032 4 In the beginning , this book appeared promising . I had never understood the geisha concept and was eager to find out more . Even after reading the entire book , I'm not sure that I am any further enlightened . Also , Mineko , the geisha , was and is shallow and selfish and self-aggrandizing . Her character ( in a book that is touted as non-fiction ) rang quite false . I had the sense that the story was crafted by a poor fiction writer . I rated the book 2 stars ( instead of one ) because I was able to tolerate it until the end , but my advise to you is DON'T BOTHER !
064 4 This review is from :
Geisha : A Life ( Paperback )
Needed the book for my world lit class . . . speedy service , cheap price , and book was in Excellent condition ! would NEVER think twice about doing business with them again ! ! !
034 4 One of the reasons Mineko came out and decided to write this book was to set the misrepresentation of Geisha culture by Arthur Golden , whom she sued for the publishing of Memoirs of A Geisha ( and settled out of court ) .
The biggest items in contest were the facts that the concept of the Mizuage as a fee for a deflowering ceremony of a girl only applies to the oiran and tayu ( prostitutes ) , not Geishas ( where the word stands for the amount of money made by appearances over a period of time ) and the notion that Geishas don't provide sex , only company . These were two items that was misrepresented by Golden .
If by definition , an autobiography is to be a revealing self-portrait , then Geisha , A Life succeeds brilliantly . As readers , it is human nature , I think , to seek common ground and find people we can identify with when we pick up a book , especially a biography . However , if one can accept that the act of reading can also serve as an insight to individuals whom he or she will never cross paths with , then the absence of common ground no longer becomes an issue .
Like many others here , I found this book through the controversial source for Golden's Memoirs of A Geisha . I was hoping to read about the witty conversations Geishas are reknown for . Certainly , Iwakasi - who never lets up from constantly reminding us , until the very final page - portraying herself as the greatest legend in the Geisha culture in the last hundred years , would be positively emanating with wit in every page .
There was none .
Instead , we are treated to a 300 - page reiteration of a narrator who continues to win in almost every situation . She is No .1 , inspiring jealousy in her colleagues ; she excels in her dance , she instills mass hysteria and adoration from her numerous fan clubs ; she is highly in demand in the Gion kobu ; people sneak photos and out-takes of her into posters , commercials , and annual events , she makes so much money that she owned over three hundred kimonos worth tens of thousands of dollars , she comes from an aristocratic family ( and yet , curiously , she had to chose a hard life of work at the age of five , separating from her family which she points out , was the only time she was truly happy in life ) .
Even when she was at the point of retiring , not only does a good-looking younger man ask for her hand in marriage , but she keeps all her appointments , have an affair with a married superstar , and manages to make the Queen of England jealous enough to send the Duke of Edinburgh to the doghouse for paying too much attention to our heroine .
She openly admits she doesn't like people . She is impetulant and spoiled from a young age . There is a unfortunate dearth of any humane voice in her narration . At the same time , she overworks herself because she wants to be liked by everyone .
If all of this doesn't seem to add up , it's because the root of the story lies in one line , imparted to Mineko by her father at the beginning and the end of his life . The samurai betrays no weakness even when starving . Pride above all .
Given this filter , you begin to realize that you have to read this autobiography as if it was selectively recounted with a heavily prejudiced pen , often in the writer's favor .
The only big dramatic moment occurs on Page 159 , when our author pays a visit to her Onesan ( the mentoring older sister to a maiko at the Okiya ) who also turns out to be her real sister . She finds their mother hunched over like a maid , cleaning something . The older sister enters and screams This is the [ . . . ] who sold us and killed Masayuki . Our author cries and runs out of the house .
So the reader first thinks whatever happened to making her own decision at five years old to lead a superstar life of a Geisha ? I guess I'll find out in the next chapter .
We never do .
It immediately jumps back to the busy schedule of our triumphant heroine . All we have to go by is the closing chapter line I never went back . Some proprieties were just not worth it .
There is never a Geisha that equals Mineko in the narration . We are told there is a graceful beauty who was an exquisite dancer in the Gion district . Her name is Satoharu , but she is only alluded to in passing . Why ? We get a glimpse of the reason on pg 232 , as Mineko pleads with her Okiya mother Masako to dress down when they go meet Mineko's love interest . Here is a 21 year old superstar Geisha at the top of her game , with men falling all over her , and she is begging a 47 year old woman to go in everyday clothes because she couldn't bear being outdone ?
A person who doesn't like competition can tell a story only one way .
One of the inherent problems of a non-fiction account of Japanese culture is that the subject is known to be extremely insulated as a community . Even if they beg to differ , or they are put off by a gross misrepresentation of the facts , we , as non-Japanese people , will never know . I think this sets the stage for a free-for-all , with the prize going to the person who choses to speak .
And that's how I made it through the last hundred pages . It became more of game for me as a reader , to see how the narrator could continue to cram yet another example of self-glorification into her story .
In this , she did not disappoint .
001 4 I first got interested in geisha reading Arthur Golden's MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA , then decided to go hunting for more information on geisha to see how accurate his account was . I started with Liza Dalby's GEISHA , and then came to read this .
Mineko delivers an absorbing account of her life and training as a very top geisha in Gion , the most exclusive of Kyoto's geisha districts . For those who are comparing her tale to Golden's , keep in mind that Golden is writing fiction , in fact , almost fairy-tale-esque fiction ( complete with wicked stepsister , wicked stepmother , fairy god-mother , handsome prince , etc . ) Mineko's tale is true , and archly told ; Mineko herself comes across as a very strong , in some places almost domineering personality , as one would expect given her position in the family she was adopted into and her family's high-status position in Gion . The strength of her personality makes reading this book a wonderful pleasure .
However , Mineko's position within the geisha hierarchy was very atypical . She was at the very top of the heap , with all sorts of perks and privileges due to her station that many other geisha did not have ( atotori so everyone respects her from day one ; she gets personal access to the Big Mistress , tremendous financial and professional support in launching her career from her very-high-status okiya etc . ) , and it's not clear in the book that she understood this at the time , or indeed understands this now . For example , when talking about sexual matters ( such as mizuage and whether a geisha's patron was entitled to sexual favors - - Dalby and Golden say yes , Mineko says no ) , Mineko talks about her earnings , which were at the time she was working somewhere on the order of hundreds of thousands of yen a night in goshugi alone , and says something to the effect of This is another reason why the idea of geisha selling sexual favors is so ridiculous . Given that geisha earn so much just by performing , why would they ? Well . . . . most geisha , especially those who didn't have access to Mineko's advantages , probably * didn't * earn that much . Not that they necessarily sold sexual favors , you understand , it's just that Mineko doesn't seem to realize that her earning status was quite extraordinary and that there were probably a * great * many geisha who were a lot less fortunate .
( It may be worth pointing out here that Liza Dalby worked in Pontocho , a slightly-lower-status geisha district of Kyoto than Gion , where Mineko was located . Of course , Dalby also suggests that a great amount of the sex aspect of the concept of geisha may have come from the conflation of many different types of geisha and female entertainers . )
All in all , this is an entertaining book , well-written and highly readable , by turns sad and funny , as well as a great look inside the world of very-high-status geisha . In a way , this book is a tragedy as well , as by the end of it Mineko gives up her career and closes the okiya that had been entrusted to her by her adoptive family ( an act that would have made Mineko look a lot less sympathetic if we hadn't seen just how hard she had been pushed as a child , even though her family cared for her . ) Those reading it for information , however , should keep in mind that Mineko's account of geisha life is , while wonderfully detailed , also quite narrow in scope and that it may not be representative of all or even most geisha . For a look at a very different kind of geisha experience , I suggest AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A GEISHA , by Sayo Masuda , who was a hot-springs geisha around 1940 or so .
002 4 Most people outside of Japan do not realize just how exclusive and secret the world of the Geishas is . Connections and wealth buy a seat in an Ochaya , and on the streets of Gion in Kyoto catching a glimpse of a Geiko ( Geisha in the Kyoto dialect ) is as rare as Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster . Geiko move fast down the streets and alleyways , and a sighting is something to tell your friends about .
With Geisha : A Life , Mineko Iwasaki lifts some of the veils of this fantasy world and shows that , underneath the make-up and fancy hairstyles , Geiko are just women , with the same thoughts and feelings and pride and emotion as everyone else . In some ways , this destroys the fantasy , being able to see behind-the-scenes . The life of a Geiko is very difficult and somewhat . . . boring . Like a dedicated ballet dancer , the bulk of their life is training and practice , trying to achieve a near-impossible idea of body and movement .
Geisha : A Life is not compellingly written , nor as fascinating as the sexualized and fictional account Memoirs of a Geisha . It is not as academically insightful and full of details as Liza Dalby's Geisha . But it is honest and real . Mineko's account of her life is straightforward , without much decoration . After reading it , you will know what it is like to be a Geiko .
Woven into this account , perhaps unintentionally , is the loss of Japan's disappearing past . Mineko doesn't bat an eye when telling the story of how she leveled their 100 - year old Geisha residence , in order to build a modern night club and hair salon because she thought it would make more money . She talks with hope of her artist husband someday becoming one of Japan's legendary Living Treasures , but doesn't see how she should belong in the same category . She feels loss for the fading world of the traditional Japanese arts , but keeps destroying them along with everyone else .
003 4 Geisha , A Life Mineko Iwaski's autobiography is not scandalous nor is it particularly revealing . Perhaps there is a cultural chasm or translational difficulty , but bluntly , Mineko does not come off as particularly truthful , likable , or appealing . The aspects she chooses to display show her great love of dressing up , dancing , and her almost frenetic energy .
The most interesting part of the book is her early childhood that was in a semi-rural part of Japan and was idyllic . The reader has to swallow that Mineko had an almost photographic memory from age three plus great insight into people's characters . She was an odd little girl who preferred to be alone , spent most of her time ( by choice ) in closets , and did not like to talk to people . She nursed ( or tried to nurse ) until she was almost 10 years old , long after she had left her mother . Maybe this is a Japanese custom . She left her family for good by the time she was six-years old to live permanently in the Iwasaki okiya ( geisha house ) . She insists throughout the book that her father , an aristocrat in reduced circumstances , was not , as accused , a baby-seller ; yet he did just that with three of his four daughters . His eldest never forgave him and ran away to get married before the debt to the geisha house was paid . Mineko heaps scorn upon this eldest sister throughout the book because she dishonored the family and caused her father grief .
Mineko was not typical because she was heiress-apparent of the house , and was always treated with a great deal of honor . To most American readers , it might seem this honor turned her into a spoiled , arrogant brat . She complains the other girls did not like her and were jealous of her attainments and superiority . It was likely they had more genuine reasons for their dislike . There is no doubt that Mineko worked hard and earned her number one status . Her schedule is almost unbelievable ( she says she only slept a few hours a night ) . It is interesting the amount of celebrity she occasioned as the top geisha ( geiko ) in Kyoto . Crowds gathered round , autograph hunters were everywhere ; she had commercial endorsements . To us , she had the life of a rock star . She retired at the height of her fame at age 29 . Since that time , she has been successful in business ( why does this not surprise me ? ) , married and has one daughter .
Geisha , A Life is interesting and the author is very good at giving us small vignettes of her experiences with her peers . Her descriptions of her beautiful attire and the backbreaking work of making up , hairdressing , and donning the various garments to ready herself for public appearances are fascinating . I really wished I could have liked her more .
004 4 It's unfair to compare this book to Memoirs of a Geisha . Yes , Mineko Iwasaki was interviewed by Arthur Golden when he was working on his best-selling book , but Memoirs of a Geisha is a work of fiction . It's a fantastic book in its own right , but many of its depictions of life as a geisha are said to be very inaccurate . That's one of the reasons Iwasaki decided to write Geisha : A Life . She wanted to set the record straight .
