Title :Memoirs of a Geisha
Author : Arthur Golden
Paperback: 434 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: B002LAYWEC
Publisher: Vintage; Vintage contemporaries ed edition (November 9, 1999)
Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc
Language: English
Synopsis : Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden is a book about Geisha ( Japanese women entertainer ) who sing, dance , talk and keep men company in order to entertain them.Chiyo (Who is known as Sayuri when she becomes Geisha ) is sold to a Geisha house in Gion after her mother's death , she does odd jobs there like cleaning and house chores .Later on she is enrolled in geisha school where she learns singing , dancing and more .An elder Geisha Hatsumomo is jealous of Sayuri and so her hope of becoming a Geisha comes to a stop until she meets a elder Geisha Mameha who eventually trains her to become Geisha and a successful one at that . Sayuri's life changes after second world war when the man she has always loved becomes her Danna ( A wealthy man, sometimes married, who had the means to support the very large expenses related to a geisha's traditional training and other costs.).
Synopsis : Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden is a book about Geisha ( Japanese women entertainer ) who sing, dance , talk and keep men company in order to entertain them.Chiyo (Who is known as Sayuri when she becomes Geisha ) is sold to a Geisha house in Gion after her mother's death , she does odd jobs there like cleaning and house chores .Later on she is enrolled in geisha school where she learns singing , dancing and more .An elder Geisha Hatsumomo is jealous of Sayuri and so her hope of becoming a Geisha comes to a stop until she meets a elder Geisha Mameha who eventually trains her to become Geisha and a successful one at that . Sayuri's life changes after second world war when the man she has always loved becomes her Danna ( A wealthy man, sometimes married, who had the means to support the very large expenses related to a geisha's traditional training and other costs.).
About The Author : Arthur Golden is an American writer born on December 6, 1956) .Golden was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, grew up on Lookout Mountain, Georgia, He spent his middle and high school years at the Baylor School in Chattanooga, graduating in 1974. He attended Harvard University and received a degree in art history, specializing in Japanese art. In 1980, he earned an M.A. in Japanese history at Columbia University, and also learned Mandarin Chinese. He currently lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.
The novel Memoirs of a Geisha was written over a 6-year period during which Golden rewrote the entire novel three times, changing the point of view before finally settling on the first person viewpoint of Sayuri. Interviews with a number of geisha, including Mineko Iwaski provided background information about the world of the geisha. It has sold more than four million copies in English and has been translated into thirty-two languages around the world.
My Thoughts on the Book:This novel is an amazing read that brings to life, vivid and colorful characters. Being narrated in the first person, the reader feels a sense of reality to the story. Golden’s ability to create clear imagery makes the novel all the more spectacular. The novel uses many different jokes and situations that will make the reader laugh and cry. It also broadens the view of society on geisha and ancient tradition. Being informative, hilarious, and inspirational, Memoirs of a Geisha is a well written book and It's one of my favorite.
