Memoirs of a Geisha

By: Arthur Golden

Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne

Nitta Sayuri tells us in a voice at once haunting and startlingly immediate of her life as a geisha. Her story begins in a poor fishing village in 1929, when, as a nine-year-old girl with unusual blue-gray eyes, she is taken from her home and sold into slavery to a renowned geisha house. We witness her transformation as we enter a world where appearances are paramount; where a girl's virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men; and where love is scorned as illusion.

It is a unique and triumphant work of fiction - at once romantic, erotic, suspenseful - and completely unforgettable.

©1997 Arthur Golden; Copyright ©1998 by Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Astonishing...Breathtaking...You are seduced completely." (Washington Post Book World)
"...a bravura performance, a first novel that provides a vivid view into a largely lost and secret world." (The Los Angeles Times Sunday Book Review)

Excellent

This is on my top 10 list of books I'd take to a desert island, no, top 5 list. I was mesmerized by the haunting beauty of the writing. Especially as it is not the kind of book I would normally have chosen. I have recommended it to all fo my friends.

Outstanding!

An absolutely fantastic journey into a world of heritage, culture, self-discovery, passion, emotion.....well, need I say more! Bernadette Dunne is an excellent narrator, who catapults you alongside each step of Sayuri' life. The author, Mr. Golden, is a masterful, vivid writer. Immediately, upon listening to the first couple of minutes, I was transported into each segment of the story.

I am a Premium subscriber with hundreds of logged listening hours of fine books. This is the first time that I was moved enough by a great book to take the time to tell the world what a fine work of art Mr. Golden has given us. I can't wait to see the movie!

BEAUTY AT ITS BEST!!!!

This book effectively brings to mind the vivid beauty of the Asian world. The images that the author describes are palpable. I saw the movie about a year or two prior to listening to this audio book. It definitely pales in comparison. Although the movie does a pretty good job of highlighting some of the main events, it does not do what the book is capable of, sharing with Western world the true life of the Geisha.

I now have a solid, elementary, understanding of the Geisha. No longer does my mind immediately shoot to the image of a high classed prostitute, or call girl, when I think of the Geisha. The author does a wonderful job of fully explaining everything, while maintaining the compelling aspects of the story.

Very riveting, exciting, sad, and beautiful, the life of a Geisha is a must read. I wholly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates beauty. The irony of the story is its paradoxical play on the complexities of manmade beauty. The Geisha must at all times be perfect while her life and love are sacrificed in an effort to give men, who choose her, absolute psychological, and sometimes physical, pleasure.

Beautiful Story of a Geisha

This is a beautifully written novel about one girl's very difficult life as she grew up to be a famous Geisha immediately before WWII and after. The descriptions are so detailed and realistic that it is hard to remember that it is a novel and not a narrative about a real women. Since listening to this book I have read other books about Geisha, and it is very close to the first person accounts of real Geisha. I highly recommend it.

A wonderful book

I had read this book in hard cover and found it to be one of the books to keep and re-read. In audio, however, the book simply comes alive. Again, this is one I shall listen to more than once.

Spellbinding

From the start of the story, I am enthralled. Time has no meaning for me as I listen, I crave more. What an excellent listen!

A Reasonably Good Book

I appreciate the craft of the author in creating a work of fiction that feels like a real memoir. The descriptions of life in pre- and post-war Japan have the ring of truth to them.

The narrator gives a very subtle performance. While she doesn't use an accent to portray the characters as Japanese, her cadence and inflections convey a feeling of "foreignness." It's almost as though they are speaking in Japanese and I am hearing them in English.

I only wish I had been able to identify more with the main character. Instead, by the end of the book, I couldn't help feeling that Sayuri had really turned out to be incredibly shallow - and Nobu would have made a much more interesting protagonist.

Still, the book had its moments - and overall, I didn't dislike it.

Memoirs of a Geisha

I see everone That has downloaded this book gave it a 5 STAR review. I wish I could give it a 10 STAR WOW! it is one of the best I have ever heard. I wish she got to see her sister. A must to read.

Wonderful story

This is my favorite book thus far. The narrator is first rate. Her voice weaves word pictures that linger and are lyrical. I can't imagine listening to the much shorter abridged version - I was sorry when this one was over! I had been concerned that the book would contain graphic depictions of violence or other crimes, but it did not.

One of my favorites

I’ve listen to this version multiple times for several reasons. The narrator does a fantastic job with voice inflection and is very good at character change.

The story itself is told as though it is an autobiography. I love documentaries and the backstory behind history, so this was a very easy story to hear. The author did a great job with setting the scenes and movement of the story. The perfect number of characters were introduced and each one had their own personality that you could hear through the narrator and feel through the author. I really enjoyed the story.