Memoirs of a Geisha

Okay, normally I don't do book reviews, but I couldn't pass up this one.

Arthur Golden's book, Memoirs of a Geisha, is a magnificent story of love, betrayal, jealousy, revenge...shall I go on? It takes place during Japan's expansion into the Pacific (i.e., before WWII) and during WWII. I always sort of knew what a geisha was, but really I had no idea until I read this book. A geisha isn't a prostitute, per se. She is a woman of necessity; she is an object of reverence by men who seek her company and fortune.

It starts out in a small, impoverished fishing village located in a remote part of Japan and ends on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan (quite a contrast)! As you read this book you are intrigued by the beauty of the geisha and her meaning for Japanese culture. They are born of the lower levels of society and brought forward to better themselves through hard work. A geisha is dependent on the good-will of men, who pay for her services. Of course, one might think these services are simply sexual in nature, but not in the sense of prostituting yourself for a one-night stand. It is so much more in-depth!

Memoirs takes you on a journey from poverty, to resentment, to opulence, back to poverty, and finally happiness and contentment for a brutalized and detached woman. Remember: you do not choose to become geisha, you become geisha because you have no other choice. This simple idea is really the thesis of the book, and my favorite line.

Where do I sign up? =)