Geisha : A Life is the true story of Iwasaki's illustrious career as Japan's number one geiko . At the age of five , Iwasaki began training at an okiya in the Gion district of Kyoto . She was later adopted by the okiya's owner and named as its eventual successor . Iwasaki worked tirelessly to perfect her craft and went through a lot of difficult times . She eventually grew frustrated by the limitations of her career and retired at the age of 29 so that she could raise a family and follow her own dreams .
This book is full of many details regarding the everyday life of geishas . I can see why some fans of Memoirs of a Geisha are disappointed because this book is a lot more straightforward and technical than Gordon's novel . However , Iwasaki's story does not lack emotion or passion . Iwasaki is open and honest about many unpleasant experiences in her life : being separated from her parents , surviving an attempted rape by her nephew , etc . I guess those things don't even begin to compare to what the character of Sayuri endures in Memoirs of a Geisha , but once again , Sayuri is a FICTIONAL CHARACTER ! I don't understand how people can compare her and Iwasaki . Sayuri isn't real ! End of story .
I've always been fascinated by the geisha tradition , and I loved this book because it sheds so much more insight into this mysterious and often misrepresented way of life . Iwasaki's story is amazing , and I'm glad she chose to share it with the world .
005 4 I'm half Japanese and grew up in Japan . In order to appreciate this book , you must have an understanding of the Japanese culture . It's not fair to compare this book to Memoirs of a Geisha which is completely fiction and written by an American . In the Japanese culture , a Geisha's life has always remained under a cloud of mystery and secrecy . For a Geisha to reveal any part of her life is strictly forbidden and considered taboo . Many Japanese still do not know much about a Geisha's life even though the tradtion has been around for centuries . What we know is based on assumptions or what our grandmothers have whispered to us . When Mineko Iwasaki wrote this , it became controversal in Japan and had many Kyoto Geisha houses angry with her . When the Japanese media contacted Geisha houses for interviews or comments , they were met with a wall of silence .
If you decide to read this book , look at it like you're peeking into another country's culture . Remember the Geisha has been around for hundreds and hundreds of years , since the samurai days . For a tradtion to survive this long must say something about how tradtions are kept for other generations to see and not just read about in a history book .
I don't want to give out much about the book , but if you want a better understanding of a tradtion that has been kept alive for centuries and if you want a glimpse into the Japanese culture , give this book a read . The book flows and the author has a way of writing that draws the reader into her life .
006 4 I found this a fascinating book , filled with glimses into the culture and customs of Japan . I knew little of Japan before I read it , but Mineko filled in many gaps and clarified many misconceptions .
She was the most successful geisha ( actually geiko ) of her time - - beautiful , graceful and determined . And yet , she grew tired of the life , and retired at the very early age of twenty-nine , ending the ancient Iwasaki line .
She begins her book with her early childhood and her reasons for becoming a geiko . She takes the reader through training and all it's rigours through to her enormous success . She alludes to her disillusionment with the geiko life , and to her attempts to reform the educational traditions , but does not specify any of these . I was disappointed in that , for , having watched her mature in this book , I would like to have known more about her reform attempts , to have seen her in that role .
Geisha , A Life is not the most well-written of books , which could be due to either author or translator . But then , that doesn't really matter . Let's face it . . . no one reads an autobiography for literary merit . Autobiographies are read in an attempt to KNOW the writer , and in that aspect , Mineko succeeded - - I felt like I was ending a conversation with a good friend when I closed this book .
007 4 I picked up this autobiography because I thought it would be interesting and informative , shedding light even more truthfully and accurately than the excellent fiction Memoirs of a Geisha . I was mostly disappointed . Mineko Iwasaki might have been one of the most famous geiko of her generation , but she lets us know that over and over again , and , really , who cares ? Even more appalling was her selfishness from early childhood on . Mineko ( nee Masako ) was coddled and pampered her entire life . She was spotted as a mere toddler by the head of the Iwasaki geisha organization and marked as the family's successor . She was treated to the finest in everything ; every important moment of her life was marked with celebration and fame , and the best of everything . She was spoiled and indulged , all in the hopes of continuing the excellence of the Iwasaki tradition after its then-current matriarch passed on . What did she do ? Dismantled the entire enterprise ! Her adopted grandmother and mentor must have been rolling over in her grave watching her last great hope , her final oeuvre , turning the place into a beauty salon or whatever and letting go all the geiko who had placed their futures into the Iwasaki hands . The book is uninteresting , self-important , rambling , and maddening . Mineko Iwasaki makes a barely transparent attempt to justify her selfish behavior , while berating others ( such as her oldest sister ) for themselves going against revered traditions . Stick to Memoirs of a Geisha for a far better read .
008 4 This book is an easy read , and the subject matter - a geisha's life in her own words - is not only extremely fascinating but is also unavailable anywhere else ; Mineko Iwasaki is the first geisha to tell her own story .
However , despite the enrapturing subject matter , this book is deeply flawed . To begin with , Iwasaki's writing is simplistic and not closely copy-edited - there are minor grammatical errors starting in the second chapter .
In addition to these annoying errors , the author's attitude is blatantly self-serving , self-righteous , and ( in my opinion ) the factual details of the story are highly unlikely .
For instance , Iwasaki details crystal clear memories begining before age three and credits her infant self with complex thought patterns that would be unusual in an adolescent , much less a toddler . At every possible opportunity , the author ascribes emotions to others without supporting evidence in order to make herself appear better and to blacken others , including her own sisters .
While I do not expect much more from autobiography , the sledgehammer bluntness of this self-serving process is offensive as it unfolds . Many of the conclusions she draws insult the intelligence of the reader with their obviousness and it just goes on and on and on .
My advice would be to read this book only if you are a big fan of Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha ( Golden based his book loosely on Iwasaki's life and picking up on the similar points and the changes he made is enlighting for fans of the novel ) or you just can't read enough about Japanese culture . But wait for it to come out in paperback - it's not worth the cash and not engrossing enough to reread . And take the facts of the story with a grain of salt .
If you haven't read Memoirs of a Geisha , do so instead of reading this book , then decide . And if you are looking for something a bit more realistic and gritty , I would reccomend Sandakan Brothel No . 8 , by Yamazaki Tomako . It's an excellent memoir of one of the karayuki-san - poor rural Japanese women sold into overseas prostitution between the 1860s and the 1930s .
009 4 I read this book after reading Memoirs of a Geisha and found this one to be much more interesting and satisfying . But that's because I find real stories of real people more interesting than fiction . And I can see why Iwasaki is angry at Golden if indeed his premise that geisha auction off their virginity isn't true as she claims . Golden's work is a good read but for a fascinating look at a real life , read Geisha : A Life . I left off one star because I feel that Iwasaki could have given us even more detail and anecdotes . However I highly recommend this book .
010 4 Although flaunted as a novel connected to Memoirs of a Geisha it proved to be a sorely disappointing read . Geisha , A Life was neither as interesting or as intelligent as Memoirs . While the fictional Sayuri captured my interest and heart in Memoirs , Mineko the nonfictional character did nothing for me . Instead she came off as self-important and somewhat unbelievable . Certainly the only emotion that I felt for this woman was pity to have put her name on such an emotionally immature piece of work . It seems that if she were such a great geisha of her time she could have conveyed that through better narration rather than beat the reader over the head with it tirelessly .
If you are truly interested in some good information about the life of a real geisha there are MANY other good books out there ( ie , by Liza Dalby and others ) . Most other books out there tend to go into better detail without all the nonsense . Forget this arrogant woman who tells overly sensational stories and explains her life as a mere laundry list of expensive kimono and famous people .
011 4 As many people seem to have done , I found this book after reading Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden ( which I loved , by the way . ) I was hoping for an interesting , true look inside the world of the Kyoto geishas and got exactly that . Iwasaki provides a great deal of insight onto certain traditions as well as personal commentary and thoughts about the way the society works . She also includes many entertaining anecdotes , made all the better by virtue of being true . This is really a fabulous book , and one of the best autobiographies I've had the pleasure of reading in a long time .
I noticed someone else mentioned some surprisingly blatant editing errors , and I saw them too . They seem to be mistakes made in translation that were overlooked in the editing process . I wouldn't let them stop me from reading though .
012 4 I will probably be one of the few that have read the book and not liked it that much . There are things that I loved about this book but those things were difficult to see through all of Mineko's bragging and pretending like some things happened accidently . I think Mineko was probably very skilled at reading people that she wanted to impress and knowing what to do and say to get the right reactions from them . For example ; I think she knew exactly what reaction she would get from the people at her first banquet when she went over to the dolls as though she were in awe . Or when she played hard to get with Tosio , etc etc etc . The fact that she was manipulative and knew what to do or say to get those reactions isn't the part that put me off because that was her job . What put me off was her PRETENDING as though it was all an accident or coincidence that everyone found her so appealing . She was so annoying in places in the book that I had to sympathize with the other geikos and maikos who disliked her so much that they played evil tricks on her . ( I probably would have been the one putting pins in the bottom of her kimono ! )
She also contradicts herself throughout the book ; first she has friends , then everyone hates her ; she wants to please everyone then she hates people . Oy ! Just too many times to say .
However , I did love learning about how the geisha world is run and everything that it takes to be one . I loved the pictures too . It was nice to see what the people in the book actually looked like . And wasn't Mineko just gorgeous ? Okay , I've been catty enough . . . . almost enough to have been a geiko during the
60 ' s ! ; - )
013 4 I liked this book . It was a great look into the geisha world through the eyes of one of its most succesfull woman . Mineko Iwasaki , arthur goldens informant into the life of a geisha , which he used to make his book memoirs of a geisha , scorned not only her career but the entire geisha world . I believe this book is an attempt to bring back some dignity to the profession , as well as the auther heself , but I think that comes off a bit too cleary in her book . I do think golden was wrong , but i think Mineko needs to just let this pain fade and move on . If she didnt want anyone to know what she did she should have . . for one . . never trusted an american man who wants to sell books because of course if everyone knew he got his information from a real succesful geisha living the life that he has depicted in his novel , it will boost sales . And she should have just never opened her mouth , and let him learn the hard way . . . by reading other books .
014 4 Like many of the readers , I read Memoirs of A Geisha before reading this book . I was expecting a book that was a bit of a rebuttal to Arthur Golden's novel . Instead , I got a very nicely written autobiography .
What a lot of people fail to realize is that this is less about the life of Ms . Iwasaki and more about the life of The Geisha role that she played . She never really talks much about herself - and that is a point of difference between the Japanese and Westerners . When we think of an expose , we think of something that is completely revealing and juicy , with a lot of sad stories . For the most part , other than the Geisha aspect of her life , Mineko's life was pretty uneventful .
IN NO WAY IS THIS BOOK TO BE COMPARED TO MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA ! One is the FICTIONAL view of a Westerner , who romanticises the culture to the point of OVERKILL . However , you have a more frank portrait of a Geisha here , and it sucks to find out that the life of a Geisha is not extremely eventful in a way that we would find it to be . Other than preparing for ceremonies and going out with clients , the Geisha don't do very much .
My only problem with this novel is that she doesn't talk more about herself , but again , this is more about Geisha Mineko and less about Average Mineko . Readers and Reviewers should NOT get it twisted .
015 4 I read this because I had been doing research on geisha and truly enjoyed it . I expected it to be more like Memoirs of a Geisha at first , but this is written in a much more Japanese style , almost in the way a geisha would talk . There are streamlined anecdotes that are connected fluidly , though as a whole , it is meant more as a passage in her history and not focused on anything directly like a novel would be . The book is neither better nor worse than Memoirs , because they are two different categories .
Iwasaki tries to prove how Arthur Golden had distorted the life of a geisha , but her arguments are never listed . One would imagine she objects mostly to how there is a mizuage , right to take the apprentice's virginty , auctioned off , but Golden's novel took place in an era where this was more acceptable . Iwasaki also tries to explain throughout the novel how she became fed up with the archaic and doomed system of the geisha world , though she does a poor job at explaining its flaws .
