Memoirs of a Geisha: A Novel
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.
Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read
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.
Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read
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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Readers say *Memoirs of a Geisha* offers a beautifully immersive and well-researched glimpse into Japanese geisha culture, praised for its poetic and ...
Great book and hard to put down at times! Vocabulary was easy to follow. Very detailed and great imagery!
Skip the movie, read the book. Wonderful story about a female surviving in the world she was born into.
A deep look into the life of a geisha in Kyoto, Japan in the early 19th century (I believe). Beautifully written, and with heart and soul.
Absolutely beautiful book. The vividness of the colors is amazing the detail of the book is so beautiful. I was so frustrated with the movie. It didn’t even touch what was described in the book
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden is a beautifully written and immersive story that transports readers to 1930s Japan. Through the eyes of Sayuri, a young girl turned renowned geisha, the novel captures the beauty, struggle, and complexity of her world. With vivid descriptions, emotional depth, and rich cultural detail, it’s a mesmerizing tale of resilience and the pursuit of destiny.
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