Reviews with content warning for Rape - Memorias de una geisha

I'm very unsure of how to rate this book. The writing itself was great, but the subject matter was difficult for me to listen to/read when I know that the author is a white man. A white man who has degrees and has worked in Japan, but still. If I didn't know who the author was, my rating would most likely be higher but I'm hesitate because it's just creepy to read about a young girl's "virginity" being sold to the highest bidder. After doing some research on how the book was written, the author was also sued by the geisha that he interviewed because he promised to keep her identity anonymous, but listed her in his sources anyways and she was receiving death threats from past clients. I think I'll be picking up her book soon so I can know her side of things.

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stiruneh's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

immersive and detailed writing but slow plot; character relations are kind of weird and uncomfortable

also dr crab, the barron, (the CHAIRMAN TOO!!) and all the creepy old guys preying on young women made me shiver. also i wanted more exploration on her father/childhood/-and her sister (!!!) it felt rushed and poorly explored. also i think it’s quite fascinating how it explores power and how sexuality can be weaponized or targeted in sexual/romantic relationships. while geishas do have agency in their work and the men they choose to seduce and be seduced by. although sayuri shows to have a lot of control in her endeavors because of her selfishness and ambition, she lacks options and mobility and is unable to leave the confining life of being a geisha. and despite her greed and the people she hurt to get what she wanted, she was still unhappy and never got the romance she sought for (i still dont like u sayuri don’t forget it). also a lot of these geishas (sayuri, hatsumomo, pumpkin, etc) act really immaturely and i think that is indicative of their loss of child hood at the exposure to such crudeness at such a young formative age. many of
them, despite their beauty and seduction, are still very much girls and act the part.

otherwise a very informative and fascinating read. you learn a lot about the culture, time period, and gender roles of early industrial japan and recontectualizes geishas as complex, tragic, and beautiful artists :)

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