Memoirs of a geisha

a novel

434 pages

English language

Published 1997 by Alfred A. Knopf.

OCLC Number:
37689141

View on OpenLibrary

No rating (0 reviews)

Nitta Sayuri tells the story of her life as a 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.

Sayuri's story begins in a poor fishing village in 1929, when, as a nine-year-old with unusual blue-gray eyes, she is taken from her home and sold into slavery to a renowned geisha house. Through her eyes, we see the decadent heart of Gion - the geisha district of Kyoto - with its marvelous teahouses and theaters, narrow back alleys, ornate temples, and artists' streets.

And we witness her transformation as she learns the rigorous arts of the geisha: dance and music; wearing kimono, elaborate makeup and hair; competing with a jealous rival for men's solicitude and the money that …

18 editions

Subjects

  • Geishas -- Fiction
  • Women -- Japan -- Fiction
  • Japan -- History -- 20th century -- Fiction