The book is fascinating as a whole , but she doesn't fully explain her two main points of inspiration on writing this book : what's wrong with Golden's Memoirs and what needs to be done with the geisha system .
016 4 I was so disappointed after reading only the first few chapters . Iwasaki spends much of her time justifying selfish behavior rather than explaining geisha life . Moreover , her stories seem rather inflated .
After studying and living in Japan for a number of years , I do not believe that this is a definitive guide to geisha . Rather it seems to be more of a tell all book from someone once famed and glamourized . Perhaps she was rightly famed for her talents , but her perspectives are merely that . . . her own perspectives . This book does not offer a scholarly insight into the geisha profession or history .
While Iwasaki does make some valid points about societal structure , education , etc . there is something truly lacking . Perhaps it is her lack of sincerity and believability . It seems that she has no trouble exposing others ' inadequacies , but shamelessly protects her own face .
As other reviewers have noted there is good intellectual material available for those that are really interested in this topic . Even art history books concerning Edo period ukiyoe ( woodblock prints ) would reveal more interesting and exciting stories than this book .
018 4 Geisha have always been fascinating , mostly I believe , because they are so mysterious to us Westerners . Prepare to be demystified . Golden's ' Memoirs ' was like another reviewer wrote , an excellent book , but still a fairytale - a bittersweet Japanese Cinderella . This book , by contrast , was written by an actual Geisha living her own real life rags to riches story . Though we might envy her glamorous lifestyle and beautiful clothes , we sympathize with her heartbreak , rejoice in her victories , and otherwise come to care about Mineko . She is simultaneously innocent and worldly , childlike and alluring . She was the top Geiko of her era and extremely privileged . While not as dramatic as Memoirs , I enjoyed this book much more - mainly because I felt it was more accuracy and less artistic license .
019 4 Mineko is probably best known in the Western world as the geisha who sued Arthur Golden who wrote the bestseller Memoirs of a Geisha , in which there are many inaccuracies which help to further the misconceptions long held in the western world that geisha are nothing more than ladies of the night . As a result of this Mineko decided to publish a book about her own life , it certainly is not going to provide you with all the technical information some might wish to read about geisha - but what it does provide to us is real feelings , real thoughts and a real person , and a first-hand account of the training and artistic skills taught that are required to become a geiko ( geisha ) . Mineko's story is certainly quite fascinating to read and delivers to us a real and personal journey through the life of one of the most famous geiko to emerge from Gion . She talks about right from the beginning , when she chose to become an atotori ( a heir of the house ) of the Iwasaki okiya right through to her sudden and surprising retirement at the young age of 29 . If you want to learn of the real lives of these ` women of dance and music ' read this book .
020 4 This review is from :
Geisha : A Life ( Hardcover )
You get a lot of her life , that's for sure . But a little too much of I walked down the street , I petted the dog , I bought a ruler . Was hoping for more insight into the Japanese culture and how the Geisha , Geiko , Maiko culture developed . Plus , she blew the whole thing off and became a civilian . But , still readable and interesting .
021 4 You get a lot of her life , that's for sure . But a little too much of I walked down the street , I petted the dog , I bought a ruler . Was hoping for more insight into the Japanese culture and how the Geisha , Geiko , Maiko culture developed . Plus , she blew the whole thing off and became a civilian . But , still readable and interesting .
022 4 Excellent ! At the age of five , Mineko Iwasaki was sent by her parent's to an okiya , a geisha house , as the house's atatori , that is , the intended successor . She studied dance , and became very well-known . This is a very interesting description of the life and training of geiko , as the Kyoto geisha are known .
At the age of twenty-nine , having inherited , she shut down the Iwasaki okiya . This was a rather disturbing action to me . The author describes her dissatisfaction with the way the flower and willow world was run , and her decision to close the house was intended to jolt the system . Of course , it did nothing of the kind . She does not say anything about what happened , following her action , to the people who were dependent on the house for their livelihood , and I found that omission disturbing .
Having also read Arthur Golden's extremely popular Memoirs of a Geisha , I was intrigued by the differences between the two descriptions . But I don't know whether the differences are attributable to the different eras about which the two were writing ( Iwasaki was born in 1949 , Golden's book covers the period from just before to just after WWII ) , or if Golden was exercising artistic license .
023 4 This woman acts and thinks like a child . Understandably , her upbringing was not normal in the everyday sense , but being of Japanese ancestry , I was annoyed by her large ego and her cease-less bragging about herself .
024 4 This book was incredible . This book is a true story about the life of a Geisha . It has cleared up so many of my misconceptions . I always thought from other books I had read that these women were basically well trained prostitutes . This is not so . The Gion Kobu is a city of true art and traditional japanese culture . These women go through more training in dance and music and other art forms than I ever would have imagined . In addition it also gives you insight into the japanese world during a time of war and during times of peace . You can really learn a lot from this book . How their makeup was done , how to open a door , what they wore from head to toe and even the importance of tea ! So , if you are interested in a book about sex scandals and viscious plots look elsewhere , but if you want an amazingly true story of the most recognized symbol of a fascinating culture , this book is for you . ^ _ ^
025 4 As the previous reviewer has pointed out , this is merely an account by one geisha . It is Mineko's version of her own life as a geisha and should not be seen as a representative account of geisha in general .
I find it troubling that in discussion of a foreign culture , there is a tendency to generalize . The geisha community is quite an exclusive group and holds on to its own customs and stringent etiquettes . Nevertheless , it is not a homogenous community in that the personality , background , aptitude , and fortune of geishas differ greatly . Mineko was fortunate to have the support and care of so many people . I am sure there have also been geishas like Arthur Golden's Sayuri ; perhaps there are others who are more unfortunate and has to resort to selling their body for money .
Mineko's account of her life is engaging and thoroughly enjoyable , even though it often comes across as self-aggrandizing . Unlike Memoirs of a Geisha , which I find stiff and uninspiring , this book has a good flow to it and keeps you going .
I would really like to read a book about geisha written not by geishas , but by someone who has close contanct with them , such as their hairdresser , maid , or their patrons . Such a book would help bring a new perspective into this now anachronistic group that still fascinates many .
026 4 This is a beautiful story about a little girl who became one of the most famous geisha in Japan . Mineko , which is her adopted geisha name not her birth name , moved into the Iwasaki geisha house when she was only five years old . She started her artistic training when she was merely six . At a time when most five and six year olds in America are starting kindergarden , playing video games and sports , Mineko was already working . Her passion and greatest devotion became the dance .
This biography came out in 2002 which may or may not have been around the time Memoirs of a Geisha published as well . Both novels are strikingly similar I noticed , especially when it dealt with World War II . But this novel , as opposed to Memoirs , is an actual biography .
The Japanese terminology is so fascinating to learn and explained very well . I learned that geisha in training were called maiko , or women of dance , and geisha or geiko actually means women of art . For a period of twenty five years ( from age five until twenty-nine ) , Mineko practiced all the traditional and ancient customs including dance forms , music , and tea ceremonies ( ochaya ) . Maiko is simply amazing . Despite learning traditional customs she is also an incredibly skilled business woman . She worked 7 days a week , 365 days a year , from the time she was fifteen until she was twenty-one . In the Iwasaki okiya she was the hardest working and most devoted geisha .
Her experience with love was also very humorous . Because she worked so intently she viewed most men as business transactions and nothing more . One man , by the name of Toshio , eventually changed her views . After visiting her multiple times he finally expressed his love for her , which she just scolded him as a young child ( despite him being twice as old ) and he was also married ! Toshio explained they were both in a loveless marriage , but Maiko didn't want to hear of it ; she refused him completely . Finally she told him , after his countless advances , if he came to the Gion Kobu every day for three years then maybe she would consider it . She pretty much figured that was that .
He came every single day for three years . But despite this their romance became rocky and unstable . He never left his wife . She later met a young painter , Jin , that won her over .
When Mineko decided to retire at the old age of twenty-nine , she was sent thousands of letters from her adoring fans . She met kings and queens , royalty , presidents , diplomats , politicians , and celebrities from everywhere in the world . Her assets were in the millions . She opened up her own club , then later sold it . She decided to get her art license and became an art dealer .
The beauty of this novel is how truthful and painful it was for her to grow up . I didn't really feel that she ever had a childhood , she always worked and trained every day . Her training did pay off because she was so incredibly popular , but there was still a hint of sadness in my opinion .
027 4 After first reading Memoirs of a Geisha , by Authur Golden , I wanted to find out how accurate it was . After reading Geisha , A life , I felt that the author Mineko Iwasaki truly represented herself . From her book you can tell that the she is an authentic Geisha wanting to dispel inaccuracies that Memoirs of a Geisha created . It is disappointing to know that society is so willing to accept inaccuracies regarding women and their accomplishments .
029 4 When I bought the book I wanted to learn more of the Geisha tradition and by that of Japanese culture in general .
I never had believed that such a restricted life is still possible today . Mineko Iwasaki was taken away from her family when she was a small child . With much discipline she learnt traditional dancing , singing , playing instruments and roles in theatre , always being observed by elderly ladies , who wanted to educate her , eg by humiliation via wrong accusations . The meaning of such is explained clearly , as all the other details of the life of a geisha .
A very interesting recommendatory book .
030 4 I am a big fan of Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha and Liza Dalby's work as a cultural anthropologist , especially with her book Geisha . Thanks to Memoirs of a Geisha , I have been completely fascinated with the concept of geishas . They are definitely misunderstood by western culture as well as the Japanese . Geishas are definitely not prostitutes . Unfortunately they have always been confused with prostitutes for hundreds of years . After reading Arthur's fictional tale of love and deceit and Liza's experience as a geisha , I was hoping to read a book from a professional Japanese geisha's point of view . With the bruhaha over Memoirs of a Geisha , one of the most famous and celebrated geishas in the past century Mineko Iwasaki satisfied my insatiable appetite on the subject by writing her autobiography . I simply loved the book from start to finish . Unlike some reviewers , I had no qualms over the fact that the author talked about herself . I was expecting that she would . Since this is book is an autobiography , I expect the author to have talked about herself and her experiences as a geisha . As I read the book , I couldn't help but notice the similarities between Mineko and Sayuri ( from Memoirs of a Geisha ) , and Yaeko ( Mineko's oldest sister ) and Hatsumomo ( the deliciously wicked older ' sister ' from Memoirs of a Geisha ) . It is pretty obvious to see the similiarities between Mineko and Sayuri's lives as geishas . The inclusion of pictures was a nice added touch . I wish there was more but they did allow me to see what the people in Mineko's life looked like . I found the book overall compelling and fascinating to read . . . . it was nice to read a book from a ( former ) professional geisha's point of view .
031 4 A wonderful story ! I couldn't wait to read this book when I found out about it , because I was anxious to read this story through the eyes of a Native Japanese woman and geisha . Being extremely interested in Japanese culture and society of course influenced my reading the book , but I would recommend this book to anyone who would be interested in learning about these extraordinary women .
Ms . Iwasaki likens the geisha movement to operatic divas in the west . I found this quite an interesting analogy . I was also impressed by how she handled the common western idea that geisha are simply high-end prostitutes . Effectively , she noted that there was indeed a difference between courteseans and geisha , and that it was common for romantic or sexual relationships to exist between a geisha and her clientele , but that the geisha were never meant to be and neither are they now call-girls .
Rande Brown is adept at the translation and makes good use of the language differences .
All in all , this book is educational , enjoyable , humorous and tear-jerking . Anyone who thinks they are getting an education from reading Arthur Golden's book ' Memoirs of a Geisha ' is kidding themselves . It is fiction , not a biography ( as Ms . Iwasaki's book ) .
I recommend it ! !
033 4 Like most of the readers out here , I too read Memoirs of a Geisha and was enthralled with it . Although technically fictional , the book still contains broad and specific strokes of information that allow us entry into the floating world therefore giving it credence and credibility . Mineko Iwasaki's book also allows us a view into the life of geiko but , as with most autobiographies , the story is told from the most advantageous point of the living author . In Ms . Iwasaki's case , her story is interesting but also questionable .
