Members with This Book
Most Helpful Reviews
see all reviews
Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “my dear friend gave me this book to read in 1989 or so -way before "Memoir of a Geisha" was around and it is so much better. Liza Dalby was at the time she wrote the book the only western white woman to ever be actually trained as a geisha. The book is a sort of anthropological thesis for her,...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “Awfully written book, as factual as it was.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
see all reviews-
“You can vividly learn lots of things from this book. And I also like the stories that were woven throughout the book, that make it seem like a novel instead of being an 'encyclopedia'. Dalby's personal approach to her studies was effective for I felt, as a reader, that somehow I was the one going through the process. There were dull moments but seldom were they. And even though this book might be dated for it was first published long ago, the beauty that it delivered was timeless for me.”
Abelink wrote this review Wednesday, April 11, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Julie g said: 3 stars
Play Book Tag Shelf wrote this review Saturday, March 10, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Liza ,being an anthropologist set out to study the Geisha way of life.In fact she ended up becoming one and earning her own geisha name Ishigiku. She became accepted by them and they all seemed to forget at times that she had only joined to study their way of life.This is a very detailed account of the history and traditions and the whole day to day living of the geisha.So involved with all the practices and traditions did I become I actually ended up dreaming I was Japanese last night.I said to my son ocha ocha ocha hitotsu chodai na (please get me a cup of tea!)I do love words! I was most surprised at the amount of drinking that goes on within Geisha society.With my western view I still think that the wifes role is too limited to be of a comfort to me and if I were Japanese I would rather be a Geisha.They are the women who have the most freedom and can be financially independent.Most of them are happy never to be wives and it is not uncommon for them to retire to a convent in their twilight years.The Geisha get confused with prostitutes and this is not so.A very interesting read.”
“One of the best and most authentic reads on modern geisha.”
Miss Penny wrote this review Thursday, July 28, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“The first American woman to enter the secret geisha world in Japan. Liza Dalby was an anthropology student in the 70s doing her disseration on geisha culture and this is her result. ”
Joleen F wrote this review Monday, December 20, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“age doesn't matter at all in love. work hard to get what you want for in real life nothing is free. everything is to be paid sooner.”
booster7050 wrote this review Tuesday, November 2, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Awfully written book, as factual as it was.”
Scivias wrote this review Wednesday, September 15, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“One of the first books I read detailing the true lives of geisha. Well-written and Liza Dalby became one of my heroines.”
Lisa M wrote this review Monday, July 26, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Interesting insight into the world of Geisha.”
Helen T wrote this review Wednesday, July 14, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This book takes you into the world of real life geisha. This is an interesting tradition that sometimes baffles the modern western mind.”
Patricia S wrote this review Saturday, November 14, 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“After reading Memoirs of a Geisha, I started loving anything Japanese so I got this biography and even bought it all the way to Japan. I was thinking of having it signed by a Kyoto Geisha. =P”
reebseye wrote this review Friday, November 14, 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
