Memoirs of a Geisha

As the saying goes, "The book is better than the movie." Well, in this case, the movie was better. For about 250 pages I was intrigued by the rich details of this book and the historical accuracy. I was ready to read a memoir about Geisha in Japan during WWII. However, my bubble was popped when I read he biography of the author after reading the first chapter of this book. Arthur Golden studied Japanese culture, making it his degree and lively hood. From this knowledge he decided to write a book on the culture of the Geisha. Meaning, this book is actually historical fiction and not non-fiction. I was highly disappointed by discovering this. It deceived me because of the title of this book.

So, with my trust with the author tampered, I kept reading the story and hoped for the best. I tried not compare it with the movie while reading because of the similarities between the two. I was intrigued by Chiyo, later called Sayuri in her Geisha years, because of her innocence in harsh situations. She endures abuse, poverty, and loss of her entire family. Her goal to become a Geisha is merely to repay all her debts and find the kind business man known to her as the Chairman whom she is entranced by.

The writing style for this book is definitely rich in detail, but there is a lot of authorial intrusion. The story is told through the perspective of Sayuri, but the author has a way of stepping in to explain things through Sayuri's words. However, there's so much information the author reveals that it makes Sayuri sound super intelligent for a girl who was raised in poverty and education wasn't at her grasp. There are some traditions in a Geisha's life that I don't understand like the significance of their hair styles and the tying of their bow on their kimono. But, other traditions I can pick up on like the significance of Sayuri being a virgin or creating a biding war over her. Arthur Golden forgets to trust his audience in knowing what he's talking about. Sometimes it'll take him two or three pages to explain the significance of red desert sent to a potential bidder for Sayuri's presence and other services.

I am not usually the type of person to stop reading a book, but I don't think I can finish this book. I am not a fan of reading potential rape scenes. Currently in the book, I am at the part where Sayuri's virginity is being auctioned off to a rich business man and a rich doctor at the age of 14. There is also going to be another scene where Sayuri becomes so desired by the men of Japan that she's raped at a garden party by a man she was forced to get to know. I thought of just skipping over those chapters, but along with the authorial intrusion of information, I'm not sure that I want to continue. The reveal of explicit information really slows down the read and makes Sayuri less and less interesting to read about. It seems like I'm getting more information than scenes.

I'm also not pleased with Golden's approach at dialogue. Every character seems to talk the same, and Hatsumomo, Sayuri's enemy and Geisha competition, comes off as a stereotypical mean girl. She's not a convincing character. The men in this book talk in their own way, but the female characters don't talk in natural ways. The dialogue seems forced at times for the sake of progression in the story's plots. Which is another reason I'm not keen on continuing to read the story.

The reason I prefer the movie over the book is because the book has more motivation for Sayuri to become a Geisha. In the book, Chiyo goes out to dinner with a local business man Mr. Tanaka and his family, cause that's totally normal to let your child do, only for him to tell her to pack her bags cause she's going to the city. When the train arrives to take her to the city, Chiyo informs her emotionless father who doesn't seem to care. Chiyo and her sister arrive to the train only to be separated. Then the plot progresses into a slow downfall from there. In the movie, Chiyo and her sister are sold by her parents to a woman that will later drop them off at Geisha houses. Except, only the pretty become Geisha, so Chiyo's sister is sent to the prostitution house at the age of 12. It's a really dark story, but the movie has a better way of telling the story than the book.

Another major event that was better in the movie than the book was when Chiyo first meets the Chairmen. In the film, Chiyo sits on a a small town bridge contemplating her horrible new life. The Chairmen sees Chiyo all depressed and decides to buy her shaved ice, a.k.a a snowball with flavored syrup. Chiyo notices he is being escorted by a Geisha by pays little attention to her. The Chairmen gives her his napkin to wipe the syrup from her face, and they depart on happy terms. This is the moment Chiyo decides to become a Geisha to someday meet the Chairman again. This scene is similar in the book, but Chiyo becomes a Geisha not to meet the Chairman again, but to pay off all her debts. Only later does she decide to make the Chairman her second goal. The movie chose a single goal and the strongest of the two. Love dominates as a goal in films. Sure paying off your debts is just as important, but for the sake of good box office, love is the motivation. In this case, yes is it better for the story because there is more drive and reason to do so.

I will most certainly watch the film again, but I won't be continuing with this book. I'm ADD, and it was difficult to pay attention to the strenuous details. So, with that in mind, read the book for yourself but have a magnifying glass present for the tiny words and a fully focused mind while reading.

#Geisha #Japan