One day at work I was looking for something to read on my lunchbreak, and I went ahead and bought Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. It'd been on my to-read list for... oh, forever. (Somehow that list only seems to get longer, never shorter!) Now that it's been made into a movie, I figured I'd better read it before I accidentally learn too much about its plot.
Memoirs tells the story of a successful Toyko geisha in the 1930s and 40s - from her surprising origins, through her career setbacks and personal frustrations, to the achievement of her goals. A colorful array of friends, rivals, mentors, clients, and lovers captivate the reader as the narrator relates her transformation from small-town Chiyo to sophisticated Sayuri. I was left with a fascinating impression of another place and time, which is what I particularly prefer in a book. (I already know what it's like here and now!)
Near the beginning of the book, Sayuri reveals that she has a lot of water in her personality, enabling her to flow around obstacles that might stop others - maybe this accounts for the smooth flow of her tale, too. I particularly noticed some beautiful and thought-provoking metaphors, and the vivid descriptions of the expensive, gorgeously decorated kimono worn by Sayuri and her elegant colleagues. Extensive details about a geisha's everyday life and routines brought the district of Gion to life in my imagination, while fitting in unobtrusively with Sayuri's clear, personable narrative.
A great read, a worthwhile purchase, and an instant favorite. I'm eager to see the movie sometime soon, and to explore other material by Arthur Golden.
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