You see when I was young, I truly wanted to be an Asian. I wished I was born in the Asian world. I mean their world just seemed perfect. They had the most flawless of skin I have ever seen, their bodies are perfect. like drop dead perfect. They never add weight! at all. no matter how many carbs they seem to consume, save for the sumo wrestlers, and please don’t get me started on their flat stomachs, their agility and gracefulness, and their food! otherwise we could be here all year!
It is this fanaticism that led me to pick the book, “Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden, a book that quickly transported me to a world I had always dreamed of, a world of beauty and perfection.
Two pages later, I was crushed, heart broken, and overly attached to the character Chiyo.
You see, Chiyo and her older sister, Satsu, are the daughters of a fisherman from a little town on the Sea of Japan. During the depression years between the two world wars, the family falls on hard times and the girls are sold into slavery, taken to Kyoto to become, if they are lucky, artistically accomplished, highly paid teahouse entertainers. But pudgy Satsu is very unlucky, and she winds up as a prostitute in a low brothel, from which she escapes early in the book, never to appear again. On the other hand, Chiyo soon sheds her ugly-duckling status to achieve a swanlike beauty. Drawn by her bewitching eyes, men begin falling in love with her even before she takes her new name, Sayuri, symbolizing her metamorphosis into a professional geisha.
Chiyo is placed in an okiya, a boardinghouse for geisha run by a madam who buys the young girl as an investment. There Chiyo undergoes a grueling apprenticeship, surviving the scheming of the beautiful but spiteful Hatsumomo, the okiya’s star geisha, to become an even more luminous geisha herself. She also loses her virginity at the age of 15 to a man she calls Dr. Crab, who buys this privilege for a record price. After a few escapades in the company of some most undesirable patrons, she finally becomes the mistress of the man she had set her heart on all along, the benevolent chairman of an electrical supply company. Thus her story has a happy ending, and in this she is not especially typical — at least not outside the pages of romantic fiction. She winds up running a salon for visiting Japanese businessmen in New York and remains under the chairman’s patronage until his death. (For the record, I found her relationship with the chairman, heart moving to say the least, and what some other writers would describe as true love.)
I could go on and on, about Chiyo, turned Sayuri, but allow me to introduce Jakob Haarhuis, a fictional professor of Japanese at New York University, who is wheeled forward in a prefatory ”translator’s note” to provide an explanation for the novel’s telling. Haarhuis, alias Golden, presents what he tells us are Sayuri’s taped memoirs, but the author thinks better of this device in an epilogue, where he admits, not entirely to our surprise, that ”although the character of Sayuri and her story are completely invented, the historical facts of a geisha’s day-to-day life in the 1930’s and 1940’s are not.”
It is entirely credible that a geisha might be just like this, at least on the surface. But what about the woman inside the sumptuous kimono, underneath the white mask? Surely if this story is to be the novel that Haarhuis suggests, a story worth telling in the first person, it should be one of appearances and illusions that are borne out or contradicted by the realities of Sayuri’s private world.
Factual research or not, this book, did make for a good read. brought about a deep and rich understanding into the inner private world of the Japanese community. I spent countless of hours (truthfully minutes, but for the sake of effect, hours will do) dreaming about kimonos in lovely rich colors and being dolled up for hours on end (again, minutes, but you get the drift now) and let me not forget the countless tea parties I held in my head. I was mesmerized to say the least.
I could introduce “Hatsumomo” my least favorite, yet prominent character in the book, but what justice would I be doing, if I don’t allow you to purchase the book, and find out for yourself about her? (just incase you were wondering, yes “Hatsumomo is a female name indeed” )
So as they say, all good things must come to an end, and like the proverbial saying, so did the book. with a perfect ending that warmed my heart, through the tears, the heartbreak, the drama upon drama, that Chiyo went through, she came out stronger, and most importantly she fell in love. and we all know that the most important of all is love yes?
So if you are looking for say, a different book, try this one, if you are looking for something more sassy, well try Jackie collins. if you have mingling thoughts about Geisha’s in particular, maybe steer clear from this one. But if you are like me, riding the wave of any book thrown your way, testing the waters and taking the plunge, why don’t you walk to your nearest bookstore and grab a copy and enjoy.
If you have read the book, please share your thoughts in the comments below, and lets have some fun together.
Love, The Book Swag,
xo
I read this a book a while ago. It is So good. I might have to reread it now. ❤
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haha, thanks. Thank you for stopping by. xo
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This sounds like a great story!
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it is. Thanks for stopping by. xo
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I haven’t read the book, but I’ve heard about it. I need to read it!
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Yes read it 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. xo
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I’ve never read the book or seen the movie that followed. I had always wondered what it was truly about so thank you for sharing! Maybe I’ll check it out if you were drawn in after only 2 pages!!
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Hope you get a chance to try it out. It puts life into so much perspective! Thanks for stopping by. xo
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This book is a great read. It is amazing how much you can connect to characters in literature.
