Geisha: A Life by Mineko Iwasaki Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Geisha: A Life
Book Review: Read This if You've Read Memoirs of a Geisha
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Book Review: Really Delivers With a Fascinating Life Story
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Book Review: Refreshing
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Book Review: She's so full of herself it's painful to read the book
Summary: 2 Stars
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".
Book Review: Spare yourself!
Summary: 1 Stars
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.