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Memoirs of a Geisha
 
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Memoirs of a Geisha [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Arthur Golden (Author), Bernadette Dunne (Reader)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1,783 customer reviews)

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 Amazon Price New from Used from
Hardcover, Deckle Edge CDN $24.42   -- --
Paperback CDN $15.16   -- --
Mass Market Paperback --   -- --
Audio, CD, Abridged, Audiobook CDN $22.02   -- --
Audio, Cassette, Audiobook, Unabridged --   -- --
Unknown Binding --   -- --

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Product Description

From Amazon

The first thing you notice about the audio version of Memoirs of a Geisha is that Arthur Golden's 428-page novel has been reduced to a scant two cassettes. But dismay quickly gives way to mounting pleasure as Elaina Erika Davis (Contact, As the World Turns) begins her delicate rendering of geisha culture in the years before World War II. Davis reads the abbreviated story of Sayuri with an authentic-sounding Japanese accent--one mixed with a magical combination of Asian reserve and theatrical energy. As Sayuri ages from a 9-year-old peasant girl to a popular geisha in her late 20s, Davis directs her voice gently away from curious youth to a tone that reflects Sayuri's uphill life.

From start to finish, the listener is absorbed in the elegant spirit of Davis's performance, eager to hear the next chapter of Sayuri's transformation into one of the most famous geishas of the century. How unfortunate, then, to learn that book readers not only get the basic story, but a fascinating look at the intricate rules and rituals of geisha culture. Here, for example, is one of the many revelations omitted from the cassette: "Japanese men, as a rule, feel about a woman's neck and throat the same way that men in the West might feel about a woman's legs.... In fact, a geisha leaves a tiny margin of skin bare all around the hairline, causing her makeup to look even more artificial.... When a man sits beside her, he becomes that much more aware of the bare skin beneath."

We're also denied several subplots--the aborted friendship between Sayuri and a geisha named Pumpkin, for example, or much of the story involving the man Sayuri is secretly in love with. But what remains is as precious as a traditional Japanese kimono--at once artistic, suggestive, and moving. --Ann Senechal --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Golden puts to good use his studies of Japanese culture at Harvard and Columbia in this story of Sayuri, sold into slavery at a geisha house in 1929, who finds that she's on her own when World War II starts. The 75,000-copy first printing says a lot about the publisher's commitment to this debut novel.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews

1,783 Reviews
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4 star:
 (323)
3 star:
 (156)
2 star:
 (98)
1 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (1,783 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Portrayal of Geisha Life, Nov 12 2008
By 
Douglas P. Murphy "Author, The Griffon Trilog... (Charlottesville) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Memoirs of a Geisha (Paperback)
Arthur Golden spent a fair amount of time researching this book, speaking to geishas whose stories in one form or another appear here. The book basically presents the biography of one geisha who through often very harsh events in her life transforms herself from the daughter of a fisherman into one of the most famous geishas of Japan. Both she and her sister are thrown into geisha houses to be taught this profession although her sister falls quickly into misfortune. Geisha houses demand strict discipline and service and have firm hierarchies that allow the use of power either purposefully or with cruelty. Jealousies and rivalries threaten the course of this woman. Once she achieves her goal, there remain tough decisions about whom she will serve. Economics and survival prevail over personal preferences and sentiment. The stability of her career is precarious as numerous events threaten to destroy it as they have for other geishas who are then often dragged into lives of prostitution. The intrusion of WWII presents other unexpected challenges and compromises to cope with shortages and lean times. A vivid and captivating book.
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4.0 out of 5 stars very moving!, July 21 2008
This review is from: Memoirs of a Geisha (Paperback)
I have to admit it took me a while to read this book. The beguining about her childhood is a bit long, but once you enter the real world of a geisha house... I could not put this book down. The rivalry & mean competition between the women is outstanding. The culture & customs are so beautiful. Please read this book first if you intend to see the movie & not the other way around or you will be very dissapointed.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down., Jan 23 2008
This review is from: Memoirs of a Geisha (Hardcover)
This is one of my all-time favourite books. It's beautiful. Vivid. Eloquent. I just love it. I love the detail and how the story is painted. It's a glimpse into a life I had very little knowledge of before. And I even lived in Japan for a couple years. I love the characters, the ending... It's the kind of book I want everyone to read just so I can talk about it with them.
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