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_michelle_'s reviews
977 reviews
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
5.0
Let me preface this review by saying that I know that this novel isn't historically accurate (you should know that as well, if you don't already), particularly that geishas never auctioned off their virginity. I still still liked this book for the historical fiction it is. On to the review.
Fantasy is my comfort zone and, on the whole, I hate literary, contemporary and historical fiction. I can occasionally enjoy a few classics, such as [b:Great Expectations|2623|Great Expectations|Charles Dickens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327920219l/2623._SY75_.jpg|2612809] or [b:Tess of the D'Urbervilles|32261|Tess of the D'Urbervilles|Thomas Hardy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1434302708l/32261._SY75_.jpg|3331021]. Otherwise, the closest I come to "realistic" fiction is stuff like [b: A Series of Unfortunate Events|65112|The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #13)|Lemony Snicket|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1524761836l/65112._SX50_.jpg|838691], which is obviously not actually realistic.
Early on, I couldn't help but notice the heavy-handed nature analogies that other reviewers pointed out, but I stopped noticing it stick out as the story gripped me.
Chiyo, as Sayuri is known before she adopted her geisha name, is an instantly sympathetic character. The sense of upheaval is a relatable emotion, even if essentially being sold into slavery itself is not. It's hard to describe, but little Chiyo grabbed my heart from the beginning and never let go. I know the grief of lost loved ones, and the way Chiyo/Sayuri always carried a sense of loss tucked deep into a small part of her mind made her seem all the more real.
Just so many things stirred my emotions; longing for an unattainable friend, partner, family, home and old way of life are, again, just more things to foster my love for this character.
For me, the worst part of this book is the awkward sex scenes. Usually, that would just mean I feel awkward reading sex scenes, but it was actually awkward for Sayuri, too, and that somehow made it even more excruciating to read.
Almost every character made a mark on me. Hatsumomo was a bitch and a bully, but I ultimately felt sorry for her. I can't say I envied any of the geisha, no matter how expensive their clothes or how popular they were. A geisha's worth is determined by what a man is willing to pay to have her around, and that's certainly not a confidence booster, if you ask me. As soon as men are unwilling to pay, geisha are discarded. A few are lucky enough to manage their own okiya or tea house when their geisha career is over, but the number of geisha relative to the number of okiyas and tea house establishments doesn't make this a viable option for many women (a vast understatement!). But that's not to say most don't find happy endings of some sort or other, it's usually just different than the life they knew (what makes a "happy ending" is unique to the person).
This novel owns a piece of my heart. I'm aware of the hubbub about Arthur Golden changing details or embellishing real details beyond reality, and the awfulness of him outing the real-life geisha he loosely based this book on (geishas have a code of silence and she assumed she was speaking anonymously); but if taken as historical fiction, and the art is separated from the artist, then I see no reason it can't be appreciated for the very touching story that it is.
Fantasy is my comfort zone and, on the whole, I hate literary, contemporary and historical fiction. I can occasionally enjoy a few classics, such as [b:Great Expectations|2623|Great Expectations|Charles Dickens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327920219l/2623._SY75_.jpg|2612809] or [b:Tess of the D'Urbervilles|32261|Tess of the D'Urbervilles|Thomas Hardy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1434302708l/32261._SY75_.jpg|3331021]. Otherwise, the closest I come to "realistic" fiction is stuff like [b: A Series of Unfortunate Events|65112|The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #13)|Lemony Snicket|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1524761836l/65112._SX50_.jpg|838691], which is obviously not actually realistic.
Early on, I couldn't help but notice the heavy-handed nature analogies that other reviewers pointed out, but I stopped noticing it stick out as the story gripped me.
Chiyo, as Sayuri is known before she adopted her geisha name, is an instantly sympathetic character. The sense of upheaval is a relatable emotion, even if essentially being sold into slavery itself is not. It's hard to describe, but little Chiyo grabbed my heart from the beginning and never let go. I know the grief of lost loved ones, and the way Chiyo/Sayuri always carried a sense of loss tucked deep into a small part of her mind made her seem all the more real.
Just so many things stirred my emotions; longing for an unattainable friend, partner, family, home and old way of life are, again, just more things to foster my love for this character.
For me, the worst part of this book is the awkward sex scenes. Usually, that would just mean I feel awkward reading sex scenes, but it was actually awkward for Sayuri, too, and that somehow made it even more excruciating to read.
Almost every character made a mark on me. Hatsumomo was a bitch and a bully, but I ultimately felt sorry for her. I can't say I envied any of the geisha, no matter how expensive their clothes or how popular they were. A geisha's worth is determined by what a man is willing to pay to have her around, and that's certainly not a confidence booster, if you ask me. As soon as men are unwilling to pay, geisha are discarded. A few are lucky enough to manage their own okiya or tea house when their geisha career is over, but the number of geisha relative to the number of okiyas and tea house establishments doesn't make this a viable option for many women (a vast understatement!). But that's not to say most don't find happy endings of some sort or other, it's usually just different than the life they knew (what makes a "happy ending" is unique to the person).
This novel owns a piece of my heart. I'm aware of the hubbub about Arthur Golden changing details or embellishing real details beyond reality, and the awfulness of him outing the real-life geisha he loosely based this book on (geishas have a code of silence and she assumed she was speaking anonymously); but if taken as historical fiction, and the art is separated from the artist, then I see no reason it can't be appreciated for the very touching story that it is.
