"When you think '
Geisha' you think '
hooker' right?" said my sister when she gave me this book.
I never thought that, but I never fully understood the tradition. This book exposed me to this unique character in history and also gave me some insight into the traditional performing arts in Japan. The details in descriptions of the kimonos and make-up etc were exquisite and the stark contrasts between beauty and ugliness in character as well as physical appearance are excellent. This book also made me re-evaluate some of the modern interactions between men and women in Japan.
I did not find this book extraordinarily written as far as the plot was concerned but Golden does paint some interesting images:
"I felt as if I had fallen into a tub of creatures that where biting me everywhere"
and
"It says a great deal about how civilized we human beings are, that a young girl can willingly sit and allow a grown man to comb wax through her hair without doing anything more than whimpering quietly to herself. If you tried such a thing with a dog, it would bite you so much you'd be able to see through your hands."
I found the book a bit campy in parts, like the "translator's note" at the beginning where the fictional translator adds validity to the fictional memoir. The ending was also abrupt and totally different from the rest of the book.