justice to an ancient oriental culture (Chinese).

I knew this book was a work of fiction before I started reading it, and yet, somewhere along the way, Arthur Golden brought the geisha Sayuri to life so masterfully that I forgot it wasn't true, and read with rapt attention and worry at the twists and turns her life took, and with wonderment at his depiction of the intriguing Japanese culture. Golden's research is impeccable, and he has woven a compelling tale of beauty, mystery, joy, and deep sadness inextricably intertwined, as they are in each one of our lives. By the end of the book, Sayuri, Mameha, the Chairman, Nobu and the other carefully drawn characters will be close to your heart, and yet the strangers they always were, and in some bemusing way, also a part of you. This is a wonderful book and you will not regret giving it a try.

A year ago, I probably would have been one of those people who ranted and raved about this book. However, since then I've read actual memoirs (such as <i>Geisha: A Life</i> by Mineko Iwasaki), and I'm in the midst of reading Liza Dalby's book <i>Geisha</i>. So far, from what I've read of these works, Golden's book pales in comparision. Another reviewer mentioned it before, and it's true: it is odd for an American man to write as a Japanese woman, especially one so singular and distinct as a geisha. It is worth reading from a purely literary standpoint-- it is well-written. However, if you're looking for a totally accurate depiction of geisha life, this book falls short of that. His portrayal of geisha as mostly sexual playthings of rich old men portrays a distinctly Western male bias (and fantasy), and doesn't do justice to the unique position and opportunity the geisha have.

I really enjoyed this book. It was another one that I read after I watched the movie, and I think it added to the experience of the movie. While fictional, I think it really shows how one woman's life was like when she was thrown into the world she was not born into. I loved the drama of the women fighting against each other to obtain pretty much the same goal.