Geisha
Books | Biography & Autobiography / Cultural, Ethnic & Regional / Asian & Asian American
4.1
(185)
Mineko Iwasaki
No woman in the three-hundred-year history of the karyukai has ever come forward in public to tell her story—until now."Many say I was the best geisha of my generation," writes Mineko Iwasaki. "And yet, it was a life that I found too constricting to continue. And one that I ultimately had to leave." Trained to become a geisha from the age of five, Iwasaki would live among the other "women of art" in Kyoto's Gion Kobu district and practice the ancient customs of Japanese entertainment. She was loved by kings, princes, military heroes, and wealthy statesmen alike. But even though she became one of the most prized geishas in Japan's history, Iwasaki wanted more: her own life. And by the time she retired at age twenty-nine, Iwasaki was finally on her way toward a new beginning. Geisha, a Life is her story -- at times heartbreaking, always awe-inspiring, and totally true.
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Author
Mineko Iwasaki
Pages
320
Publisher
Simon and Schuster
Published Date
2003-09
ISBN
0743444299 9780743444293
Ratings
Google: 4.5
Community ReviewsSee all
"The story from the geisha herself. I liked this so much more than Memoirs of a Geisha. She wrote this because she was unhappy with how her story was told in Memoirs. "
K N
Kim Newsom
"Very pretty and interesting memoir"
Ally DeFelice
"This was really interesting firsthand glimpse into a profession that not many people have access to or know much about. I learned about this memoir through my absolute disgust at “Memoirs of a Geisha,” and while this wasn’t my favorite read, it’s a much better option than the alternative. Despite some disjointed storytelling and, quite frankly, very petty attempts at correcting a flawed system, I liked the peek behind the curtain, so to speak. I felt myself being drawn into this insular world by a guide who did love the job, if only for a brief time. I would recommend this to someone with a deep interesting in the culture, especially over a fictionalize version written by a white man (see my other review for the full take!)"
A P
Allie Peduto