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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
While this was an interesting read, I would say it was at least partly amusing how un-self-reflective it reads considering how much self-reflection she claims to do.
I'm so glad that reading Memoirs of a Geisha inspired me to read the memoirs of a real life inspiration of the book. There are immense differences in the two storylines and this book cleared some misconceptions about geiko culture. The story of Mineko's life was captivatinng in itself. I still feel some culture shock as a Westerner about a lot of aspects of this culture, but I am in awe of such a long tradition and love for artistry and dance. One of the strongest points of the memoir is the critical eye of the author about a rigid system she was a part of and such resistance to necessary change. It was such a joy to read.
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
I read this after reading Memoirs of A Geisha. This was way before the movie ever came out. I liked this book because it gave more of an insight to the true life of a geisha and was more of an autobiography.
I have read this several time and would recommend to anyone who liked Arthur Golden's book.
I picked this memoir up after learning that Mineko Iwasaki was the main inspiration for Memoirs of a Geisha. The memoir is good to learn about the geisha traditions from someone who was in the trade and it combats the Western perspective of geisha culture.
The memoir itself was sometimes difficult to follow because Iwasaki would jump between time when talking about her experiences. Also, there was a lack of transitional phrases so things would suddenly just happen. I suspect it's because it was translated from Japanese to English.
The memoir itself was sometimes difficult to follow because Iwasaki would jump between time when talking about her experiences. Also, there was a lack of transitional phrases so things would suddenly just happen. I suspect it's because it was translated from Japanese to English.
I found this book to be incredibly fascinating. I loved the mixture of history intertwined with memories. I didn't give it a full 5 stars because I felt that some things in the book could have used more descriptions and explanations, but otherwise, I truly enjoyed this book!
An interesting enough read, particularly timed as it was to coincide with my visit to Kyoto. But while I appreciated the seemingly cut and dry tone, the pride and self-centred-ness got to me a bit. This could have added to the account, but I don’t think Iwasaki was aware of how she was coming across. And it also lacked in convincing detail? Still, definitely preferable to Memoirs of a Geisha (don’t think I even managed a chapter of that one), and I respect that Iwasaki got her own story out there.
Mon livre préféré de tous les temps. C’était déjà mon coup de cœur à sa sortie il y a 20 ans, et encore plus aujourd’hui. Absolument incroyable !
Read this in an attempt to broaden my cultural understandings of Japan. Some kinda interesting stuff - mostly a rather dull autobiography by a self-obsessed and not very likeable person.