Memoirs of a Geisha
I am a fan of Japan and it is there their culture and style of writing that I find most fascinating. So, even though this book is by an American with a rich background in Japanese culture and literature, the actual way it is written makes you believe that you are in the heart of Japan. Just like how Haruki Murakami is able to transport you in his novels.
The novel starts off with a Translator's Note by Arnold Rusoff, who is a friend of Golden and it’s this that makes the reader start to believe that Geisha might be an actual autobiography. It sets up the novel's main character, Sayuri, by stating that she told him about her life and he documented it for her.
The novel is written in the first person narrative of Sayuri, making it seem more memoir like, and we really do get her whole life contained within the 493 pages. The story opens with Sayuri getting the reader to picture that they are having tea and talking together, when she says something about the best and worst afternoon of her life. On questioning her, she begins the actual story. Thus the life of Sayrui and a geisha unfolds and runs across the pages.
The plot of the story is long and complicated due to the style of the memoirs. However, everything does stay linear and there is a real sense of time and movement. I didn't have a problem with the plot because I was hooked from the first few pages and really got in to it. But I did noticed how in depth it actual was. There's so much detail about Japanese history and culture, also being slowly revealed is the life and nature of geishas. All together though this just brings so much life to the novel and adds to that real feel.
The characters very realistic and many appear and disappear due to the time scale and nature of the story. Sayrui herself grows up and develops within the pages, changing from a young naive girl into a worldly, intelligent woman. This is wonderfully written and I started to feel like I was becoming a part of Sayrui's life because I knew so much about her. The other main characters all have great development as well.
The language used in this book is perfect to the nature of the subject and genre. I was swept away by the poetic tone that comes across in most parts and I loved the little Japanese sayings that popped up. This adds that Japan feel to the text and it’s hard to believe that the writer is American as he seems to have captured everything so perfectly. The description is just great, but I love the details of the kimonos and could never get tired of reading about them. I was just gripped by it and found myself more interested in reading the book just to study the use of the language!
Overall, I would so recommend this book to anyone as it's a great story and also has a very fascinating setting. The characters feel so realistic that it's hard to admit it's fiction and it's beautifully written. It has got me more interested in Japanese writing and settings now and I can't wait to get my hands on some more!