To begin , she has recollections of conversations between people where she wasn't even present which adds that element of embellishment . Additionally , though people accuse her of not understanding her position as atotori , I believe she fully understood what this meant but the real question is why was she supposedly chosen at such a young age . The concept of Madame Oima meeting Mineko , then aged three , and having a sudden feeling that she'd just met her atotori and therefore needing Mineko at all costs smacks of something more necessitating than honorific . I suspect highly that Mineko's family ancestry was just the required lineage of titles Madame Oima needed since Mineko tells us directly that the Iwasaki okiya was in financial trouble . She glosses over that point rather quickly .
Mineko does an excellent job in pointing out the artistry and value of the kimono . What she doesn't indicate is that the kimono is not the property of the geiko but that of the house . Only those in highest ranking positions are allowed to own a kimono outright and she was one of those who was allowed this ownership .
Where the story falls flat is in it's telling all around . It moves from subject to subject without real flow and much of it centers around repetitious information . Mineko wants us to understand Japanese culture but she herself appears to have been very closed about understanding other cultures . Her disgust with Prince Charles ' faux pas over signing her fan without her consent indicates her inability to make allowances for the ignorance of someone else but she makes no such excuses for her own ignorance . She's vain , arrogant and ambitious making her perfectly human and therefore exactly the point of her book . Geisha is a fantasy world .
I recommend this book for a few reasons . One , it allows for an alternate perspective even if questionable . Secondly , it gives insight into the workings of the mind of someone from another culture and shows just how vast differences in perspective can be . Finally , it reveals that beneath the calm and always polite veneer of Japanese society , there exists true human nature . . . . a thing we all possess regardless of culture .
035 4 This is the ultimate book you should consider when trying to get a first hand account the details of a life of a Geisha .
Mineko Iwasaki is highly respected and is referred as one of the best Geisha to ever come along in her generation .
This book was interesting and exciting to read .
If you have read Memiors of a Geisha , you will know that Mineko's story greatly contributed to Golden's novel . Now see what it is really like to be a Geisha by reading Mineko's book .
036 4 I really enjoyed this book . I first read Memoirs of a Geisha , which I loved . I knew that Memoirs of a Geisha is a work of fiction and that Geisha , a Life would probably be a bit different . Trying not to see it in the context of an American woman , I just let go and followed along with Mineko's story . If we compare it to reference our culture to their's , there will be things that we consider strange , but in that culture are totally acceptable .
Memoirs of a Geisha got me curious about the mysterious lives of geisha , and I really enjoyed reading this book as well . I now plan to read more about these mysterious women , who in the Western culture , have been portrayed as prostitutes , which they are most surely not .
037 4 I picked up this book after reading Memoirs of a Geisha . I found it a little dull at times but otherwise enjoyable .
This book is not for someone who cares nothing about the situations of real life geisha and would rather sink into the fictional ocean that is Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha .
038 4 Without comparing this book to to other writers , other similar pieces on gesha or geiko , I found this book interesting in and of itself .
It flowed along in an easy , near rambliing sort of writing style that took me a bit to get used to , but the images of Japan and ' Geiko ' life were interesting . Especially the little tidbits of information about personal life . Perhaps not the best book I ever read , but I did enjoy the read .
039 4 This review is from :
Geisha : A Life ( Paperback )
From the age of five till when she retired at the age of twenty-nine Mineko Iwasaki was hard at work being the best maiko and geisha she could be . Her love of dance helped her live through demanding fans , rivals , pain and fears . The book is very honest on telling about all the problems and joys of her life . But there is also a touch of humor . For example , her love of manga and the fact she once played basketball .
The book was a delight to read and very light . You could easily finish it over the weekend .
040 4 From the age of five till when she retired at the age of twenty-nine Mineko Iwasaki was hard at work being the best maiko and geisha she could be . Her love of dance helped her live through demanding fans , rivals , pain and fears . The book is very honest on telling about all the problems and joys of her life . But there is also a touch of humor . For example , her love of manga and the fact she once played basketball .
The book was a delight to read and very light . You could easily finish it over the weekend .
041 4 I want you to know what is really like to live the life of geisha , a life filled with extraordinary professional demands and richly glorious rewards . Many say I was the best geisha of my generation ; I was certainly the most successful . And yet , it was a life that I found to constricting to continue . And one that I ultimately had to leave .
The story of Mineko Iwasaki captures the glorification of the rich , aristocratic and burden behind all the fame and admiration . Reading this book has helped clears the myths and assumptions of what being a geisha is all about it . It's eloquently emphasizes that geishas are a work of art and the whole business is the exploitation of art and not bodies . Personally , I'm highly recommended this book for people who are interested in the Japanese lifestyle , culture and values . Though it also has a universal theme where one has to give up other's hopes dreams no matter how hard they work for and to live and pursue their own dreams and reclaim back their life from the people . Overall , I really couldn't put this book down , and was completely fascinated by the beautiful details of the different elements needed for a rising geisha , and a maturing woman .
042 4 This is a great bit of light reading for it describes in the most straightforward manner the geisha society and Japanese culture . I liked the fact that this book feeds and feeds you information on those aspects and it keeps intriguing you with every new bit of information . It is not too abstract , for it doesn't have to be . After what seemed like a lifetime of being asked to analyze critically everything you read in school , to dig miles deep to conjecture what the author might possibly mean by saying something ambivalent , Geisha , A Life struck me as a refreshing breeze . You don't have to write something that no one understands to sound smart , and Mineko Iwasaki has done just that .
043 4 I enjoyed the story all right , but the many , many grammatical and word usage errors were so distracting that I was forcing myself to keep reading after only the first two chapters . As a Japanese translator and meticulous editor myself , I was deeply disappointed by the quality of this book ; as a rabid reader , I don't think I'd ever seen such shoddy workmanship make its way to press .
I'm not sure a better translation or edit would fix the problems other reviewers mentioned , but it would have helped keep me focused on the story , rather than on its poor presentation . Shame on Ms . Brown and Ms . Bestler for not doing a better job .
044 4 The only reason I'm here reviewing this book is because Rande Brown is a relative of mine . That's how I know about the book in the first place . However , I promise my review will not be biased .
Let me start by saying that this is not as interesting a read as Memoirs of a Geisha , but that is a consequence of the truth being told . Nothing was made up here to make the story more interesting , but if you're interested in knowledge and facts as much as drama , you'll enjoy reading the book . As fascinating as Golden's interpretation of a geisha was , the real truth about what a geisha is is just as enthralling . If you read and enjoyed Memoirs of a Geisha , then this is a must-read . Enjoy that book for being what it was - historical fiction . This is simply a biography , but a very good one . Not captivating in any way but truly fascinating .
045 4 Mineko Iwasaki is one of the most famous modern geisha . She has met with famous people from Prince Charles to world famous film director Elia Kazan . Her life was neither simple nor without mistakes and this book tells it all . From her days as a little child to her retirement . When she was young she lived in a rather large family that had already sent away a few of their daughters to train to become geisha ( or geiko ) . But when the leader of a geisha house sees Mineko she knows that Mineko was made to be a geisha . Over the next few years of her life she trains in dance and other arts of the geisha . Mineko seems to be taking a big risk in writing this book . Not only was the book Memoirs of a Geisha , loosely based on her life , she is so far the only geisha to ever publish her biography . You can tell from reading her book that not only is she a brave and a hard worker but she is also very proud , which can be a good thing and a bad thing . I'd recommend this book to people who want to know about what life is like as a Geisha . It clears up many of the mistakes that Arthur Golden has made in his writing about geisha .
If you're looking for an honest biography about geisha life , this book is for you .
046 4 A few years ago I read Memoirs of a Geisha and loved it . Although the book was supposed to be based on Mineko Iwasaki's life , after reading Geisha : A Life , it's clear the Memoirs author took great liberties .
Where Memoirs contained a juicy fictionalization , this title is much more straight forward and explanatory about the life of a Geisha . It clearly details the schooling and discipline necessary to become Japan's top Geisha . It would have been nice to know less about the classroom and more about the inner workings of the Okiya .
While this book is not as beautifully written as Memoirs , true Geisha enthusiasts will want to read this version . Consider it an historic account of a nearly bygone era .
047 4 I found this book to be extremely intriguing and informative . Quite possibly fabricated in some aspects , but when your trying to learn about a culture that has so much secrecy behind it you read into whatever you can find . The secrecy is probably what makes it so fascinating to begin with !
In attempts to preserve something thats so important to a culture the author may or may not have been entirely truthful with things . A case of what should be or what is expected of the geisha vs . what actually exists . The depiction over the years of the geisha has resulted in a bit of a smeared reputation , I think her desire to preserve the name may have overwhelmed the actual fact .
Regardless I enjoyed this book very much .
048 4 I didn't know what to expect when reading this book . All I knew is I wanted to know more about what it is truly like to live the life as a Geisha . I felt the story line was a bit boring a times . I didn't think that much detail needed to be portrayed in the dress and hairstyles . I felt as though I was reading to take a test on the definition of a hairpiece or hairstyles etc . However I did like the feel of the book and it did give me good knowledge on what its like to be a geisha . I suppose I expected the details of the storyline to be more exciting . Instead the details of her clothes , dress , and tea ceremonies were the main them of the book . I would recommend it to anyone who is interested on the history of Geisha clothes , dance , and hair .
049 4 I like to read about Japanese and Chinese culture , so this book was appealing to me for that reason alone . Iwasaki provides an authoritative look at the business end of being a geisha - - and reveals just how much the geisha culture drove a certain part of Japan's economy , providing jobs for many people involved in making the elaborate obi and kimono worn by geisha , for instructors in the fine arts practiced by geisha , owners of tea shops , dressers , and many others . I did feel when reading the book that the author wanted to portray herself in a relatively favorable light ; this is no contemporary , Western-style , tell-all confessional . There is a feeling of distance between author and reader . Among the most interesting revelations were the chapters describing the author's adoption as a young child by the geisha family , and the lengthy separation process from her birth family . Iwasaki had several sisters , some of whom also were adopted into the geisha family , though only the author had great success . It seemed to me there were more stories to be told here , but that was not the author's purpose in writing the book . I enjoyed the book and recommend it for anyone who might be interested in reading on this topic .
050 4 I thought this book was amazing . I love almost everything about the japanese culture and geisha seem to stand out to me the most . I have a few books on the subject , including this one . I thought the way Mineko told her story was very captivating and I personally could not put the book down . I liked hearing the discriptions of the kimono and seeing the pictures of her as a maiko and a geisha . She is a gorgeous women and her beauty as a geisha stands out among the rest . If you love anything about geisha , read this book .
051 4 Mineko Iwasaki tells the story of her life as one of the most renowned geisha in recent history . She was inspired to tell her story because she found offensive the common misconceptions about geisha that many people hold . She felt the only way to clear up the false ideas and impressions was to open the doors on the world of geisha and shine a light on her story , through her experience and her thoughts .
Her story begins with her requesting to leave home at an early age to begin training with a Geisha at the age of five . The training is at best difficult and demanding both mentally and physically , but the emotional toll seems extremely severe . She perseveres through it all and her success is unprecedented . Her reflections on the demanding style of life lead her to a decision to retire at the age of 29 and to begin what she perceives to be a normal life .
The cultural differences are immense and at times difficult to comprehend . Mineko Iwasaki is not a sympathetic character and yet her story is a compelling memoir of an open and honest nature .
052 4 Allright , so this book may not be presenting much historical facts on the generations of geisha , but focuses more on self-glorification and the glamour of her own successes . . with a touch of arrogance on the side , as well as a sense of pride . . . but cmon , admit it . . she displayed great work of being a geiko and surely earned her way to the top . For some of you to ask WHO CARES simply doesn't justify your interest in geisha life . Geisha life is a question of outer surface and glamour presented every single minute . . . not the inner-personalities inside .
