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cienmari's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual content, War, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
bwild's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Trafficking
literarysaara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"I never seek to defeat the man I am fighting," he (The Admiral) explained. "I seek to defeat his confidence. A mind troubled by doubt cannot focus on the course to victory. Two men are equals - true equals - only when they both have equal confidence."
I fell into a sound sleep and dreamed that I was at a banquet back in Gion, talking with an elderly man who was explaining to me that his wife, whom he'd cared for deeply, wasn't really dead because the pleasure of their time together lived on inside him. While he spoke these words, I drank from a bowl of the most extraordinary soup I'd ever tasted; every briny sip was a kind of ecstacy. I began to feel that all the people I'd ever known who had died or left me had not in fact gone away, but continued to live on inside me just as this man's wife lived on inside him. I felt as though I were drinking them all in - my sister, Satsu, who had run away and left me so young; my father and mother; Mr Tanaka, with his perverse view of kindness; Nobu, who could never forgive me; even the Chairman. The soup was filled with all that I'd ever cared for in my life; and while I drank it, this man spoke his words right into my heart.
But now I know that our world is no more permanent than a wave rising on the ocean. Whatever our struggles and triumphs, however we may suffer them, all too soon they bleed into a wash, just like watery ink on paper.
Now that this context has been covered, onto the review! Overall, this is a beautifully written book that sheds light on a less-understood aspect of Japanese culture - the Geisha. The story is told from a first-person perspective of Sayuri (birth name, Chiyo), who is sold by her father to an Okiya (a Geisha House in Japan) in Gion, Kyoto. The pace is not too slow nor too drab - the story flows beautifully and holds your fascination well. The descriptions and explanations are detailed, and overall the book is a wonderful tapestry of intricate, rich, interesting story-telling. It's just a shame that the context behind the writing of this book is poor ethically, which does spoil it a bit for me. Nevertheless, reading this book has only made me want to read Geisha of Gion even more, and I'm looking forward to seeing the similarities and differences between these two books.
Graphic: Body shaming, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Bullying, Trafficking, Emotional abuse, and Slavery
Minor: War
kshertz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Minor: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Medical content, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Abortion, Infidelity, Violence, and Sexual violence
ladybirder's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and War
slushhhhy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Sexual content
liv_txt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
Graphic: Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, and Trafficking
Minor: Abortion and Death of parent
hanniquinn's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Cancer, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Confinement, War, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Stalking
Minor: Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Blood, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Vomit
meg0207's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Rape, and Sexual assault
suchsweetsorrow89's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: War, Grief, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, and Misogyny
Moderate: Alcoholism and Death of parent