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vinnie_thepooh 's review for:
Memoirs of a Geisha
by Arthur Golden
Loved the book. The writing is gorgeous, the world feels so rich and immersive, and the way the author describes the rituals, kimonos, and performances is just stunning. It really pulls you in, making you feel like you're right there in Kyoto, experiencing everything alongside the characters.
But after looking into it a bit more, I realized the book isn’t accurate to history. It plays into a lot of Western stereotypes about geisha, making them seem more like courtesans than the highly skilled artists they actually are. What’s worse is that the real-life geisha the story is based off of, Mineko Iwasaki, later sued him for misrepresenting her. She even wrote her own memoir, Geisha, A Life, to set the record straight.
So while Memoirs of a Geisha is a beautifully written book and an great story, it’s definitely not the best source if you want to learn about real geisha culture. It’s still worth reading though.
But after looking into it a bit more, I realized the book isn’t accurate to history. It plays into a lot of Western stereotypes about geisha, making them seem more like courtesans than the highly skilled artists they actually are. What’s worse is that the real-life geisha the story is based off of, Mineko Iwasaki, later sued him for misrepresenting her. She even wrote her own memoir, Geisha, A Life, to set the record straight.
So while Memoirs of a Geisha is a beautifully written book and an great story, it’s definitely not the best source if you want to learn about real geisha culture. It’s still worth reading though.