Her arrogance is well justified to the point where her honesty on the cruelty of other geiko as well as hers are balanced . It's the way that geiko societies work ; perhaps I could not have found a more survival of the fittest athmosphere than this .
Over all , this book is beautiful , the story , the plot . . the characters are not only interesting but quite surprising to the usual American mind who would stupidly mistake it for simple Arrogant , Spoiled Brat . . . that's foolishness .
Read this book with the intent of seeing it from a Geiko's perspective , not an average conscientious individual .
I most loved the situation with how she resents Prince Charle's autographing her folding fan . . . and how she resents the rude i'm-not-eating-foreign-food by the queen . . leading to a conversation witht he Duke of Edinburge and arouses jealousy between the two royal couples . Intense !
True . . it should not have ended so quickly , I'm sure there were many more details . but hey . . . it's satisfactory enough for a thorough read of 2 days .
and her principle was most inspiring . . the samurai betrays NO weakness . . . even when starving . . Pride above all . . . . well ! ! doesnt the so-called spoiled arrogant brat admit it ! Well done !
053 4 I read this book and found that it was very interesting . I learned some things and the book was very good at dispeling some of the myth of geisha . However , I found that it was not written very well . Somehow the tone did not seem genuine but this may be a problem of the English translation rather than from the author herself . I also did not think that the book went into the level of detail that I was expecting , especially since this was a book written by a former great Geisha .
All in all , I was somewhat disappointed .
054 4 I saw the movie Memoirs of a Geisha and thought it quite melodramatic . I wanted to find out more about the actual world of the geisha and thought this book was excellent . It was wonderful to read about the life of one of the very best geishas . I only wanted to read more ! A great read !
055 4 Mineko Iwasaki has told her story in a simple and straightforward way , like a conversation with a trusted friend . She is witty and intelligent and loyal and her account is filled with fascinating details of the Geisha's training and way of life . I no longer read for enjoyment , but once I picked up this book and began reading , I was captured until I had read the whole thing .
056 4 I saw a woman reading this book on a flight from Chicago to Boston , and was intrigued . I looked it up as soon as I returned home , hoping it might be a real-life work which would serve as counterpoint to the overrated Memoirs of a Geisha , .
To my delight , it has been just that . If you're looking for more costumed cat-fighting then this book isn't for you . If you're looking to read about one real woman's experiences , and get a first-hand glimpse into this part of Japanese culture , then look no further . I found Iwasaki's writing style to be very genuine ; indeed , reading Iwasaki describe events was like listening to my sensei tell me stories after class .
My only complaint is with the editing of the book - - I've found a couple of spelling / grammatical errors that surprised me . Still , it deserves 5 stars , and a more fair look than fans of Golden's frivolous book are giving it .
057 4 I have to admit I only bought this book because I loved Memoirs of a Geisha by Golden and heard of the controversy surrounding both authors . I really was suprised that Mineko ( who was thanked by Golden ) was unhappy with his novel and with identifying her as his inspiration . And that she had issues with accuracy even though it is a work of fiction . It becomes very apparent that Mineko argues these accuracy points from the beginning ; detailing differences between courtesan ( high end prostitutes ) and geisha , customs and rituals , even pointing out stories where Golden may have taken too much liberty ( for example Mineko describes her friend's history from fishing village to geisha house which seems more the basis of Memoir's character Sayuri than Mineko herself ) . Overall , great account of her particular life , much more like a journal than an actual biography . I liked learning what a Maiko and Geiko are .
The only issues I had were that it was difficult reading , don't know if that is the style , interpretation , editing , but it didn't flow as well as Memoirs . But to compare is apples to oranges . I also felt Mineko was over justifying a lot of her circumstances and decisions . I wasn't put off too much by her arrogance as other reviewers as I understand her purpose of writing this book ( trying to clear up misconceptions ) . Still , was not as fun to read . Informative but not as enjoyable .
Anyway , read both books together . Memoirs for entertainment , Geisha A Life for information
058 4 It's funny and sad how many reviewers are comparing this book to Golden's trite example , claiming it to be less beautifully written and not as exciting . I hate to break it to you , but Golden is a middle-aged man from New England writing about a teenaged Geisha during WWII . The only thing he's got going for him is his flowery language seeing as his accounts of the Geisha are completely INNACCURATE ! His fluffy book offended me . Geisha : A Life is at least a first hand account , and it is not necessary to pump it up due to historical accuracy . These books are in two completely different categories . To compare them would be like measuring Danielle Steele against Stephen Hawking .
Geisha : A Life is appropriate retribution for the damage that Golden did with his mid-century soap opera trash . I enjoyed this book because the author tells it like it is , and apologizes for nothing . Now that is courage .
059 4 This autobiography gives us not only an insight into the education , the working conditions and the social status of a geisha , but also into the Japanese society as a whole .
To give a few examples : selling children for sex slavery became forbidden only in the year 1959 , or , the existing extreme differences of wealth ( some people could pay nearly every day extremely expensive geisha parties , while poor people were forces to abandon their children ) .
Besides more personal intimate confidences , the author sketches a good picture of the hardship ( sometimes only one hour of sleep per night ) of the education and the working conditions , the extreme jealousy and fierce competition inside the geisha guild , the sexual morals ( allowance of extramarital relationships ) and the colossal sums involved in the geisha business .
Not to be missed by the Japan aficionados .
I should also recommend the works of Ian Buruma , Lisa Louis and Nicholas Bornoff for a broader perspective on the Japanese entertainment culture .
060 4 I loved Memoirs of a Geisha , but this book goes beyond the actual fairytale story and becomes it's own classic . Mineko and the translator worked so well to paint a detailed , heartfelt , and honest account of this geisha's remarkable life . I commend them both and count this book as one of my two favorites !
061 4 I LOVED this book . If you are interested in Geisha's you must read this one . It details everything about a Geisha's life . Plus tells you what is truth and what is fiction . The way the author express things is just lovely . I really recommend this book .
062 4 This review is from :
Geisha : A Life ( Paperback )
I found much joy in reading this book , if you love history and art , this is a easy read and very educational , a wonderful story lined biography . What a life to have had .
063 4 I found much joy in reading this book , if you love history and art , this is a easy read and very educational , a wonderful story lined biography . What a life to have had .
066 4 I loved Memoirs of a Geisha , both the movie and the book . So when I found out that the Geisha on whom the book was based on or rather inspired from has written an autobiography , I was thrilled . Apparently , Ms Mineko Iwasaki was very upset over the way Geisha's were portrayed by Arthur Golden and that he breached an understanding that her name was not to be mentioned anywhere , but he did , in the book as well as in interviews . She also got death threats from people who thought she had defaced Japanese culture . So she decided to write a book of her own .
Iwasaki's parents were distraught when she decided to become a Geisha when she was just 5 years old . How a girl so young could make such a decision and how could the parents agree to it is something beyond me , even though she has tried to explain it . She goes to stay in an Okiya ( a geisha house ) and she is initiated into the trainings and numerous classes when she turns six .
A woman who is training to become a Geisha has a very disciplined life . There is traditional dancing , singing , playing instruments and also studying . Would-be Geisha's are allowed to study until Junior High , in fact it's kind of a rule .
Iwasaki excels in dancing and she is introduced as a maiko when she is 15 years old . After a few years of working as a maiko she becomes a geiko at age 21 , which are the same names for a Geisha , just different hierarchies . She soon becomes one of the top geisha's in Gion . In fact , today she almost has a legendary status .
What surprised me most was how systematic and well organized the world of a Geisha is . There is a list of all the girls that are going to come out as maiko's . There is a Kimono Dealers association . There is a very strict hierarchy which if broken can result in serious consequences . The earnings of all the geisha's are reported to the Geisha Committee ( I think that's whats it is ) , so everyone knows who the highest earning geisha for a particular year is .
The Geisha world itself is so complicated or may be I felt that way because I had not heard a lot about it . There is a rule of what kind of and what design a Kimono can have depending on seasons . Same goes for hairstyles and ornaments . It was exhausting just reading about it .
It is very clear that Ms Iwasaki loved and respected what she did and she has tried to dispel all the myth's regarding geisha's . She often sounds a bit egoistic and someone that could do no wrong . But we also need to understand the world she lived in , a world when no one , including one's sister cannot be trusted . She lived by the motto : The Samurai betrays no weakness , even when starving . Pride above all . I can understand how easily pride can be mistaken for ego in the geisha world .
There are lots of minute details on a lot of things like the music school , the dance school , the different kinds of geisha's , the customs and traditions . There are also descriptions on Kimono designs , hair ornaments and the kind . For e.g take this :
My Kimono was made out of figured satin in variegated turquoise . The heavy hem of the train was dyed in shades of burnt orange , against which floated a drift of pine needles , maple leaves , cherry blossoms and chrysanthemum petals . My obi was made of black damask decorated with swallowtail butterflies . I wore a matching obi clasp of a swallowtail butterfly fashioned out of silver .
There are many passages like these which some people may find dry and boring . But I loved them , it helped me immerse myself in the book more . In fact 2 days after finishing this book I struggled with picking up another that was as engrossing as this one .
If I have to compare this book with Memoirs of a Geisha , I would say both are very different from each other . In Memoirs of a Geisha , we get a young , naive and endearing Sayuri , where as here we get a strong willed , dedicated Mineko . Arthur Golden seems to have picked the main storyline from one of the minor characters and mixed it with Iwasaki's story to make it more dramatic . If you are looking for a Memoirs of a Geisha kind of book , you will be disappointed . But both are brilliant in their own way , one as page turning fiction and one as a real look into the Japanese culture . The simple fact that Geisha , A Life is a true story gives it a different feel altogether .
067 4 This review is from :
Geisha : A Life ( Paperback )
Like many others , I came upon Geisha : A Life when doing some research after reading Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha . The two are radically different . Both are good in their own way , but you can't pick up Mineko Iwasaki's autobiography expecting the same thing . Memoirs is a typical Hollywood-type story : the main character comes from the lowest of lows and faces many trials before working her way to the top . Iwasaki's story , on the other hand , is that of a spoiled girl who was brought up to be the best and nothing less , and somehow can't seem to understand why other people don't like her .
First , let me say what Iwasaki does well . She paints a beautiful picture of the Gion Kobu and the life of the geisha there . She draws you in from the beginning with her photographic memory of her entire life , including the patterns on each and every kimono she wore .
Now on to the not-so-good . . . the biggest flaw I found was that the reader can feel absolutely no sympathy toward Iwasaki . She was not sold into the life of a geisha , she made the choice freely , and she was raised to be heir to the geisha house from the time she was 6 years old . She was spoiled and privileged from day 1 . Iwasaki even goes on to explain later in the book how she attempted to keep her own apartment , but she knew nothing whatsoever about living by herself . She didn't know the concept of money , and in fact , she rarely even SAW money . While this does paint an interesting portrait about the priveleged life of some geisha , it certainly doesn't make the reader empathize toward Iwasaki . She also strives to be Number 1 , with no regards to friends or relationships , but then seems upset when the other geisha don't exactly warm up to her . And although Iwasaki is straightforward , honest , and doesn't gussy anything up for the reader , her writing seems to lack passion .
I'm not telling you not to read this book . If you are a lover of the geisha culture , or simply want an inside look at a geisha's life , it's worth a read . However , I think that nearly anyone who reads it will have a hard time getting through the entire thing without scoffing once or twice ( or many times ) at Iwasaki's lack of passion , compassion , and relate-ability .
068 4 Like many others , I came upon Geisha : A Life when doing some research after reading Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha . The two are radically different . Both are good in their own way , but you can't pick up Mineko Iwasaki's autobiography expecting the same thing . Memoirs is a typical Hollywood-type story : the main character comes from the lowest of lows and faces many trials before working her way to the top . Iwasaki's story , on the other hand , is that of a spoiled girl who was brought up to be the best and nothing less , and somehow can't seem to understand why other people don't like her .
