Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Memoirs of a 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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mikitiale's review against another edition

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informative reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I enjoyed this book but I understand the author betrayed his informant and as someone trained in anthropology, I do not find this forgivable. I plan on reading Iwasaki's book soon.

The plot kept me interested. I wish Pumpkin and Sayuri were able to have a better relationship but I understand Pumpkin's motivations. Watching Chiyo grow into Nitta Sayuri was okay but the people around her were often more interesting than she was. Sayuri still felt like the same person at the beginning of the novel as at the end, though maybe a bit more cynical. Her motivations did not change and her obsession with the Chairman made her seem childish even in her 30s.

I dislike the end with the Chairman's confession about Mameha. It takes away from the relationship between the sisters and it felt like a cheap way to pretend the Chairman actually cared even though he refuses to marry her or have a committed relationship with her after literal decades of essentially grooming her.

I am glad the author spent a lot of time studying Japanese language and culture, even going as far as to have a master's degree in Japanese history, but I feel this story would have been told best by a cultural insider rather than an outsider looking in.

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mugoika's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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malloryfitz's review against another edition

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slow-paced

2.0

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