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libraryofthorns 's review for:
Geisha: The Secret History of a Vanishing World
by Lesley Downer
Overall a very interesting and educational book. If you’re interested in geisha or Japanese culture, you will likely enjoy it. The two main issues I have with it-
1. It’s not in chronological order. I was expecting something organized, from how geisha first started to where they are today. But the author jumps all over the place and does not present a smooth flow of time.
2. Some of the same ideas, opinions or points are repeated multiple times, which is annoying and out of place. This is supposed to be a historical book, not an opinion piece.
Other than these issues though, there is a lot of good information. You can picture the geisha, learn about their lives in different periods, learn about Japanese culture, and imagine what it was like back then. The author does a decent job of writing with an open mind, remembering that Japanese and Western cultures have different ideas of what is moral and acceptable.
1. It’s not in chronological order. I was expecting something organized, from how geisha first started to where they are today. But the author jumps all over the place and does not present a smooth flow of time.
2. Some of the same ideas, opinions or points are repeated multiple times, which is annoying and out of place. This is supposed to be a historical book, not an opinion piece.
Other than these issues though, there is a lot of good information. You can picture the geisha, learn about their lives in different periods, learn about Japanese culture, and imagine what it was like back then. The author does a decent job of writing with an open mind, remembering that Japanese and Western cultures have different ideas of what is moral and acceptable.