A review by emkat1997
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

 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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