Book Review: Memoirs of a Geisha

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I did not like this book at all.  I gave it three stars only because of how well-written it was--there were a lot of good quotes that came out of it.  But I didn't like the sick feeling I had almost the whole time I was reading it.  I was always told that geishas were not prostitutes, which was why I picked up the book in the first place, but I see very few distinctions between the two groups.  I only kept on reading because I wanted to find out why she ended up leaving Japan, if she ever saw her sister again, how she got through the war, etc.  I do think that once she realized what the life was that lay ahead of her and she made her choice, she did the best she could with what she had.  I was very sorry for the situation she found herself in.  I know it's a book I will never read again.  I'm curious to see the film adaptation, but at the same time, knowing the content, I'm not sure I want to see it. 



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