[Review] Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 
Publisher: Vintage Books
Publishing Date: 1997
434 Pages
Format: paperback, purchased
Buy Links: Amazon  |  B&N

Synopsis 

A literary sensation and runaway bestseller, this brilliant novel presents with seamless authenticity and exquisite lyricism the true confessions of one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.

In Memoirs of a Geisha, we enter a world where appearances are paramount; where a girl's virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men; and where love is scorned as illusion. It is a unique and triumphant work of fiction at once romantic, erotic, suspenseful - and completely unforgettable.

My Review

I'm so glad I finally read this book! Arthur Golden's work is so beautifully written that I couldn't put it down. Chiyo is such an innocent little girl that's dropped into an incredibly different world than she is used to. I felt like I was learning about the world along with her. I loved watching Chiyo become Sayuri and growing up in this world.

This book was clearly well researched and Golden did a great a job. The world of a geisha is intriguing and I loved reading about it. To be honest, I knew nothing about geisha when I picked this book up, but had heard it was good, so wanted to give it a try! I didn't realize that this book was based on an actual geisha in Japan. I thought it was just a fictional story, but i soon learned, that while the story may be fictional, it was based on the life of a real person. I'm interested in reading the biography of the real woman now.