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Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Rape, Slavery, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, War, Classism
Minor: Body horror, Abortion, Colonisation
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Trafficking
Moderate: Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, War
Minor: Infidelity, Blood, Vomit, Abortion
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Trafficking, Death of parent, Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Sexual harassment
Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical content, Abortion, War
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Abortion, Alcohol, War
Minor: Chronic illness
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Death of parent
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Trafficking, Abortion, Gaslighting, Classism
Minor: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
The tale is a harrowing one and some of the scenes are massively uncomfortable, essentially they are sold to a rich man and that way they go on their way to become geisha.
Let's start with the good points:
+ I felt for the characters, especially at the start.
+ There were some lyrical lines and thought provoking quotes. In particular, 'This is why dreams can be such dangerous things: they smolder on like a fire does, and sometimes consume us completely (P104).
And, 'Grief is a peculiar thing: we're so helpless in the face of it. It's like a window that will simple open of its own accord. The room grows cold, and we can do nothing but shiver. But it opens a little less each time, and a little less; and one day we wonder what has become of it.' (C22,P252)
+ The descriptions and historical elements kept me reading. Especially liked the detail surrounding the makeup and the kimonos.
And to the negatives:
- I didn't like the the mean girl energy around Hatsumomo.
- The elements of sex, prositution and mizuage are over exaggerated, reducing the ritualistic and positive habits of the geisha. Turns out that the person who gave the interviews, Iwasaki, later sued Golden for defamation based on this.
- The age gap between Sayuri and the Chairman made me uncomfortable.
All in all towards the end I lost the same level of caring for the characters that I had when I began the book. Also the pacing is quite off, slow at the beginning, dragging a bit in the middle and then wrapped up quickly towards the end. This was ultimately a book club pick and I don't think I would've chosen it on my own or will reread it.
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault
Minor: Infidelity, Abortion
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
Minor: Abortion, Pregnancy
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Abortion, Alcohol