BOOK REVIEW
Memoirs of a Geisha
Sean Kennick
Issue date: 4/15/06 Section: Opinion
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Set in the village of Gion during the early 1930s through the early 1940s, Golden's "Memoirs of a Geisha" traces the life of Chiyo, a nine year old girl, who is sold into a geisha house, detailing the trails and tribulations of her transformation into one of the most popular geisha of that era.
Chiyo must learn first and foremost the importance of reinvention. Coming from a small fishing village, Chiyo and her sister Satsu are sold to the Nitta okiya, where they are taught the arts of becoming prosperous geisha.
Through learning the acts of becoming a geisha, Chiyo depicts an overwhelming attitude of acceptance, and although sold into a form of servitude, the reader will note Chiyo's subconscious comparison of her life in the small fishing village versus the exhilaration and doubt she embraces while questioning the nature of her destiny.
Key elements of the novel include a bitter rivalry between Chiyo's and the geishas who act as her mentor, her infatuation with a local businessman, as well as plots that are ladled throughout the novel, focusing Chiyo experiencing a sense of liberation from the oppressive forces around her.
The novel tells a story of reinventing oneself in the process of survival. A majority of the characters are usually placed in situations beyond their control, yet they manage to adapt, striving for the possibility of a better life.
Chiyo's transformation is finely detailed throughout the novel to explain the different evolutionary stages geishas must conquer on the road to superiority.
Several flaws, however, include the disappearance of characters introduced at several points throughout the novel, and never mentioned again. Also, even though the work is a memoir, knowing what transpired in the lives of some of the key players within the story could give he memoir a greater sense of closure.
As a source for learning about aspects of geisha life, Golden's account of Nitta Sayuri is very good.
Golden starts at an interesting point in Sayuri's life, tracing her emotional and psychological development as she reinvents her persona, and ending with her inner thoughts as she evaluates her journey from a fisherman's daughter to one of the most respected geisha of the 1930s.
As a source of contemplation, the reader should take note of how a person's life, particularly individuals that often question the nature of destiny, can be altered by outside forces. This awareness of probability relates to all events and situations, contributing to the collective experience of existence.
Nothing is bleaker than the future, except perhaps the past- Raiha
Chiyo must learn first and foremost the importance of reinvention. Coming from a small fishing village, Chiyo and her sister Satsu are sold to the Nitta okiya, where they are taught the arts of becoming prosperous geisha.
Through learning the acts of becoming a geisha, Chiyo depicts an overwhelming attitude of acceptance, and although sold into a form of servitude, the reader will note Chiyo's subconscious comparison of her life in the small fishing village versus the exhilaration and doubt she embraces while questioning the nature of her destiny.
Key elements of the novel include a bitter rivalry between Chiyo's and the geishas who act as her mentor, her infatuation with a local businessman, as well as plots that are ladled throughout the novel, focusing Chiyo experiencing a sense of liberation from the oppressive forces around her.
The novel tells a story of reinventing oneself in the process of survival. A majority of the characters are usually placed in situations beyond their control, yet they manage to adapt, striving for the possibility of a better life.
Chiyo's transformation is finely detailed throughout the novel to explain the different evolutionary stages geishas must conquer on the road to superiority.
Several flaws, however, include the disappearance of characters introduced at several points throughout the novel, and never mentioned again. Also, even though the work is a memoir, knowing what transpired in the lives of some of the key players within the story could give he memoir a greater sense of closure.
As a source for learning about aspects of geisha life, Golden's account of Nitta Sayuri is very good.
Golden starts at an interesting point in Sayuri's life, tracing her emotional and psychological development as she reinvents her persona, and ending with her inner thoughts as she evaluates her journey from a fisherman's daughter to one of the most respected geisha of the 1930s.
As a source of contemplation, the reader should take note of how a person's life, particularly individuals that often question the nature of destiny, can be altered by outside forces. This awareness of probability relates to all events and situations, contributing to the collective experience of existence.
Nothing is bleaker than the future, except perhaps the past- Raiha
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