Bookfanatic reviewed on
Spectacular. Fascinating. Couldn't put this book down once I started it. It's amazing to think this work of fiction about a Japanese geisha is written by an American man. He does such a good job of conveying life inside the very foreign, the very closed, secretive world of geishas at the early part of the 20th century. His language is perfect. It's what you imagine a woman like Sayuri would say. You almost believe this is a memoir rather than a novel. Contrary to popular American opinion, geishas are not prostitutes. They are entertainers who live in a highly codified system of etiquette and rituals. It offered women who could become geisha an alternative to the marriage/wife/mother model. The life of a geisha isn't easy. This book makes it clear how hard it is and how much sacrifice is involved. There's mastery of dance, music, conversation, wearing a kimono, putting on highly elaborate makeup and hairdos, etc.