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I know right, and feel like you are a part of their struggle, even though it’s fiction! sigh! Thanks for stopping by. xo
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I read this book a while ago, but I loved it. I know there are many who aren’t fans, but I thought it was a great read, and remember burning through it pretty darn quick 9which is always a good sign that I was thoroughly sucked in).
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I feel you! me too, I was immediately sucked in. Thanks for stopping by. xo
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I’ve never read this book but I saw the movie years ago and loved it. I’m adding the book to my TBR right now – the book is ALWAYS better than the movie!
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Oh yes, the book is always better. I haven’t watched the movie though, I think I shall look for it now.
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I haven’t read the book but I have watched the movie. I know, I’m bad haha. I might just have to pick this up for some summer reading.
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haha, the movie before the book, lol! Yes you are bad! haha. hope you get to pick the book. Thanks for stopping by. xo
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Ha! I know what you mean about the people from Asia seeming perfect. I’ve noticed that too about their hair, skin, and WEIGHT! They don’t ever gain any!
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I know right, and yet they are the makers of rice, greatest carbs that ever existed! Sigh! Thanks for stopping by.
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I’m always looking for new books to read. Thanks for a descriptive review. I think I will enjoy this book.
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Thanks for stopping by. I hope you get a chance to read it sometime this year 😊
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I know when the movie came out that I should have read the book for Memoirs. You remind me that I really should take a look at reading and soon.
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Hey thanks for stopping by. You really should read the book, I agree. Hope you that soon 😊
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I haven’t read this book before, but you make it sound really appealing. I got a chuckle when you said you always wished you were Asian. That’s so random!
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They never struggle with weight issues and they eat all the rice in the world! Sigh! Their skin never breaks out, their hair is flawless! Need I go on 😊 Thanks for stopping by. Xo
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I think it’s awesome that you read this. It’s a great story and there’s plenty of things to learn about it too. I think it does have a great ending for someone who’s been through so much in life.
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Thanks for stopping by. xo
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I’ll have to give this book a try! You made it sound amazing!
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awww, thanks. Thanks for stopping by. xo
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This is on my list. Thanks for sharing!
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You are welcome, thanks for stopping by. xo
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Such a good book! Loved all the historical details.
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I agree! Thanks for stopping by. xo
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I loved this book its such a classic!
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I know right! sigh! Thanks for stopping by. xo
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I read this a while ago. I will have to reread it.
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Heyy, thanks for stopping by. xo
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Love book blogs. Great read thanks
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awww, thanks. Thanks for stopping by. xo
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I really have to read this one. Great post! Will definitely be getting to this one soon =]
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Hope you enjoy the read. Thank you for stopping by. xo
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I need to read this one! I’ve been meaning to for a long time haha. Really great post, well done!
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Thank you for your nice comment! Hope you get to read the book sometime. Thank you for stopping by. xo
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I’ve heard of this book and it sounds super interesting! I’ll add it to my read list!!
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Yaay, hope you get to read it, sometime this year. Thank you for stopping by. xo
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I never read this book, but always wanted to so I’m adding it to my list
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Yaay, Thanks for stopping by. xo
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I’m going to need to pick this book up!!
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you better 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. xo
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I need to read this book. I watched the movie and it was amazing.
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Yaay, I hope you get to read it. Thanks for stopping by. xo
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I’ve always wondered what this book was about. My thoughts have been confirmed!
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haha, glad to be of service! thanks for stopping by. xo
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This book is sitting on my bedside table RIGHT NOW! I haven;t read it yet, but after reading this I am moving it to the top of my pile. Thanks!
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Yaay, glad to hear that! Thanks for stopping by. xo
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Ahhhh! Sounds like a great read! I’ll check it out!
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you better! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. xo
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I tried reading this book years ago but it just didn’t pull me in, maybe I should give it another try?
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Hmmm maybe Geisha’s are not your thing 🙂 We shall look for another book for you 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. xo
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ive been meaning to read this!
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I hope you get to it! Thanks for stopping by. xo
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Reading the book would also be interesting…I enjoyed the movie!
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I need to watch the movie! Thank you for stopping by. xo
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I remember reading this book a few years back and my, it was such a great book I’d read it again. ❤
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I know right! I feel ya! Thanks for stopping by. xo
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This book is such a good read – but definitely an emotional one!
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emotional, definitely! Thanks for stopping by. xo
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I need to read this, it looks absolutely great!
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Thanks for stopping by. xo
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I read thIs book!!! It was a pretty good read. Totally recommend
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ikr! Thanks for stopping by. xo
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Sounds like a great read!
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Thank you for stopping by 😊
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I tried reading this book many years ago but I don’t think I was able to finish it. I might have to give it another try.
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lol, I have that too, with some books as well. Thanks for stopping by. xo
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I was unable to finish “Memoirs of a Geisha” because the quality of writing was so substandard.
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lol, I get that, makes sense! Hey thanks for stopping by. xo
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I read this book a while ago and loved it! One of my favourites.
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I know right! It is an amazing read. Thank you for stopping by. xo
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