Stone of Farewell by Tad Williams
5.0
I always have trouble reviewing books I love. I wish I had gotten to this series sooner than 6 years after I bought it! I consider all the books I've read and loathed in the years since then (2012) and I regret wasting time on them when I had this sitting around all along. Anyway, I'm aiming to read the conclusion sometime this year, and I'm really looking forward to it. ♡
Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan
3.0
I loved reading Mat and Tuon's chapters, truly, but those were few and far between and the book seemed to drag when they weren't around.
The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan
4.0
Truly, this book is more of the same (as the seven books before it) in terms of quality, but things finally began to pull together a bit and point towards an endgame. It was also a bit nice to see Rand
Spoiler
get a proper beatdown for making the mistake of treating all women like delicate flowers in need of protection.
Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan
3.0
I kind of wanted to give this 4* because I did like it quite a bit overall, but the things that annoyed me really annoyed me:
1)
2)
3)
1)
Spoiler
There is nothing weird about multiple women falling in love with one man, but it is weird to my monogamous brain when a man wants to marry them all and the women ARE COOL WITH IT! WTF?!2)
Spoiler
Wanting, having and caring for babies is natural, but Elayne doesn't even know for sure that she's pregnant, yet all her political moves are based on protecting someone she isn't sure is there. It annoys her that she's being coddled over the pregnancy when she's uncertain, yet it's all she's concerned about. Everything loses a sense of adventure with Elayne being domestic. Lord of the Rings ended with Sam settling down, he didn't do it in book 2. It's a good ending, but boring as an epic fantasy storyline.3)
Spoiler
Rand. This isn't new. He sucks as an MC. He doesn't have a personality, charisma or wit. I'm really shocked three women are in love with him, because I can't even stand to read his POV chapters; Mat would have been an awesome Dragon.
Who Could That Be at This Hour? by Lemony Snicket
5.0
Originally read from October 27 ~ November 16, 2012
Ends with a HUGE cliffhanger that left me a little empty. Whereas A Series of Unfortunate Events is episodic, with a very decisive ending of the orphans escaping Olaf's clutches yet again; Who Could it be at this Hour? is majorly dependant on the next book in the series. That being said, this was a very interesting book, and I'm only disappointed that there wasn't an ending because I found the mystery just so darn fascinating. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, and I hope the wait isn't too long; the anticipation is killing me!
Original Status Updates:
10/27/2012
page 1
"LOVED A Series of Unfortunate Events, so I can't wait to read this book with Daniel Handler in character again! :)"
10/27/2012
page 17
"Then who were they?"
10/27/2012
page 41
10/28/2012
page 50
"Watching The Avengers now but digging into this as soon as it's done!"
10/29/2012
page 114
11/05/2012
page 154
11/14/2012
page 160
"I like how young Snicket sends messages back and forth between libriaries by disguising it as an author and book title."
11/16/2012
page 261
100.0%
Reread Apr 28, 2013 ~ September 2, 2013.
2013: I liked the references of Hector, Monty and Kit Snicket from A Series of Unfortunate Event.
Ends with a HUGE cliffhanger that left me a little empty. Whereas A Series of Unfortunate Events is episodic, with a very decisive ending of the orphans escaping Olaf's clutches yet again; Who Could it be at this Hour? is majorly dependant on the next book in the series. That being said, this was a very interesting book, and I'm only disappointed that there wasn't an ending because I found the mystery just so darn fascinating. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, and I hope the wait isn't too long; the anticipation is killing me!
Original Status Updates:
10/27/2012
page 1
"LOVED A Series of Unfortunate Events, so I can't wait to read this book with Daniel Handler in character again! :)"
10/27/2012
page 17
"Then who were they?"
10/27/2012
page 41
10/28/2012
page 50
"Watching The Avengers now but digging into this as soon as it's done!"
10/29/2012
page 114
11/05/2012
page 154
11/14/2012
page 160
"I like how young Snicket sends messages back and forth between libriaries by disguising it as an author and book title."
11/16/2012
page 261
100.0%
Reread Apr 28, 2013 ~ September 2, 2013.
2013: I liked the references of Hector, Monty and Kit Snicket from A Series of Unfortunate Event.
Mossflower by Brian Jacques
2.0
I didn't really connect to this one as much as the original. Even though I can't remember as much as I'd like from the original Redwall, having read it 6 years ago now, I distinctly remember loving Warbeak and couldn't really say the same for any particular character this time around.
When Did You See Her Last? by Lemony Snicket
5.0
3.5*
Not nearly as intriguing or humorous as Who Could That Be at This Hour? but a competant sequal, nevertheless.
Aug. 11, 2018: After reading a ton since I first read this book, it deserves 5*. I was still excited to get to the end, even though I've read it before, and that hasn't been happening so much anymore. My rating average was over 4* back when I first read WDYSHL? in 2013, and it's 3.76* now. This book deserves way more praise than what currently constitutes an average book rating for me now.
Not nearly as intriguing or humorous as Who Could That Be at This Hour? but a competant sequal, nevertheless.
Aug. 11, 2018: After reading a ton since I first read this book, it deserves 5*. I was still excited to get to the end, even though I've read it before, and that hasn't been happening so much anymore. My rating average was over 4* back when I first read WDYSHL? in 2013, and it's 3.76* now. This book deserves way more praise than what currently constitutes an average book rating for me now.
Shouldn't You Be in School? by Lemony Snicket
5.0
10/8/14: Bought this today!!!!
This installment had a lot of well-written humor, and was an overall strong addition to the Wrong Questions series.
This installment had a lot of well-written humor, and was an overall strong addition to the Wrong Questions series.