First , let me say what Iwasaki does well . She paints a beautiful picture of the Gion Kobu and the life of the geisha there . She draws you in from the beginning with her photographic memory of her entire life , including the patterns on each and every kimono she wore .
Now on to the not-so-good . . . the biggest flaw I found was that the reader can feel absolutely no sympathy toward Iwasaki . She was not sold into the life of a geisha , she made the choice freely , and she was raised to be heir to the geisha house from the time she was 6 years old . She was spoiled and privileged from day 1 . Iwasaki even goes on to explain later in the book how she attempted to keep her own apartment , but she knew nothing whatsoever about living by herself . She didn't know the concept of money , and in fact , she rarely even SAW money . While this does paint an interesting portrait about the priveleged life of some geisha , it certainly doesn't make the reader empathize toward Iwasaki . She also strives to be Number 1 , with no regards to friends or relationships , but then seems upset when the other geisha don't exactly warm up to her . And although Iwasaki is straightforward , honest , and doesn't gussy anything up for the reader , her writing seems to lack passion .
I'm not telling you not to read this book . If you are a lover of the geisha culture , or simply want an inside look at a geisha's life , it's worth a read . However , I think that nearly anyone who reads it will have a hard time getting through the entire thing without scoffing once or twice ( or many times ) at Iwasaki's lack of passion , compassion , and relate-ability .
069 4 After reading Mr . Golden's Memoirs Of A Geisha , I was hungry for more on the subject and thought the true story of the geisha who inspired Mr . Golden would be the best choice . I wasn't wrong ! I enjoyed Geisha : A Life far more than I did Memoirs . Perhaps it was because I liked Ms . Iwasaki's personality , or because this is a true book or because of the photos it has . Worth reading if you are interested in Japanese things as I am .
070 4 After having read Memoirs of a Geisha , it was wonderful to find another story of a geisha . While not everything in Mr . Golden's book was accurate , I still enjoyed it as a good story . If you are to read both Golden's book and Ms . Iwasaki's book , you cannot compare the two . Golden's book is a novel and reads as a romance story . Iwasaki's book is her life story and cannot be read as a piece of fiction . Many people compare them and are more taken in with Golden's style of writing , which is very poetic and again , romantic , but Iwasaki's is straight forward and does not try to cater to anyone's ideal .
The two stories are very similar because Golden used Iwasaki's story and transformed it enough to be his own , though it was not his story to tell , so even though they have many things in common , they still should not be compared on that basis . Golden's tale is a work of fiction while Iwasaki's tale is all her own . I would highly recommend this book , although it may appeal more to people who like historical books , as it is an autobiography . As in all I found that Iwasaki's tale was fascinating and engaging . While some may believe parts of it are too much to be true , I point out that we cannot begin to claim to understand all the inner workings of the Flower and Willow world . Iwasaki Mineko is a true , former geiko ( Kyoto geisha ) , and she lived a very amazing , hard life . I believe that she has a right to be heard and let her story be known .
071 4 If you read Memoirs of a Geisha , this is the woman the story is based on . However , her real life was much different than the fictional Sayuri . Geisha , A Life is the diary of Mineko Iwasaki , the most successful geisha of her time . She is hailed as a legend and had very special circumstances when compared to typical geisha . Contrary to other reviewers ' opinions , I found this book to be neither self important nor boring . For example , buying a ruler is not a mundane detail but a great example of how little she understood about money and other things going on around her as a child .
Unlike Sayuri , Mineko's life is relatively scandal-less . This however does not make the book any less exciting . Instead she faces other conflicts such as having to choose between her biological parents and her love for dancing and having to deal with hostile attacks by her older sister Yaeko whose place she takes as the heir to the Iwasaki okiya .
If you treat this book as the diary of one woman , and not a chronicle of the life of typical geisha , you won't be disappointed . I read this book in one afternoon and was moved both to laughter and tears .
072 4 If you are looking for a book to find out more about the life of a typical Geisha , find another book . This book is the life story of the most successful Geisha of her time . Contrary to other reviewers ' opinions , I neither found this book neither self important nor boring . Mineko's circumstances were anything but typical for a Geisha , so in her priviledged life she was oblivious to many of the things going on around her . For example , buying a ruler is actually an important event rather than a mundane detail - showing her complete lack of understanding of money as a child .
If you read Memoirs of a Geisha and loved the scandals and intrigue , you may be disappointed with this book , as there are no made up sexual encounters . Even though Memoirs of a Geisha was based on the same woman , she spends a lot of the book correcting the common misconceptions people have of Geisha . However , this made the book no less interesting for me . There are other conflicts such as having to choose between her biological parents and her love for dancing , or having to fend off the hostile attacks by her older sister Yaeko whose place Mineko took over in the okiya . I read this book in one afternoon and was moved to both laughter and tears . Treat this book as it was meant , a diary of a special Geisha , and you won't be disappointed .
073 4 I loved the book ! I devoured it in half an afternoon ( that good ! ) . I think this is the only book I've ever read by a real geisha .
This book seems to me , an honest depiction of what Mineko Iwasaki's life was like . Not what all geishas ' lives were like , but hers . She was in a special situation , as she was the heir to the geisha house . It gave me insight as to how a person in her situation with her background might think . . . and how different it is and is not from me and mine .
It's not a sensational story of sex and scandals . I liked it the more because it wasn't . It was about a little girl who had to pet the dog , get a flower and trade it for a treat for her Auntie every day after class . It was about a girl who wanted people to like her , not envy her . It was about a woman who found her destiny in true love . ( I learned a lot of new vocabulary in this book , too , but I see it as more of a biography than a book about geisha . )
I wish there were more pictures . The pictures in the book were all plain photos in two 8 page sections ; real photos . Most of them were not glossy , primped , perfectly posed pictures , but regular pictures by regular people . I do wish the pictures had better captions , but it may be some names are omitted for privacy ?
Why a 4 and not a 5 ? It ended too soon ! It was too good , and I had waited for it for weeks , and then it was all read in an afternoon . I will read it again .
074 4 This book makes a wonderful counterpoint to Memoirs of a Geisha . Although the author was the main source for that book here she tells her own story which , rather than being a girl from a poor area , sold to a geisha house and forced to prove she was worth the money spent , she is a girl that the house begged for , requesting for years that her family let her come and become the heir to the house and the adopted daughter of the owner . This is not the story of a geisha that was having businesmen bid for her virginity but one who's house was so wealthy that having sex play a part in the business made no sense . In a quote from the book she estimates that in the 1960 ' s just from attending parties as a chaming guest she was bringing in over $500,000 per year to her house and states Why would geisha resort to sex for money when you had that type of earing power ? You get the idea that in certain parts of the book she is correcting some of the artistic liscence taking in Memoirs but rather than being a distraction it just makes for more interesting reading . The childhood training , her drive to be perfect , her disputes with the traditions and the surprising descisions she makes at the end bring to life that small secluded part of the world that is fast dissappearing .
075 4 Geisha , A Life was just an ok book . I received it as a gift and read it because I felt obligated to . Otherwise I probably would have stopped . Not because it was a bad book , but it just wasn't good .
I didn't feel attached to Mineko at all . I guess her mission could have been to just inform about geiko life , but I don't really that informed in the end anyway . The way Mineko described herself seemed very self-centered and made me seem like she was someone I wouldn't really want to be friends with let alone know . She has a wonderful memory from her years before she was 5 years old , which makes me question the validity of those memories . She seems pretty antisocial and disagreeable in general .
There was a lot of Japanese terminology that was defined once but difficult to remember throughout the book , which got a little old . Also , Mineko spent pages on details that were not necessarily that interesting . Endless descriptions of kimono and somewhat small pointless ideas wore on me and made me want to skip through them . Those things may have been extremely important to geisha , but I was more interested in her life choices . She spent literally half a page talking about closing the okiaya - a century + old family institution . They adopted her into this family to continue the line and she closed the issue in less than a page . Very surprising . . .
Anyway , just not that interesting of a book . I know Memoirs of a Geisha is exaggerated fiction , but a least it was interesting . I would read something other than Geisha , A Life .
076 4 I first read Memoirs of a Geisha in high school and fell deeply in love with the aesthethic and mysteries of Japanese culture . When I heard it was based from Mineko Iwasaki's life story ( she states this herself ) , I very much wanted to read her version of the story . I finished the book in about 2 days and found it cut short . Iwasaki-san is very good at giving us detail and providing reason for customs but her storytelling falls short . I tried to parallel the two stories ( Memoirs & Geisha ) and found them to be significantly different . Yes , they both portray a successful dancing Geisha , but events and ending are not the same . I sometimes think Iwasaki-san is holding back or censoring certain information and events for the sake of maintaining her relations with the people connected to the Geisha practice . ( Since she was already shunned for revealing too much for Arthur Golden's book . ) It's a good quick read if you're looking for something light and short .
077 4 The introduction chapters about her ancestors were a little confusing becasue there were too many names with long spelling . The chapters sharing her memories with her parents were sweet , but yet a little too short and not so informative . Later chapters when she shared memories of her times as a Geisha was interesting . The life of a Geisha , the clothings , the music , the dance and Geisha were well described . Short and simple . Mineko is an interesting person . Not antisocial or self center , but hard head . I enjoy reading how she defended her pride , and how she remained respectful to her oldest sister in public . Between the line , Mineko explained the meaning of family and respect . I enjoy mostly the fact that no one can injure her pride nor destroy her dignity .
078 4 Geisha of Gion / Geisha , A Life ( they're both the same book , don't get confused ) is a wonderful story . Though Memoirs was more . . . dramatic , these real life accounts of a real geisha is better . Mineko is a thoughtful , wonderful writer and her story draws you in . You might find yourself reading facts that discredit Memoirs and it's a shame but you'll feel better for knowing the true ways a geisha really lives .
I would recommed this to anyone intrigued by the world of Geisha .
079 4 This book gives a full picture of a geisha's life from the beginning of a career until the end and shows the ups and downs . Mineko Iwasaki tells an interesting story of an exotic life , one that is commonly misconstrued in the west . Sometimes its difficult to keep track of all the Japanese names , because they all sound and look the same to me ! Otherwise , a nice book ! Enjoy .
080 4 I've been interested in finding something that could give insight to geisha life . I had heard from some sources that Memoirs of a Geisha was not too accurate in its portrayal of geisha life . Thus the idea of reading something similar , but hopefully more accurate , compelled me to skim through Geisha , a Life . Ultimately I went back and bought it .
To an unattentive reader , the author may come off as pretentious and self-glorifying . However , if you consider that , for all intents and purposes , she was practically an Olympian in her field , her comments do have merit . And what is wrong with saying the truth if it is the truth ? If Olympic gold winner track star Michael Johnson says in a book , I have talent who is to disagree ? Why is it any different with Iwasaki ? Because she has no gold medal to show for her acomplishments ? Consider that , unless you lived in Japan at the time , you probably do not fully grasp her star status , as I am sure I do not either .
Finally , she raises several examples from her life that show she is not some arrogant woman , who regards herself with godly esteem . In fact , some of these examples come on the very next page of self-glory , where she clearly shows her past mistakes and naivete .
I recommend that the reader treat this book more as a personal diary , rather than some sort of historical document . It can be a very delightful and fun book . Personally , it helped clear up some misgivings I had towards geisha , due to Western misunderstanding and obfuscation . Ironically , I kept on wanting to skip all the historical data of geisha life that I had been searching for and jump back into her life stories .
081 4 I have an interest in Japanese related things and I had already read Memoirs of a Geisha before this one . I found this to be a great read and entertaining . I'm not very picky about my reading so I had no trouble with the order or structure of the book . It was fine to me . It seemed like a regular autobiography with very helpful information into the life of Geisha . . . or a Geiko . The most surprising difference I found between this and the other geisha book I mentioned ( yes , I realize the Memoirs is fiction ) is the deifnition of the mizuage . In Memoirs it is about paying for sex , but in this biography , there is no sex whatsoever . I trust the biography . Both books were very entertaining .
