4.4/5
65 reviews
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden Reviews
#14 in Books

Description

Publisher's description:
We follow Sayuri from her childhood in an impoverished fishing village, where in 1929, she is sold to a representative of a geisha house, who is drawn by the child's unusual blue-grey eyes. From there she is taken to Gion, the pleasure district of Kyoto. She is nine years old. In the years that follow, as she works to pay back the price of her purchase, Sayuri will be schooled in music and dance, learn to apply the geisha''s elaborate makeup, wear elaborate kimono, and care for a coiffure so fragile that it requires a special pillow. She will also acquire a magnanimous tutor and a venomous rival. Surviving the intrigues of her trade and the upheavals of war, the resourceful Sayuri is a romantic heroine on the order of Jane Eyre and Scarlett O'Hara.

    Reviews and Ratings

    97% OF CHICKS DIG IT

    4.3/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    June 12, 2014

    Eye opening and interesting book! Explores different aspects of Japanese culture, and this book is SO much better than the movie. i know everyone says that but they say it for a reason...

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    3.5/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    May 29, 2014

    One of the best books I've ever read. It is well written and the story is very interesting.

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    3.8/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    May 11, 2014

    Really good book for girls. Gives you a look into the life of a real "Geisha"

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    5.0/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    February 17, 2014

    This is by far my favourite book of all time. Its beautifully written, descriptive, you can't help by feel for the characters. A must read.

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    4.7/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    February 17, 2014

    What a fantastic book!

    This is not the kind of novel I would normally gravitate to but I found this wonderfully written novel captured me with a compelling story and fascinated me with the ins and outs of a world that I knew very little about. I have reread this book numerous times and it never losses its magic.

    Also, one of the few movies that came close to doing the book any kind of justice.

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    4.2/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    October 01, 2013

    well written and story stays with you. A beautiful trip to the past. I loved this story and it will remain as a keeper on my book shelf. Much better then the movie..then again, in my view, all books are

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    5.0/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    September 29, 2013

    Enjoyed reading the book better then the movie. Gives a feel of the time period for me.

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    2.5/5
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    Recommended? Fugheddaboutit!
    September 29, 2013

    This book is certainly well-written, and if you're looking for a somewhat fantastical romance by someone with a good grasp of language, go for it.

    However, Arthur Golden warped and distorted the tale told to him by Iwasaki Mineko, the geisha he based the lead character on. It is painfully inaccurate and sensationalist, so if you are looking for a book that gives an actual glimpse into the lives of these women, give it a pass.

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    5.0/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    September 29, 2013

    I actually saw the movie for this before I got the book. But i much preferred the book to the movie. It is really well written and the story itself is so captivating. I just really love it

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    3.8/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    September 05, 2013

    I read so many books that I cannot afford to purchase them all, so I borrow from the library and only purchase the keepers. Memoirs of a Geisha was a keeper. Beautiful book, poetic in prose.

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