Geisha by Liza Dalby Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Geisha
Book Review: Reminds me of my college textbooks
Summary: 3 Stars
I was extremely disappointed in this book. I read Memoirs of a Geisha and figured that this book would give the true experiences of an American woman as a geisha. Instead, this was a college style textbook of everything geisha. I wanted to know details of Liza's experiences in all aspects of the everyday life she led as a woman from the flower and willow world. She never completely delved into any real details of her life but consistently gives history, descriptions of kimono, etc. in great detail. This is not what I purchased this book for (if I wanted to know this, I would have gone to the library and read the encyclopedia or a book dedicated to the history of the geisha). My interest lies in her personal experiences in Kyoto, Tokyo, Atami. I speak Japanese fairly well, and when I was in Japan (many years ago) I was very curious about this lifestyle and how to get to be a geisha. My Japanese friends thought I was crazy (nomiso ga tarinai)and said that an American girl could not become a geisha. I guess they were wrong. The fact that Ms. Dalby did not elaborate much on her experiences leads me to believe that she didn't have many experiences and was not taken very seriously as a geisha at all. I found Memoirs of a Geisha (which was fiction) a more entertaining and interesting story. "Geisha" is a book for people who want college textbook type information. I would only recommend this to someone who wants the history of the geisha and not a personal story.Book Review: Scholarly and engaging foray into the world of geisha
Summary: 5 Stars
I feel as though I have become an expert in the institution of geisha. My first foray into this world was via A. Golden's "Memoirs of a Geisha" and I discovered Dalby's book only through his acknowledgements. He can be credited for bringing her work to light since it predates his by some 15 years. The work is astonishingly fluid and well-organized and yet is a page-turner. Anyone interested in any matters involving cross-cultralism, Japan, women, or just plain sumptuous writing needs to read this book. I myself am a sinophile yet am totally entranced by Dalby's presentation and style. The manner in which photographs and artwork are placed in appropriate fashion completely enhance the book. I am impressed by an author who writes so objectively yet obviously has affection for those whose lives touched hers while she lived in Japan and was a geisha. This book will never be obsolete even if the institution dies out because of Dalby's meticulous scholarship.Book Review: Scholarship, sensitivity and heart: superbly done
Summary: 5 Stars
I read Liza Dalby's book following my reading of Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. I do wish I had read Geisha prior to reading Golden's book as I would have derived a great deal more from Golden's book. Yet, Golden's book was a wonderfully sensitive story! Liza Dalby's effort here is to portray the life a Geisha through the eyes of a cultural anthropologist. She has done this and done it well. There is authentic scholarship here. There is a special sensitivity to the demands, sorrows and joys of geisha life. The breadth of the book is superb. The photo work, the layout, the use of japanese drawings as they relate to geisha life is well done. This is a wonderful book for those truly interested in geisha life. What a marvelous gift and privilege that Liza Dalby had, as an American, to enter the world of the geisha.I recommend it to all who are truly interested in geisha life, but more than that in the status of women now and throughout history.
Book Review: Spoiled by the author's conceit
Summary: 2 Stars
The book's cover says that Liza Dalby is the only foreigner ever to have become an actual geisha', but she was never an actual geisha. Dalby didn't undergo the rigourous training necessary to become a fully qualified geisha, she wasn't ever a registered geisha, and claiming on the cover of the book that she was a geisha is blatant misrepresentation. It takes a lot more than a powdered face and following actual geisha about to become a geisha, and claiming otherwise is so unfair to the women who really do train hard and earn the name. In addition, Dalby is way too impressed with herself for the book to be enjoyable.Book Review: Superior to "Memoirs"!
Summary: 5 Stars
I had actually read this book several years prior to the publication of "Memoirs of a Geisha", and I have found that it is an enthralling read. My copy is falling apart; I have read it so much. Unfortunately this book will probably receive only a fraction of the attention that it deserves due to the popularity of "Memoirs". This is an astoundingly accurate glimpse into the geisha world, and although is presented as a reference, is no less exciting to read than a suspense thriller. The details that are covered are as correct and precise as those of a cha-no-yu (tea ceremony). Once you have read this book, "Memoirs" will be a much more enjoyable, understandable book.