082 4 This review is from :
Geisha : A Life ( Paperback )
Even after I read a review that the person was not happy with the book , that the author showed no emotion , I still ordered the book and am glad that I did . If one is interested in the life of Geisha , then they would love this book . It is not a love story to be read with emotion but a factual book which I read in a narrative way or how Memoirs of a Geisha was narrated in the movie . I have found it very interesting and I think the author , Mineko , did an excellent job . The book was very informative and hope to find more books like this on the subject of Geisha .
083 4 Even after I read a review that the person was not happy with the book , that the author showed no emotion , I still ordered the book and am glad that I did . If one is interested in the life of Geisha , then they would love this book . It is not a love story to be read with emotion but a factual book which I read in a narrative way or how Memoirs of a Geisha was narrated in the movie . I have found it very interesting and I think the author , Mineko , did an excellent job . The book was very informative and hope to find more books like this on the subject of Geisha .
084 4 That might be the only way to describe it . I felt as if Iwasaki-san was speaking right to me , telling her life's story . It was touching and a really good book overall . If you've read Memoirs of a Geisha , read this . It explains about mizuage . . . Mr . Golden was kind of off on that one . Mineko-san is a better main character than Sayuri in my opinion .
085 4 Were do I start . . . I've been fasinated by the Japanese culture for many years and when I saw this book in Hastings I immeditatly begged my mother to buy it for me . Of course it being a few months until Christmas she bought it for me and then hide it . But then Christmas morning I opened up my fourth box and was reintoduced into the wonderful erotic world of the Geisha .
This book is truly a treasure for anyone who has a thrist for true culture . It reaches a depth that most novels barly scrape and tells of the REAL expiriances of the Geisha . Not some other world where they are nothing but concubines ! You see the world of one of the greatest Geisha's who ever performed . Through the drama of leaving her parents , training as an apprentice , and falling in love you tag right along feeling every pulse of her life .
However Minko-san's life is not just strutting around in a kimono and lighting men's cigatetes . . . she also has a mind , a sense of humor , and a sense of intergrity . There is this one scene in the book were a man comes up to her and grabs her chest . . . she in turn glares at him , walks gracfully over to a shrine , picks up a brick , and chaces him around the house until she finnely gets him !
This book is marvolus ! Anyone can enjoy it . If not for the culture and expiriance , buy it for the pictures ! ! The book has wonderful photographs of Minako-san , her family , and her costumes . ; )
086 4 Yes I am yet another who first read Memoirs of a Geisha , heard Mineko helped Golden with the novel and thus wanted to read her biography . I wish I hadn't though for the most part .
Why ? It's choppy for one and just dry . The beginning was interesting , but also a little funny . I guess this is the most accurate book on Geisha , but I could not believe that at - what ? - age 4 Mineko already was wanted as the one who manages the okiya . I mean how could they even tell Mineko was going to be famous when she grew up ? They didn't even know her and right away it was decided she would be heir ? It's no wonder she's got a high opinion of herself , I think anyone would have been if already assumed such an honored position at her age .
And that was another problem . Mineko is not exactly likeable . In some parts of the books she acts so spoiled and foul - tempered . I cannot really blame her though since from a young age she was totally allowed to be spoiled . And even though she speaks of working so terribly hard to be number one the truth is she didn't live quite a hard life as others had to . She always was spoken highly of , always thought of with such great optimism , etc . by everyone . She just had it a lot easier than other Geisha had to and so I was tired of her complaining how hard she had it . She wonders why so many were jealous of her when it's pretty obvious why .
Yet I am glad to hear she got her fame for the most part because of her working hard , and that she wanted to prove to everyone she could work hard and deserve the praise given to her . And there were parts in the novel that were interesting , but for the most part Minkeo does unfortunately comes off as uninteresting and not entirely too pleasant to be around . I am glad she did clear up a few details that supposedly Golden was wrong about in Memoirs of a Geisha , but overall Memoirs and Sayuri herself in the story are much more entertaining to read about than Mineko and her life . But hey that's fiction - it's meant to be geared towards entertaining .
I wouldn't recommend this though . It's not really worth the time unless you really just want to know the woman behind the popular novel of Memoirs of a Geisha . 3 / 5
087 4 This review is from :
Geisha : A Life ( Paperback )
Geisha a Life , is a second of a series of books that I have read about Geishas.In Iwasaki San's book , the life of her as a Geisha is very much influenced by her relationship with the Imperial House.From that moment on the arrogance , and suttle way of writing makes you really wonder , what is the truth.I have been in the Japanese culture for over 30 years , and have met people of all standards of life . Believe me when I say suttle arrogance , is an understament.I would read it with a grain of salt .
088 4 Geisha a Life , is a second of a series of books that I have read about Geishas.In Iwasaki San's book , the life of her as a Geisha is very much influenced by her relationship with the Imperial House.From that moment on the arrogance , and suttle way of writing makes you really wonder , what is the truth.I have been in the Japanese culture for over 30 years , and have met people of all standards of life . Believe me when I say suttle arrogance , is an understament.I would read it with a grain of salt .
089 4 This book is excellent . Straight forward and entertaining , you can really see things from the inside of the Geisha craft , and learn a lot . Arthur Golden's book is a novelized version of her story . Both are excellent , one being real , the other fictional . I did not care for Liza Dalby's book , if you don't read the aforementioned 2 books first , Dalby's book does not make sense .
NOTA : este libro esta traducido al castellano .
090 4 My interest in Geisha : A Life was due to the fact that the author was the basis of the fictional character for Memoirs of a Geisha . I was interested to find out why she was upset about Memoirs and what differences she would point out . I was disappointed from the very first . A three-year-old who can psychoanalyze her parents is more than a little unbelievable . From there I felt like she was twisting the truth of other peoples ' thoughts and actions in order to justify her own . My other complaints come from the writing style , which I found flat due to the lack of dialogue and interaction , and the history-lesson aspect . The history would be okay if it wasn't presented as a lecture and tainted with her personal opinions . I have not done any other research on geisha , but after reading this book and Memoirs I don't believe Ms . Iwasaki when she denies that sex ever happened for money . She was a little too adamant on the subject , and then her own sexual experiences lead me to believe that sex wasn't exactly taboo for geisha .
091 4 Take a subject that fascinates western people , focus on the meaningless and insignificant details of it , put aside all the psychological depth of the characters evolving in this mysterious society , here is the recipe of a gigantic waste .
Geisha is poorly written , with cheap literary tricks at the end of each chapter , and a final feeling of not learning anything .
092 4 I read this book on a whim but was astonished to see such a powerful and independent woman in a role that I had previously equated with sex slave . Minako's grace and poise tempered with her strong convictions and love of dance propelled her to the top of her field . The intricate details of the Geisha life and customs make this is a must read .
093 4 I read this book out of sheer curiosity about the life of a geisha and finished it by picking up tidbits of the rich culture of the Japanese .
This is the first book on this topic that I have ever read so I can't compare it to anything else but I will say that I learned a lot and it sparked an interest to read more about this in the future .
I was blown away by the incredible memory of Mineko . She remembered the smallest of details of life with her parents ( whom she resided with only until the age of 5 ) and she was able to retain so much information in her early childhood during her training . That determination fostered a workaholic approach to her career when she became a maiko , where she set out to become Number One .
One thing that stood out for me was when Mineko pointed out that no two kimonos are alike and that the patterns on them indicates what stage a woman is in in her career .
I also learned about the turning of the collar and the differences between a red and white collar ( red symbolizing a child , white an adult ) . At the age of 21 , a woman becomes a full-fledged geiko .
There was an antagonist in the book , Yaeko . Someone needed to teach this woman ( and , apparently , her sister ) something called manners . This woman dumped all over Mineko , making life miserable for her during her training and deliberately embarassing her in front of customers . ( Nice to see her get it in the end proving that what goes around comes around . )
Towards the end of the book , Mineko details how much the performers give to the profession but how the profession does not give back to the people who breathe life into it ( not her words ) . She also sadly points out that the world of the geisha is dying out .
And despite her gripes with the system that she tried for so long to change and couldn't , she is truly sad about its bleak future .
094 4 When she was only five years old , Mineko Iwasaki decided to be a geisha . She began training in the arts of dance and etiquette since then . In this book she tells her life story . She described her upbrining life at the Iwasaki okiya . I enjoy reading this book because there is no geishas in the history of Japan has the courage to come forward in public to tell her story ! However I feel angry with her parents because they allowed her to be a geisha when she was only five years old . She was too young to make such decision on her own . In order to be adopted by Iwasaki okiya , she went to the court at the age of 10 and 12 to declare that she was no longer the daughter of Tanaka , her own parents . She also terminated her junior high education just because she needed to concentrate on her professional career . I feel terribly sorry for her when I read those incidents in her life . I agreed with her sister , Yaeko that her parents somewhat sold her to Iwasaki okiya for money . This book not only unveils Mineko's life but also help explain what it is really like to be a geisha . It is a wonderful book about the geisha culture .
095 4 While true , this book is at a distinct disadvantage if you've come to it by way of reading Memoirs of a Geisha ( as I had ) , in of itself it is a still a poorly written book by an author who is so completed enamored with herself that it makes for a pretty nauseating read . The warning lights went off when she describes her environment in great detail when she is simply a toddler . From that point forward , she paints herself in the best light possible , while taking cheap shots at most members of her family . If this woman could think of more ways to say I'm wonderful , incredibly talented , insightful and amazing , I'm sure she would have . She must have very long arms to continually pat herself on the back as much as she does . Save yourself the time . This book did not offer the insights into the world of maiko and geisha as promised . Frankly , after a few pages into it , I simply didn't believe a great deal of what she wrote . It felt like contrived propoganda from a former diva .
096 4 It's official - this geisha is the most arrogant person , fictional or non-fictional , I've ever heard of . The best geisha . Always wronged . Extremely soulful . Stunningly beautiful . Hard-working . An excellent dancer . Sincere and trusting . I doubt anyone can say all this about him / herself truthfully , or that they would if they could , and I bet you have no idea how painful it is to hear this from herself every single page of the whole book . At times she seems to have been a raving lunatic , attacking a man with a knife for unintentionally humiliating her , but even this is justified by her elevated sense of honour . She CAN'T have been a good geisha with this attitude .
In addition to her very pretentious self , this is not even a good autobiography . She concentrates on insignificant details all the time ( five pages on an error she commited dancing ! ) . About half of the book is about her childhood , before she had even started training to be a geisha .
Also , I assume most people read this book to learn more about geishas , not this particular person . Despite the title and the blurb , the story is without doubt about HER and her - mostly petty - feelings , not about geishas in general .
All in all , this is a painful book . Not recommended at all , especially for those who hope to get something as wonderfully readable and educational as Golden's Memories of a Geisha .
097 4 To be honest , I was expecting more of this book . When I first picked it up at the library , it was out of curiosity ( as I noticed that it had been connected to both Arthur Golden's fictional book as well as Liza Dalby's book ) .
Overall . . . this book is dry and quite , quite horrible . The story telling is lacking , Mineko's portrayal of herself is bad and unbelievable , and she refutes certain things that several other authors , who researched more than one geisha life , had cited as true . It all but admits to exaggeration , bias , and inaccuracy .
Then again , it is a biography , and nobody should expect it to be as accurate throughout as researched , historical material .
098 4 When I bought this book , I had already read Memoirs of a Geisha , which of course a fictional account of geisha . I'm sorry to say , this book , to a certain extent mirrors Memoirs , with one major difference . Mineko Iwasaki is an extremely unlikable person , and it shows in her book .
