Geisha: A Life by Mineko Iwasaki Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.33 You Save: $13.67 (85%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Geisha: A Life
Book Review: *Yawn*
Summary: 3 Stars
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
Book Review: A Geisha's Life Revealed...
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Book Review: A beautiful autobiography
Summary: 5 Stars
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.Book Review: A beautiful, inspiring, and true tale.
Summary: 5 Stars
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. ;)
Book Review: A very good read.
Summary: 4 Stars
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.