A review by stguac
Geisha: A Life by Mineko Iwasaki

3.0

i think its because i have literally just finished autobiography of a geisha by sayo masuda, but i didnt really like this as much as i thought i would. from the get go its sort of a dry read, packed with all the information i wanted to know about first class geisha and erudite japanese culture, but also controled, emotionless. there were parts where i could feel mineko's love and spirit really shine through (particularly during her time with toshio) but for the most part i felt her writing was very stilted and short. i dont think this is a translation issue either; mineko's personality seems very controled and measured, and i absolutely cant blame her for developing into such a person. she also comes off as fairly spoiled. i think perhaps at one point that was because she knew nothing else but splendor and beautiful kimono but today i think she knows better.

all that being said, this was an enjoyable read. combined with sayo masuda's memoir of her time as a geisha, i believe i now have a more complete image of what a geisha is and does. masuda was a hot springs geisha in prewar japan and iwasaki was a first class geisha in gion kyoto after the war, so the differences are really jarring. anyway, i have a hard time disliking memoirs even if theyre so stiffly written.