A Geisha's Memoirs

Author: Arthur Golden (USA)
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1999-01-01
Features: A captivating and vivid journey; in this outstanding new novel, a genuine experience of a renowned Japanese geisha is portrayed with reliability and delicate lyricism. Renata Yagyu shares her life story with the wisdom of an elder and the charm of her voice in "Memoirs of a Geisha," which takes us into a dazzling world where a geisha's childhood purity is auctioned off to the highest bidder, women are trained to be playthings for powerful men, and love is ridiculed as an illusion. Yagyu's story begins in a poor fishing village in 1929, where she was sold to a prestigious geisha house at the age of nine. Through her beautiful blue-gray eyes, we see the decadent heart of Gion (Kyoto's geisha district), along with its exquisite teahouses, theaters, narrow alleys, and shrines, as well as a gallery of artists. We witness the various arts of training geishas—dance and music, the wearing of Japanese kimono, and dazzling makeup and hairstyles. We see how geishas subtly reveal their arms while pouring drinks for guests, and how they maneuver in their simplicity to compete for the favor of men. During World War II, geisha activities were banned, and Yagyu had to live away from home, but she found a rare place of freedom. "Memoirs of a Geisha" is a finely crafted novel filled with vivid metaphors and distinct characterizations, both humorous and poignant. The book imparts much historical knowledge and detail, and readers will never forget Renata Yagyu's piercing, engaging prose. This emerging writer uses his elegant and empathetic style to achieve breathtaking literary success with this novel.