Summary – Via Amazon!
Publication Date: January 10, 1999
“A literary
sensation and runaway bestseller, this brilliant debut novel tells with
seamless authenticity and exquisite lyricism the true confessions of one of
Japan's most celebrated geisha.
Speaking to us with the wisdom of age and in a voice at once haunting and startlingly immediate, Nitta Sayuri tells the story of her life as a geisha. It 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 witness her transformation as she learns the rigorous arts of the geisha: dance and music; wearing kimono, elaborate makeup, and hair; pouring sake to reveal just a touch of inner wrist; competing with a jealous rival for men's solicitude and the money that goes with it.
In Memoirs of a Geisha, we enter a world where appearances are paramount; where a girl's virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men; and where love is scorned as illusion. It is a unique and triumphant work of fiction—at once romantic, erotic, suspenseful—and completely unforgettable.”
Speaking to us with the wisdom of age and in a voice at once haunting and startlingly immediate, Nitta Sayuri tells the story of her life as a geisha. It 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 witness her transformation as she learns the rigorous arts of the geisha: dance and music; wearing kimono, elaborate makeup, and hair; pouring sake to reveal just a touch of inner wrist; competing with a jealous rival for men's solicitude and the money that goes with it.
In Memoirs of a Geisha, we enter a world where appearances are paramount; where a girl's virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men; and where love is scorned as illusion. It is a unique and triumphant work of fiction—at once romantic, erotic, suspenseful—and completely unforgettable.”
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| photo ©2009 , Flickr |
Guess what? The book is better than the movie! Big
shocker! Although lately I’ve heard several individuals say they preferred a
movie to a book, and I’ve even had one incident with this phenomenon myself
although I won’t say which book and movie. I’ll save that for another review.
Nevertheless, Memoirs
of A Geisha is one of the few incidences where the movie is almost just as
good as the book. So let’s start with the film. This is truly one of my
favorite movies of all time. I love Japanese culture but most Japanese/Chinese
movies are martial arts focused, which is fine. I still like those movies, but
I really found it to be a breath of fresh air to have a dramatic/romantic
Japanese film for once. Also it’s in English, which although the Japanese
language is beautiful, if I’m watching a movie instead of reading a book, it
probably means I’m feeling too lazy to read subtitles. Additionally, the movie
was absolutely beautiful to the eye and the culture and life of a Geisha is so
interesting, the movie really grips you.
The book, however, was just a dazzling masterpiece! Arthur
Golden did a fabulous job of portraying a world of women and a world that so
dramatically changed in response to WWII. I especially loved the author’s
detailed descriptions of the kimonos and Japanese food. These descriptions
really brought the world to life and made it so colorful and sweet. I loved
this technique so much, I emulated it in my own novel.
The story of course is also breathtaking and just so
enjoyable to read. You can’t help but fall in love with the characters as well
and want to know more about them or just what they will do next. This is one of
those books that keeps you engaged and enriched on every page and all you want
to do is stay up to 2 a.m. to get a little more reading in.
I believe in seeing movies before reading the books in
order to get full enjoyment. Like so many good books, after reading this one,
the movie just wasn’t enough anymore. Nevertheless, I didn’t stop loving the
movie and after some time was able to watch it fully engrossed with the added
pleasure of being able to think about what happened in this or that scene in
the book. Always a pleasure.
I give Memoirs of A
Geisha five sweet sticky rice balls. Nummy!
Buy the book or movie at http://www.amazon.com/Memoirs-Geisha-Novel-Arthur-Golden/dp/0679781587.
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