Memoirs of a Geisha
"Oh my god, I am talking to a prostitute"
That's the reaction of an uptown socialite in New York when she meets Sayuri (the protogonist) of the novel. This is how much everyone knows about Geishas. Geisha in Japanese is "Artisan" - an artist- in this case an artist trained to be a professional entertainer. They could be compared to the mujrawali's in pre-raj India, who were entertainers. Off course, there are geishas and mujrawalis who are also prostitutes.
The first book by Arthur Golden is an attempt at potraying the life and times of Geisha's, but actually goes much further and talks of human spirit. It is not a tear-jerker or emotionally straining story about a woman. It rather is a biography of a 9-year-old sold into a Okiya (the professional houses for a Geisha not a Brothel) who grows up to be a Geisha under the most impossible circumstances.
The best part of the character is that it is niether flawless nor flawed. There is nothing implausible about her - she is but human. The character strives only for herself, her ambitions, her love - but yet is not selfish. Sayuri learns the hard ways of life the hard way, just the way it is in real life. She fights her contemporary, a much senior geisha named Hatsumomo, who is out to destroy her in any way. She comes to be known as the most wanted geisha in Gion (a geisha district in Japan). She survives the second world war and comes back to be one of the most Geisha, yet feels uncomplete without her love. She finds her love only to leave it - because the Geishas cannot expect love they can only give. The author has a remarkable style of getting into the skin of the character, and keeping the reader engrossed but would have been better with more research (thats what the critics say).
When her virginity is put up for sale to the highest bidder - Her maturity beyond years is displayed from the way she goes through it. For her it is a part of life - painful yet enigmatic.
A remarkable thing about the japanese society is the double-standards that it takes about the geisha fraternity. The men honor the Geisha, their profession, and their artistic talents - but yet dont lose a chance to exploit the women. The women on the other side hate them for taking their husbands away from them, yet honor them when the Geisha's visit their house to entertain guests.
All in all a good book but not a classic. It has the capability of stirring many a hidden emotions inside a person. At the end of the story, you hate people who push young girls into the flesh trade more than ever. I really hope the movie lives up to the standard of the book.
That's the reaction of an uptown socialite in New York when she meets Sayuri (the protogonist) of the novel. This is how much everyone knows about Geishas. Geisha in Japanese is "Artisan" - an artist- in this case an artist trained to be a professional entertainer. They could be compared to the mujrawali's in pre-raj India, who were entertainers. Off course, there are geishas and mujrawalis who are also prostitutes.
The first book by Arthur Golden is an attempt at potraying the life and times of Geisha's, but actually goes much further and talks of human spirit. It is not a tear-jerker or emotionally straining story about a woman. It rather is a biography of a 9-year-old sold into a Okiya (the professional houses for a Geisha not a Brothel) who grows up to be a Geisha under the most impossible circumstances.
The best part of the character is that it is niether flawless nor flawed. There is nothing implausible about her - she is but human. The character strives only for herself, her ambitions, her love - but yet is not selfish. Sayuri learns the hard ways of life the hard way, just the way it is in real life. She fights her contemporary, a much senior geisha named Hatsumomo, who is out to destroy her in any way. She comes to be known as the most wanted geisha in Gion (a geisha district in Japan). She survives the second world war and comes back to be one of the most Geisha, yet feels uncomplete without her love. She finds her love only to leave it - because the Geishas cannot expect love they can only give. The author has a remarkable style of getting into the skin of the character, and keeping the reader engrossed but would have been better with more research (thats what the critics say).
When her virginity is put up for sale to the highest bidder - Her maturity beyond years is displayed from the way she goes through it. For her it is a part of life - painful yet enigmatic.
A remarkable thing about the japanese society is the double-standards that it takes about the geisha fraternity. The men honor the Geisha, their profession, and their artistic talents - but yet dont lose a chance to exploit the women. The women on the other side hate them for taking their husbands away from them, yet honor them when the Geisha's visit their house to entertain guests.
All in all a good book but not a classic. It has the capability of stirring many a hidden emotions inside a person. At the end of the story, you hate people who push young girls into the flesh trade more than ever. I really hope the movie lives up to the standard of the book.
posted by Abhishek at
2:20 AM
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