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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Sexual assault
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment
Minor: Cursing, Trafficking, Suicide attempt
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Read this instead of Memoirs of a Geisha if you'd like a real glimpse into the life of a geisha.
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
reflective
slow-paced
This was a really interesting book about the life of premier geisha Mineko Iwasaki. I got this book on sale at a bookstore called Second and Charles that just opened in the city where I life. I had never really considered how one entered this profession, and I was also misinformed about what this profession consisted of. Mineko really had a lot of interesting experiences throughout her career, which started before she even hit double digits. This was a really in depth look at a different culture, profession, and way of life. I was really very interested in this book.
What an entertaining book! I loved it! I swear reviews that said that Mineko was too stuck up and self-absorbed and some said against that that it was just the translation. What they aren't seeing and understanding is that since she was born she's been somewhat admired? like she was worshipped and treated like a child most of her life. If she's stuck up it's because she's been bought up like that and also she earned it. She nearly worked herself to death with thr near kidney failure. In the end I think she turned out to be a quite fair person.
Got to know that Iwasaki-san wrote this after she found that the other book "Memoirs of a Geisha" had been skewed from the storyline she had set about and wanted to correct the misconceptions risen from there. Whilst there is a lot of jargon and procedures thrown in , and explained too, this is more of an autobiography of her life than the inner workings in the life of a geisha. For someone completely unaware , I found a lot of new things to learn and appreciate about a part of Japanese culture. Also I find a childlike naivety in the author all through her retirement, probably from the fact that she was never allowed to grow up having started her career as the chosen one from a tender age of 5 (been told she was a chosen one by the age of 3).
"The samurai betrays no weakness, even when starving. Pride over all"
"The samurai betrays no weakness, even when starving. Pride over all"
Such a fascinating, transportive journey through traditional Japanese culture — incredibly different from the US. Captivated by Mineko’s life, thought process, and perspective. Read this very slowly as the writing felt hard to stick with at times, probably due to the translation into English. Funny to read her stories of meeting Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth given current events
informative
slow-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced