| ||||||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £0.25
Get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade in Geisha of Gion: The True Story of Japan's Foremost Geisha: The Memoir of Mineko Iwasaki for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.25, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
36 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
After reading "Memoirs of a Geisha" i was really hungry for more literature about this fascinating world and i picked the right book. Ms Iwasaki's story is truly interesting and offers an amazing inisght into the REAL world of the geisha. The details are so fine and exquisite that you really dont want to tear yourself away from this world. It also cleared up a lot of misconceptions that "Memoirs of a Geisha" presented. The latter text relates of a practice called the "mizauge" in which a young geisha offers her virginity to a patron (who has paid for the privilege). Ms Iwasaki clears this up and points out that it was NOT a part of her experience as a Geisha and that the practice belongs to another group. The only criticism i would have is that Ms Iwasaki tends to come accross as a little arrogant and presumtious sometimes (e.g the time she believes she caused the Queen and Prince Phillip to sleep in separate beds!). But other than that, this book is truly MARVELLOUS!
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is definatly an enjoyable read. You are bound to enjoy it if you like Chinese/Japanese literature and are interested in Geisha culture. You do take from this book an insightful understanding of Geisha training in Japan and other aspects of this e.g. tea ceremony, dancing, komono costume design etc.
The book also puts across effectivly just how much time, discipline and dedication is required to train as a Geisha.
However I feel this book falls down in quite a few areas. The progagonist Mineko definatly does come across as arrogant and self-important which is at times off putting. As Mineko trained so young and was such a dedicated student she does seem to have missed out on much emotional development. Reading another review on this book, I agree also that this does make the book a bit one dimensional at times.
Although the book flows well and is very readable the English is simple and at times disjointed or uses wrong expressions. A result of it's translation no doubt. So in terms of English literature I did not find it stretching my vobabulary/appriciation for the art of English in any way.
I also found the descriptions e.g. of the Geiko house very flat and one dimensional at times. Again in line with other reviews I felt this resulted in a slightly one dimensional read and would have benefited from using a more imaginative description.
One last point was the under developed/explained aspect of the protagonists' (Mineko) fustrations of the rigid and archaiac training system of becomming a Geiko. It seems to be only at the end of the book that we begin to learn this. As Mineko retired at the peak of her career at 29 I found this aspect to be unsatisfactory unresolved. For example, if this bothered Mineko so much why didn't she contribute to positivly try and change this for herself and others?
As the end of the book finishes rapidly with a summary of what happened next to Mineko it is hard to accertain Mineko's true depth of feelings/reflection of where she came from and acheived. I know others have mentioned how much they admired Mineko for her sheer determination and hard work. This, I would never knock her for. However for all the status and professional experiences she gained what ultimate price did she pay for this? If anything the book highlights a slightly sad and lonely childhood which Mineko seems to have blotted out by simply working herself into what could have been an early grave.
I did like this book but I wouldn't feel compelled to rush out and recommend it to others as a must read. But like I say if you like oriental literature you definatly will enjoy this one. And perhaps the fact that I've had all this to write about is no bad thing. It certainly has sparked a lot of questions and reflections for me reviewing it.
The book also puts across effectivly just how much time, discipline and dedication is required to train as a Geisha.
However I feel this book falls down in quite a few areas. The progagonist Mineko definatly does come across as arrogant and self-important which is at times off putting. As Mineko trained so young and was such a dedicated student she does seem to have missed out on much emotional development. Reading another review on this book, I agree also that this does make the book a bit one dimensional at times.
Although the book flows well and is very readable the English is simple and at times disjointed or uses wrong expressions. A result of it's translation no doubt. So in terms of English literature I did not find it stretching my vobabulary/appriciation for the art of English in any way.
I also found the descriptions e.g. of the Geiko house very flat and one dimensional at times. Again in line with other reviews I felt this resulted in a slightly one dimensional read and would have benefited from using a more imaginative description.
One last point was the under developed/explained aspect of the protagonists' (Mineko) fustrations of the rigid and archaiac training system of becomming a Geiko. It seems to be only at the end of the book that we begin to learn this. As Mineko retired at the peak of her career at 29 I found this aspect to be unsatisfactory unresolved. For example, if this bothered Mineko so much why didn't she contribute to positivly try and change this for herself and others?
As the end of the book finishes rapidly with a summary of what happened next to Mineko it is hard to accertain Mineko's true depth of feelings/reflection of where she came from and acheived. I know others have mentioned how much they admired Mineko for her sheer determination and hard work. This, I would never knock her for. However for all the status and professional experiences she gained what ultimate price did she pay for this? If anything the book highlights a slightly sad and lonely childhood which Mineko seems to have blotted out by simply working herself into what could have been an early grave.
I did like this book but I wouldn't feel compelled to rush out and recommend it to others as a must read. But like I say if you like oriental literature you definatly will enjoy this one. And perhaps the fact that I've had all this to write about is no bad thing. It certainly has sparked a lot of questions and reflections for me reviewing it.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I've read the reviews below and think some people have missed the point a little; yes, it's true Mineko can come across as being up herself but in reality she's just very factual, as is the style in Japan. She could easily be discussing someone else's life rather than her own. It's a fasinating book which reveals tons about the kind of life Geisha's have and how much hard work it is. I would highly recommend it - more so than Memoirs of a Geisha.
Read it and be your own judge.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
The real Sayuri
I read this book many years ago, but for some reason I never got around to reviewing it. This is despite the fact it has to be one of the most important works on geisha that has... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Trevelyan
Fascinating insight
I already read, and liked, "Geisha", which is said to be inspired by this geiko's story, and thought this book would be similar. It is not. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Eirin Mikalsen Orum
Fascinating insight into the geiko world
I lived in Japan for a year and just love reading about anything related to the place and its people. Read more
Published 10 months ago by nipponchica
a very good read
this is the first geisha book i read, a few years ago, i'd have to read it again to remind myself just how good it is. Read more
Published 18 months ago by W. Doyle
Fascinating memoir of an incredible life
Mineko Iwasaki was the foremost geisha of her time, to the extent where she became a legend and was invited to entertain the highest levels of world society. Read more
Published 20 months ago by M. K. Burton
very enlightening
A very interesting book. This is the true life story of Mineko Iwasaki. She is 'adopted' by the Geishas at a very early age. Read more
Published on 26 Mar 2010 by palace pier
Book Club Reading
This is an excellent read, not a book I would have probably read by my own
choice!!!! Wasn't sure at the start whether I would finish reading it but,
Am really enjoying... Read more
choice!!!! Wasn't sure at the start whether I would finish reading it but,
Am really enjoying... Read more
Published on 2 Mar 2010 by Kathleen
Geisha of Gion
This book is essential reading for anyone who enjoyed either the film or the book of 'Memoirs of a Geisha' by Arthur Golden as it is the true life story of the real Geisha Mineko... Read more
Published on 3 Nov 2009 by A. J. Miller
WOW
An absolutely fascinating book! I was blown away and have lent my copy to friends - it's such a good read. Get it! It'll have you reading it from cover to cover in one night.
Published on 11 Aug 2009 by S. Mandalay
A good memoir of a selfish, egositical geiko
This book was an easy read but dulled in comparison to the fiction Memoirs of a Geisha.
It essentially read as a memoir of some person who claimed to be a legend in the Geisha... Read more
It essentially read as a memoir of some person who claimed to be a legend in the Geisha... Read more
Published on 8 Aug 2009 by Funkyreader
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
