Details Epithetical Books Geisha, a Life
| Title | : | Geisha, a Life |
| Author | : | Mineko Iwasaki |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 297 pages |
| Published | : | September 1st 2003 by Washington Square Press (first published September 30th 2002) |
| Categories | : | Nonfiction. Cultural. Japan. Biography. Autobiography. Memoir. History |
Mineko Iwasaki
Paperback | Pages: 297 pages Rating: 3.93 | 18375 Users | 1229 Reviews
Description As Books Geisha, a Life
"No woman in the three-hundred-year history of the karyukai has ever come forward in public to tell her story. We have been constrained by unwritten rules not to do so, by the robes of tradition and by the sanctity of our exclusive calling...But I feel it is time to speak out." Celebrated as the most successful geisha of her generation, Mineko Iwasaki was only five years old when she left her parents' home for the world of the geisha. For the next twenty-five years, she would live a life filled with extraordinary professional demands and rich rewards. She would learn the formal customs and language of the geisha, and study the ancient arts of Japanese dance and music. She would enchant kings and princes, captains of industry, and titans of the entertainment world, some of whom would become her dearest friends. Through great pride and determination, she would be hailed as one of the most prized geishas in Japan's history, and one of the last great practitioners of this now fading art form. In Geisha, a Life, Mineko Iwasaki tells her story, from her warm early childhood, to her intense yet privileged upbringing in the Iwasaki okiya (household), to her years as a renowned geisha, and finally, to her decision at the age of twenty-nine to retire and marry, a move that would mirror the demise of geisha culture. Mineko brings to life the beauty and wonder of Gion Kobu, a place that "existed in a world apart, a special realm whose mission and identity depended on preserving the time-honored traditions of the past." She illustrates how it coexisted within post-World War II Japan at a time when the country was undergoing its radical transformation from a post-feudal society to a modern one. "There is much mystery and misunderstanding about what it means to be a geisha. I hope this story will help explain what it is really like and also serve as a record of this unique component of Japan's cultural history," writes Mineko Iwasaki. Geisha, a Life is the first of its kind, as it delicately unfolds the fabric of a geisha's development. Told with great wisdom and sensitivity, it is a true story of beauty and heroism, and of a time and culture rarely revealed to the Western world.Describe Books Supposing Geisha, a Life
| Original Title: | Geisha of Gion |
| ISBN: | 0743444299 (ISBN13: 9780743444293) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Setting: | Japan |
Rating Epithetical Books Geisha, a Life
Ratings: 3.93 From 18375 Users | 1229 ReviewsRate Epithetical Books Geisha, a Life
This was an interesting read and I read it in an interesting time. Right after a controversy breaks-out over a novel that is written sensationalizing the lives of real people, I read this book which was written in answer to an author who got rich writing a sensationalized (i. e. false) version of the experiences of Mineko Iwasaki. I'd owned this book for over a year, but did not know when I was going to be able to read it. I thought now was as good a time as any. Since I got some other ground toThis book, like most non-fiction, had a bit of a slow reading pace. There were a few events that truly drew me into Mineko's story, though my review is going to be mostly about about the comparison of this book to Memoirs of a Geisha.It's kind of upsetting to me to see so many people say they changed their view of the fiction novel because of this book. Memoirs of a Geisha is a work of fiction- not everything is portrays will be straight on. The biggest confusion present is the use of mizuage--
This is Iwasaki's response to Memoirs of a Geisha which I both read and enjoyed. I picked this up because I thought it'd be great to get the truth behind the story. This fell flat. The book couldn't decide if it was a memoir or a history of geisha in post-war Kyoto. If a history, it lacked description, and the author inserted too much of her annoying self (more on this later) into the story. If a memoir, the author didn't talk enough about her emotions. For example, she tries to kill herself as
First, I would like to urge anyone who wants to learn more about geisha - READ THIS BOOK INSTEAD OF MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA. The author of that, Arthur Golden, interviewed Mineko Iwasaki and twisted her tales into falsities, making it seem that geisha were high class prostitutes. This is not the case - oiran, a high class courtesan, sold their bodies, not geisha. In fact, Iwasaki was extremely upset when she realized Golden had twisted her facts on the life of being a geisha, and decided to write
I enjoyed this peek into a fascinating culture. I read the fictional Memoirs of a Geisha by Golden first (which is based on Iwasaki's life) so was looking for some additional background reading when I found this autobiography. Definitely seemed much more like real life than the novel!
For people who don't know about Japanese culture maybe geisha for them has 'negative' image. But it's all wrong. Geisha don't sell their body. They sell arts!And this book tells the very detail about Geisha and their life.Geisha really are the real artist! They learn various traditional Japanese culture since they were very young.And being Geiko (Geisha) is not an easy thing. They have to take so many lessons, performing those arts (dancing, singing, playing traditional music instruments, etc)
A very enchanting story. Not finished yet but I will finish reading it later.
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