Geisha by Liza Dalby Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Geisha
Book Review: Be Warned: This book is a cultural/social analysis - NOT fiction
Summary: 4 Stars
Despite my book review title, "Geisha" is an excellent read.
However, I do feel it is necessary to provide a caveat to alert potential readers that the focus of "Geisha" is to provide a cultural, social, and historical examination of geishas' role in Japan. The author's secondary intent is to dissolve non-Japanese (i.e., Western) perceptions of what being a geisha means to both geisha themselves and Japan as a nation.
With the (well-deserved) popularity of Arthur Golden's novel "Memoirs of a Geisha" and the upcoming movie version set to debut in December 2005, I am sure there will be many people who seek this book out to satisfy their curiosity. But again, this is *not* a fictionalized account of life as geisha.
Considering the book is nearly 20 years old (it was originally published in 1983) I found the subject matter riveting. Dalby used her unique position as the sole American woman (at that time) to serve as a geisha in order to examine their role, impact and influence in Japan.
The result is both academic and extremely personal as Dalby uses both personal anecdotes and historical references to highlight the intricacies of geisha culture.
Initially, the book reads more like a dissertation, however Dalby's writing style quickly relaxes and she is able to paint a vivid picture of the "flower and willow world". Dalby utilizes personal stories of geisha she befriended in Japan that successfully humanizes her analysis.
Relating the life stories of the geisha she met during the course of her book creates an emotional connection that allows the reader to better understand a culture one may not be familiar with.
Overall, a very compelling picture of an important aspect of Japanese culture.
Book Review: Before Memoirs of a Geisha
Summary: 4 Stars
Arthur Golden used Liz Dalby's book as a key into the secret world of geisha so I wanted to read it primarily to learn what it was like to be the only American geisha. It isn't a book that you will want to read in one sitting but the chapters are clearly divided into smaller sections and reading one or two sections a night is very satisfying. Although I had hoped for more personal details of Liz Dalby's experiences, once I got used to her style of presentation I became interested in all the other information which she felt it was important to include. By the last chapter, I truly wished the book was longer and decided to order her book on Kimono to extend the pleasure of her writing style for a while. At the very beginning I was afraid her interest in anthropology would make this rather a dry book but as she warmed to her subject matter, I grew to enjoy her slightly clinical distance from what she described.
For those who are looking for the passion of Memoirs of a Geisha, you should probably read Arthur Golden's book -- which is much more detailed than the movie. For those who will enjoy an objective but sympathetic view of life as a geisha from the 1930's to the mid 1970's, I recommend this book.
Book Review: Behind the Flower and Willow World...
Summary: 5 Stars
I have a penchant for nearly all things relating to Japanese history, especially from 1600-1950, and this book was fascinating.Like many others, I had just finished the exquisite "Memoirs of A Geisha" by Arthur Golden. The cover I bought of the book came with a ringing endorsement by Golden himself, saying how brilliant Liza Crihfield Dalby's work is. He's right.Dalby smoothly weaves amusing anecdotes (a meeting with a tipsy and raunchy customer) with brilliantly simple facts (the nuances in tying kimono) in relating her unique story: she is the only American ever to become a geisha.With her exquisite hair and powdered face, Dalby embarks upon a mission of mystique, prestige, and learning, creating a fascinating and enjoyable read.If you have the opportunity, and time, pick up a copy of Dalby's "Geisha." It's a definitive source on the subject, and shouldn't be missed by any aficionados.Book Review: Conceit overshadows book's virtues
Summary: 3 Stars
This book is filled with fascinating information. However, the reader is continually interrupted by the author's incessant self-praise. Evidence of the author's conceit is in every chapter and detracts terribly from this otherwise wonderful book.Book Review: Couldn't be better
Summary: 5 Stars
Written by anthropologist Dalby, who has the distinction of being the only Westerner to become a geisha, this book deftly synthesizes the personal experiences and interactions of the author in this most unusual role and society with the discerning eye of a scholar. Her attention to detail is superb and provides interesting tidbits of cultural trivia for the reader. The stories she tells -- about the backgrounds of her geisha friends, the mothers of the community and other figures in the hanamachi (geisha district) of Pontocho as well as geisha communities of different stripes elsewhere in Japan -- let the reader in on a very personal part of the geisha world that no other author in my opinion has truly touched, or could, really. Dalby was singularly qualified for the role as a geisha, as she could speak Japanese, play the shamisen and had the appropriate connections, and as a geisha herself (versus an interviewer who would always be external in some way), more doors were opened to her, through both internal connections (her relationship with the Pontocho mothers and her onesan) and the trust that these enigmatic women were willing to put in one of their kind.
Dalby's ability to story-tell also lends a quality of magic to the analysis. Even simple stories about floating paper lanterns on the Kamo River or stopping with the three geisha mothers to watch an old-style candymaker draw the reader in with their unselfconscious charm and personal allure. Without this sort of skill, even an intelligent analysis of the subject could be very dull, but her ability to shape the smaller stories within the overall experience make for more intimate and memorable peeks into her life as a geisha, rather than a "just the facts, ma'am" approach.
I have read some reviews juxtaposing this work with other more recent books on the subject of geisha, and one of the complaints other readers seem to have about this book is that it is somewhat out of date. True, it was originally written in the 1970s, after Dalby had completed her time in the geisha world. To me this indicates that this book was one of the first to address this subject in an objective manner and didn't just jump on the "Memoirs of a Geisha" bandwagon. In my opinion it is the definitive book on the subject, and given its unique perspective it is all the more valuable. If a reader read this book and no others on the subject, he or she would still be well informed about the geisha world, as well as entranced by its mystery, made somewhat less elusive by Liza Dalby's sensitive tour of the inner corridors of the hanamachi of Kyoto.