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This account shocked Japanese readers with its bitter taste of grinding poverty and its revelations about the geisha world's dark side. A comfortless portrait of the flip side of the geisha world, where one is more slave than courtesan. Kirkus Reviews At once intriguing and heartbreaking. Publishers Weekly [Masuda's] endurance of adversity is admirable, as is the down-to-earth way in which she relates her story. She is witty, realistic, and forthright about her life, and readers will admire her courage and determination. -- Marlene Y. Satter Foreword Magazine Courageously, Masuda refuses to put white makeup on the unsightly aspects of her tale, inviting readers to take a long, hard look at the unadulterated face of geisha living. Los Angeles Times Book Review As I read this autobiography I cried for the women who live their lives as geishas...Thank you, Sayo Masuda, for revealing your life to us. -- Judy Helman Woman's Day Masuda's memoir is a must-read for those interested in the lives of geishas. Booklist Originally published in Japan in the 1950's, Autobiography of a Geisha is a remarkably fresh and personal account of a life that is a far cry not only from the Eastern exoticism of [John Ball's Miss One Hundred Thousand Spring Blossoms], but also from the upscale and at least sometimes glamorous lives depicted in [Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. Persimmon A much-needed corrective to the romantic myths spun around this profession... Superbly preserved and sensitively rendered... [Masuda's] gripping, heart-rending and humorous account is a gem, especially as it offers a view 'from below' of the untold social history of modern Japan. Times Literary Supplement Since the publication of Arthur Golden's bestselling novel Memoirs of a Geisha, there has been a spate of books that an unkind reviewer might label 'follow-ons'... While all of these speak to a greater or lesser extent of the hardships and occasional cruelties of the geisha's life, none provides as raw and unvarnished account as Sayo Masuda's Autobiography. Monumenta Nipponica Autobiography of a Geisha is a compelling... gritty and at times bleak account, but one which is related with great pathos and humor throughout. Rowley is to be commended. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and AFrican Studies, University of London 68.1 2005 Her story is heartbreaking, but her indomitable spirit prevents it from becoming maudlin. -- Elizabeth Quinn Bust 12/1/05
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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'This engrossing and very human story-offers the reader a compelling portrait' Arthur Golden
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is probably the only known book of a hot spring geisha by the author who was one herself. It may be a short work but it's certainly painful reading about her hardships, the humilations and the cruelty of her clients. She only learned how to write at a very late age and put her experinces down eventually, which became a best seller in Japan. After reading Arthur Golden's novel "Memoirs of a Geisha", I read this book next and was struck by how differently the hot springs geishas were treated from their city counterparts. Regarded as nothing more than whores, they endured the worst of Japanese society in the countryside and this book is a fiting memorial to their sufferings and humilations. I recomend this book highly to anyone who wants to read more about geishas and the reality of their lives.
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book provides a useful contrast to the many Geisha books availible, it is not a tale of glamour and riches it is much more gritty. It is fasinating to read a such a well written book written by a real life geisha who never went to school and was therefore almost illiterate. The realities of her life are at times very harsh, but it is a affecting book well worth reading. Anyone who enjoyed The Good Women of China by Xinran or any of the geisha books availble will be sure to like this.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Sayo Masuda has written a fascinating and heart rending account of life as a Geisha in the poor country areas of Japan.
These Geisha Houses were filled with women who were sold as young children into a life of near-slavery because their families could not afford to support them.
They started out as 'servants', working long hours to pay off their 'debt'.
As they eventually progressed to Geisha, the resulting increase in respect and comfort within the household was sufficient to make this a desirable move.
Everyone dreamed of finding a husband and escaping from the daily grind.
It was a hard, thankless life, but preferable to starving on the streets.
A fascinating account of a life in a very different culture to our own. Recommended.
These Geisha Houses were filled with women who were sold as young children into a life of near-slavery because their families could not afford to support them.
They started out as 'servants', working long hours to pay off their 'debt'.
As they eventually progressed to Geisha, the resulting increase in respect and comfort within the household was sufficient to make this a desirable move.
Everyone dreamed of finding a husband and escaping from the daily grind.
It was a hard, thankless life, but preferable to starving on the streets.
A fascinating account of a life in a very different culture to our own. Recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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We sell bodies, not art
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