The highest earning ( and most popular , she claims ) geisha of her time , Mineko comes across as rude , arrogant , and narcissistic . Her one and only wish was to be a dancer , she says . She didn't care about being a geisha , and in fact quit at what would have been the height of her career . For instance , she claims to have been so furious that Prince Charles signed one of her fans , that she returned it to him explaining she didn't want it anymore , essentially because his signature had spoiled it . She then claims to have thrown it away .
She was the most beautiful , the most popular , the highest earning geisha of all time . The other geisha were mean to her , humiliated her , picked on her , etc . She had no female friends because they were all jealous of her . Typical self absorbed person , who perhaps was treated this way , but had probably deserved it for her nastiness .
Then there are the times that she physically attacked some of her customers for insulting her . I'm sorry , but if these incidents , of which there were many , were the true way she behaved , I suspect she wouldn't have had many customers . I find her writing more than just a little stretched . I truly can't imagine a woman who acted this way to have been in any way popular . Which leads me to one of two conclusions . . . One , that she wasn't rude or violent like she claims , which pretty much makes her a liar , or Two , she wasn't terribly popular .
If you want a good read about geisha , Memoirs still wins out . Arthur Golden obviously did his homework , since his information as to the lifestyle , behavior , etc . is mostly confirmed here , and at least the story is fast moving , fun , and the main character is not so repugnant .
099 4 After reading Memiors of a Geisha and loving every minute of it , I was very excited to read Geisha a Life to get more of the truth behind what it is like to be a Geisha . Well sadly , I was very dissapointed . It was a very easy read but so boring that it ccould not hold my attention . I actaully read a few books inbetween . As far as writing styles goes , it felt like it was written by a child . Although she was an adult at the time of writing this book , it still seems to be told through thte eyes of a 5 year old . All in all , I would not recomend this book to anyone . If you are under the age of 12 you may enjoy it . i think I will take the fictious verion over this one any day !
100 4 Weeellllll , the reason I read this book was because of the book Memoirs of a Geisha , which I adored . Arthur Golden , the writer for Memoirs of a Geisha , gave credit to Mineko Iwasaki as inspiration of his novel . Well , this is nowhere near Memoirs . It wasn't terrible , but not what I expected .
101 4 I had little or no idea of the life of a geisha other than the common rumor that they are sex slaves at times so this book was very informative . I was very impressed by the hard work , adherance to tradition and respect the author has for time bound traditions of her great country . I did however feel , like many reviewers that she was narrating it purely from her own viewpoint with little regard for others including her own elder sister . Her memories of childhood from age 3 seem completely unrealistic - she was obviously older during the time those things happened or she just invented them . Her sister was sold at a very young age by her parents and she has little regard for the anger her sister might have felt , even goes to the extent of accusing her of deserving Alzheimers . Her parents sell 4 children into geisha hood and yet she has ' great regard ' for who they were and what they did . She has a huge affair with a married man before she is married herself and yet does not show any concern for his wife .
I don't know much about the geisha system , but I do believe there is something to the fact that it involves bestowing sexual favors on customers . She unwittingly admits customers have to be pleased at all cost and it is totally unrealistic to believe customers from all over the world starting from american movie producers to chinese businessmen seek out geishas to appreciate their art . In other words she does not mention what is on the other side of the art outside of hard work and genuine ' customers ' . But a good introduction , regardless .
102 4 Memoirs of a Geisha was one of my favorite books of all time ; So when I learned that Mineko Iwasaki wrote an autobiography of her life as a geiko I went out immediately and bought the book . I was thoroughly disappointed .
Not only is the book hard to read with all the Japanese terminology but Mineko drones on and on about the most unimportant details . For example , she spends half a page describing the proper way to open a door and enter a room including which hand to use and where to put it on the door . She focuses on the mundane while skipping over her personal relationships , funny anecdotes , and nightly experiences . Very little is mentioned about her starting her own nightclub or what went on each night as she worked without a day off for 5 years .
Mineko's main focus as a geiko was dancing . She did everything in her power to become the best dancer in Gion . She eventually succeeded in doing so but ostracized her peers , her friends , and even her biological family .
Her arrogance and ignorance can also be quite appalling and annoying to read about . Mineko openly gave away envelopes of money as tips without ever checking to see how much money they contained . She was oblivious to the world and people around her . Her sole concern was herself and becoming the best geiko and didn't care how many toes she stepped on along the way . Mineko is not particularly beautiful , can be quite rude and vindictive at times , and openly admits in the book that she was not very good at entertaining customers . Consequently , I have yet to figure out why this woman was such a legend . I personally would not have paid thousands of dollars to spend a few precious minutes in her presence .
If you are interested in learning about Japanese culture or about the lives that geisha lead , I highly recommend finding another book to read . This book was a waste of time , money , and was overall incredibly boring .
103 4 OK , I had a couple of problems with Memoirs . But it couldn't compare to the problems I had with Geisha , A life . While the book was a fairly quick read ( I finished it in less that 48 hours ) , it didn't quite captivate me like Memoirs did . Why ?
My main problem was with Mineko . I never felt she suffered , or really felt at all . I never understood why she was so popular . Just because she worked a lot ? To me , she seemed to be very sensitive and snapped at customers and onesan alike . So for the life of me , I could't understand why people would pay the 10s of 1000s of yen a night for her company .
Another problem I had was the inconsistency about the mizuage ( spelled right ? ) and the danas . In Memoirs , the mizuage is a deflowering ceremony that goes to the highest bidder . . . for almost every geisha . In Geisha , that was reserved for prostitutes . In Memoirs , every successful geisha needs a dana to gain her financial independence . In Geisha . . . never mentioned .
Another gripe I had was with the style . Memoirs made everything come alive . The characters , the culture , and the tea house parties . In Geisha , we were never really given a glimpse into the sort of things a geisha must do . We were told they were supposed to be witty , but I never once saw any wit . We were told they were supposed to be poised and charming , but the one party situation that we were allowed a glimpse into , Mineko held a knife up to the throat of a customer . Hardly poised and charming .
Would my opinion have changed if I read Geisha before Memoirs ? Quite possibly . Without anything to compare it too , it may not have seemed as empty . But I still think I would have felt Geisha was missing something .
Overall , a decent book to read if you are hooked on Japanese culture , but it is nothing that will change your life , or even your perception of things .
104 4 One of your readers mentioned that Mineko's father sold 3 of his 4 daughters . Actually , it was 5 of his 7 daughters . . . Mineko clearly does not hold it against him , refreshing in this age of reproaching one's parents for everything one is or is not . I found her account fascinating and very informative .
Certainly she is pleased with herself , and , I think , has a right to be , given her success . She had daily dancing lessons from the age of 5 and seems to have truly loved that art . She had instruction also in music and countless other items , read up on foreign customers ' interests , etc.I think it took a lot of work and dedication to accomplish what she did , and she does not forget to give thanks to and praise those who helped her . She also points out many of her own faults .
I enjoyed the insight into that peculiar life . The cost of the costumes give one pause ! I had read Life of a Geisha , and thought this book much more interesting .
I would certainly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Japanese ways .
106 4 Not even in the same league as ' Memoirs of a Geisha ' . In fact I was shocked that she was a source of information for ' Memoirs ' . This book was mechanical , uninteresting . It did not hold my attention . I would not recommend this book .
107 4 I believe this book was only written in order for Mineko to salvage her tarnished reputation . It is adamant - startlingly so - on certain details , such as that she lost her virginity to her lover and the practice of mizuage is not what it was said to be in Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha .
However , while Golden's book is indeed a work of fiction , what Mineko asserts is simply untrue . Up until 1957 when legal prostitution was abolished in Japan , the mizuage ritual for geisha women and the taking of danna were quite similar to what was described in Golden's fictional novel . You may interpret the dispute between them as you will , as I'm sure no one but they have all the facts on the matter , but I truly believe her lawsuit was an attempt on Golden's earnings for the book and to raise her own publicity . After all , she's gone on to be quite vocal and write even more books afterward , cashing in on the media attention .
This book is an interesting read , and if you are truly interested in geisha culture I wouldn't say not to try it out , but I would recommend Liza Dalby's Geisha far more . It is considered by many to be one of the most accurate and informative books on Geisha that is currently on the market today .
108 4 I found this book hard to believe . She remembers everthing when she was 3 yrs . old ? Give me a break ! She sounds like she's stuck on herself and acts holier than thou . At 18 she still thought kissing could get you pregnant ? ? I made it through this book but found it hard to digest with a straight face . A hundred grand a night for dancing for some guys ? I dont think so . Next time , try being honest Mineko , you might have sold some more books ! Or if your going to skimp on the truth , make it somewhat believable !
109 4 Mineko Iwasaki paints herself an old soul even as a mere toddler .
As a tot she was witty and wise and insightful and sensitive . . . almost ethereal . . . need I go on ? ( She does ! )
But Mineko also felt the need to constantly retreat to the closet .
Something just doesn't ring true .
I found her story very hard to believe . She remembers more about her life at age three than I remember about last week .
As she ages she comes across as narcissistic and shallow .
This reminds me of those Tiger-Beat type biographies written in the 70 ' s and 80 ' s about famous teen idols .
The book just doesn't ring true .
110 4 I read Memoirs of a Geisha like so many reviewers here and wanted to know more about Geihsa . This book feels more like a history book , the narration is dry and choppy no much feeling into it . The story of a little spoiled girl who was able to make her own decision when she was 5 years old . Not my favorite book .
111 4 Ugh ! This book is only worthwhile if you worship Ms . Iwasaki as much as she does . The woman is so taken with herself that she becomes angered when Prince Charles dares to deface ( her word ) her fan with his autograph .
Much of her portrayal of daily life seems hardly believable in its fairy tale like contrasts between the good Ms . Iwasaki and the evil geiko who apparently couldn't tolerate her perfection .
112 4 I read this book a few months ago and was very disappointed . I had read Memoirs of a Geisha several years ago , while living in Japan and really enjoyed it - I thought this book might be similar . Not only is it very poorly written , the author comes across as arrogant and ignorant at the same time . Arrogance isn't a compelling characteristic in any culture , but it's particularly undesirable in Japanese culture . I kept reading though , expecting the book to get better - it didn't .
113 4 Boring is the word to describe this book . After reading Arthur Golden's Memoir of a Geisha , this book does not even begin to compare with it . Its told in a droll dry monotonous tone that's perfect if you suffer from insomnia and wish for a book to put you to sleep . Unless you relish reading your history textbook again leave this book on the shelf .
114 4 I read this book and thoroughly loved it ! What a life ! I deliberately took my time reading it because I did not want it to end .
115 4 I rather read Memoirs of a Geisha twice . I have read Memoirs of a Geisha and loved it . So I picked up this book trying to find out more about Geisha life . And now , I don't want to find out more since a real Geisha life is boring enough . . .
116 4 This book as well as many others did nothing more than reaffirm the fact that ' geisha ' is the Japanese equivalent to ' prostitute ' .
Sure , they are ' trained ' in ' art ' and ' dance ' etc , but all in all are the equivalent of the western world's ' high end ' hookers . Nothing more . Sorry to disturb anyone's fairytale . A [ * * * ] is , in the end , a [ * * * ] .
Memoirs of a Geisha is FICTION ! ! ! ! ! That means that the author can take liberties in his writing ! In this story , mine-Chan is the main geiko ( AKA geisha ) and she tells her story as if the reader were there to see it . I never got tired of reading it . I loved Memoirs of a Geisha , and this story teaches those who want a more in depth version of memoirs . This story explains everything one can think of . I learned a lot from this book .
017 4 This book is not as good as memoirs for one reason : Memoirs of a Geisha is FICTION ! ! ! ! ! That means that the author can take liberties in his writing ! In this story , mine-Chan is the main geiko ( AKA geisha ) and she tells her story as if the reader were there to see it . I never got tired of reading it . I loved Memoirs of a Geisha , and this story teaches those who want a more in depth version of memoirs . This story explains everything one can think of . I learned a lot from this book .
