Arthur Golden
Memoirs of a Geisha (1997)
Author: Arthur Golden
Genre: Historical
Plot Summary:
A Japanese woman named Sayuri recounts the hard work, experiences, and sacrifices of her life as she struggled to become a successful geisha amid the tumultuous events of the 20th century. Sayuri was unexpectedly torn away from her family and sold into her profession, and her early years were filled with confusion and rebellion. However, a series of encounters and the intervention of some influential people changed the course of her life and set her on the path of prosperity and success...until the devastation of World War II seems to alter her plans. In this story of love, struggles, and triumph, Sayuri describes her life in terms of a journey, and recounts the many people who influenced her life for good and bad. This story will present readers with non-Western views and expectations of women, and is a thought-provoking read from cover to cover.
Geographical Setting: Japan
Time Period: 1930s-1940s
Appeal Characteristics:
Those who enjoy narration by a single character, inwhich the reader gets to know the character quite well, will love this book. Every facet of Chiyo's character is examined. In fact, thse readers interested in stories with strong female characters will enjoy Chiyo's story. After the first couple of chapters, the pacing slows down so readers who don't need a speedy pace will enjoy the story as it reveals itself through the author's thoughts, feelings, desires, triumphs and tribulations. This is definitely not action-packed, but one hardly notices because Chiyo is such an engrssing character and its her character develpment that drives this story. One of the main appeal elements here is the incredible amount of detail about the customs and lives of Geisha in Japan during this time. Anyone interested in this subject or time period will get an adequate dose during this read. The writing style is straightforward and clear, never too wordy or complex, and there are occasional moments of beauty.
Read-alikes: For a similar bittersweet storyline and subject matter, readers might enjoy Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country, which tells of the sad affair of two Japaense lovers. Michael Faber's racy and explicit The Crimson Petal and the White will provide readers with a character-driven, deliberately-paced story rich in historical detail, and will reveal the life and trials of a Victorian prostitute. Lisa See'S Jodi Long's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan will offer a story rich in historical detail and depicting the constraints of Asian women. Gail Tsukiyama's The Samurai's Garden will provide readers with an insightful story of several Japanese characters set in the same timeframe, and Anchee Min's Empress Orchid will offer readers similar subject matter (a concubine's rise to power in China, set amid the tumult of the 20th century, and many historical and cultural details that reveal much about the lot of women in traditional China. Fiona Cheong's Shadow Theatre also follows a young woman from another country, this time Singapore, and her journeys from that land to the U.S readers who must know more about the Japanese tea ceremony or other aspects of Japanese life should turn to A Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata. Also, readers who enjoyed this time period, as well as th Japanese location, will probably be interested in Lydia Minatoya's The Strangeness of Beauty. Finally, Fumik Enchi's The Waiting Years won the Japan's highest literary honor, the Noma prize, and tells the tale of a young woman's (like Sayuri) mission to find her husband a mistress. This one, as well, includes alot of information about Japanese customs.
Red Flags: Some readers might make the assumption that a geisha is a prostitute, and so there is potential for offence. Mild depictions of sex, rare foul language.
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