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Geisha: A Life
 
 

Geisha: A Life (Paperback)

by Mineko Iwasaki (Author), Rande Brown (Contributor) "I FIND GREAT IRONY in my choice of profession ..." (more)
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
List Price: CDN$ 17.50
Price: CDN$ 12.78 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details
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Geisha: A Life + Autobiography of a Geisha + The Nightless City: Geisha and Courtesan Life in Old Tokyo
Total List Price: CDN$ 62.85
Price For All Three: CDN$ 45.72

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Product Description

From Amazon.com

Now in her 50s, Mineko Iwasaki was one of the most famed geishas of her generation (and the chief informant for Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha). Her ascent was difficult, not merely because of the hard, endless training she had to undergo--learning how to speak a hyper-elevated dialect of Japanese and how to sing and dance gracefully while wearing a 44-pound kimono atop six-inch wooden sandals--but also because many of the elaborate, self-effacing rules of the art went against her grain. A geisha "is an exquisite willow tree who bends to the service of others," she writes. "I have always been stubborn and contrary. And very, very proud." And playful, too: one of the funniest moments in this bittersweet book describes a disastrous encounter with the queen of England and her all-too-interested husband.

Revealing the secrets of the geisha's "art of perfection," this graceful memoir documents a disappearing world. --Gregory McNamee --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.



From Publishers Weekly

From age five, Iwasaki trained to be a geisha (or, as it was called in her Kyoto district, a geiko), learning the intricacies of a world that is nearly gone. As the first geisha to truly lift the veil of secrecy about the women who do such work (at least according to the publisher), Iwasaki writes of leaving home so young, undergoing rigorous training in dance and other arts and rising to stardom in her profession. She also carefully describes the origins of Kyoto's Gion Kobu district and the geiko system's political and social nuances in the 1960s and '70s. Although it's an autobiography, Iwasaki's account will undoubtedly be compared to the stunning fictional description of the same life in Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. Lovers of Golden's work-and there are many-will undoubtedly pick this book up, hoping to get the true story of nights spent in kimono. Unfortunately, Iwasaki's work suffers from the comparison. Her writing style, refreshingly straightforward at the beginning, is far too dispassionate to sustain the entire story. Her lack of reflection and tendency toward mechanical description make the work more of a manual than a memoir. In describing the need to be nice to people whom she found repulsive, she writes, "Sublimating one's personal likes and dislikes under a veneer of gentility is one of the fundamental challenges of the profession." Iwasaki shrouds her prose in this mask of objectivity, and the result makes the reader feel like a teahouse patron: looking at a beautiful, elegant woman who speaks fluidly and well, but with never a vulnerable moment.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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I FIND GREAT IRONY in my choice of profession. Read the first page
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Geisha: A Life
92% buy the item featured on this page:
Geisha: A Life 3.7 out of 5 stars (52)
CDN$ 12.78
Autobiography of a Geisha
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Autobiography of a Geisha 4.5 out of 5 stars (4)
CDN$ 16.15
Memoirs of a Geisha
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Memoirs of a Geisha 4.3 out of 5 stars (1,780)
CDN$ 15.33

 

Customer Reviews

52 Reviews
5 star:
 (19)
4 star:
 (14)
3 star:
 (7)
2 star:
 (7)
1 star:
 (5)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.7 out of 5 stars (52 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most helpful customer reviews

 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A good read..., Dec 18 2005
By B. Braun (Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
It is very obvious that A. Golden wouldn't have "Memoirs of a Geisha" without this source book for his novel. The accurate details in this autobiography truly give one the information that "Memoirs" missed out on. If you liked "Memoirs" you will like this book, its not stylistic, but its simplicity and accuracy are outstanding.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A tragedy that so many readers are so lost, Jul 28 2004
By "k_hoyak" (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Geisha: A Life (Hardcover)
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.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars A shameless "tell all" type book, Dec 14 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Geisha: A Life (Hardcover)
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.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly detailed and enjoyable!
I read many reviews on this book before purchasing, and was disappointed that the majority just compared this book to Memoirs of a Geisha. Memoirs is fiction. Read more
Published on Nov 17 2007 by Lyndsey B. Howell

4.0 out of 5 stars Geiko of Gion
Most people outside of Japan do not realize just how exclusive and secret the world of the Geishas is. Read more
Published on Jul 15 2004 by Zack Davisson

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful autobiography
I thought this book was amazing. I love almost everything about the japanese culture and geisha seem to stand out to me the most. Read more
Published on Jul 6 2004 by bev

2.0 out of 5 stars No. no No no NO
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. Read more
Published on Jun 8 2004 by wishful_hopeful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very personal and engaging
Mineko Iwasaki has told her story in a simple and straightforward way, like a conversation with a trusted friend. Read more
Published on Jun 3 2004 by Lillis Peck

4.0 out of 5 stars Geisha, a compelling memoir.....
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... Read more
Published on April 26 2004 by jeanne-scott

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating glimse into the life of a Geiko
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... Read more
Published on April 21 2004 by Gypsi Phillips Bates

3.0 out of 5 stars Read in conjunction with "Memoirs..."
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. Read more
Published on April 8 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars True Ancient Art...
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. Read more
Published on Mar 3 2004 by VELVET

3.0 out of 5 stars Deserves a better translator/editor
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... Read more
Published on Feb 8 2004 by N. Heath

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