Memoirs of a Geisha

Reader reviewed by Ruthie

Reader reviewed by Lauren

This book has become a classic to me. It's beautifully written, emotional and good enough to keep me rereading it. I think the subject matter is something that isn't over done which makes me love it even more. The characters are all very real and make me feel something toward them (love, hate, etc). I also love the setting and time. Great read that I will always keep in my collection.

Reader reviewed by YouKn0wYaLuvMe

I picked this book as a winter reading and could not get out of it, so I had to read it fully.

I found the book tedious and don't see why it was made into a movie. There was no excitement while I was reading it and nothing that captured my attention.

Before I finished the first chapter I was tempted to stop reading it.

Reader reviewed by mayu

I loved this book so much. i saw the movie but the book was so much better then the movie. i loved the character chiyo and her struggle to gain the one thing thats important to her and the thing that she wanted most, love of the chairman. arthur golden brought the book to life with the story of a gaisha and their struggle when they dont have a choice in who they can be with.

Reader reviewed by sue789

There's a reason why this book was turned into a movie, its an awesome book.
There are some mature parts in the book, several of my friends found the whole plot and idea of this book as being really bad or pointless, but you have to consider the setting and situation that main character is in.
Motherless at a very young age, Chiyo and her sister is sold off by their father and is forced to walk different paths; Chiyo is must work in a house full of geishas, while her sister, being less attractive, is left to fend for herself.
devasted at first, Chiyo refuses to cooperate, but soon learns that the only way to servive in this world of money, skill, deceit, and men is to become a geisha herself. This is when her life story begins as a beautiful geisha as she talks of her incredible experiences which is told in a really skilled narration.

Reader reviewed by Blair

This book was one of the most insprational books I have ever read in my entire life. Reading this book made me feel as though I am able to accomplish anything, regardless of obstacles in my way. I really enjoyed reading about the struggles Sayuri went through, and how she was able to overcome them and find happiness in the end. After reading this, I was unsure of whether I wanted to see the movie because the book was so good that I was afraid the movie might be different.

Reader reviewed by Aileen

Memoirs of a Geisha is one of the best books I have read in a long, long time. I am not normally a fan of this genre, prefering fantasy and science fiction books usually. But the book was recommended to me by a friend and I don't regret for a minute picking it up.


The book is centered around a young girl named Chiyo, who has to go through many challenges just to have the opportunity to become a geisha. The book is vivid and descriptive, portraying a foreign culture with flair and style. It is so well written, in fact, that I did not realize that the book had been written by a man until I had gotten to the very last page and read the author's biography. I could honestly not put the book down, because I was so engaged.


This novel is thought-provoking, and I think that is its best quality. It made me consider things that I never had before, to explore a culture I never had much interest in, and gave me a new respect for it.

Reader reviewed by Flower

Has it all -- A lengthy novel about the life of a geisha in the early 1900's. This book has rivalry, love, mystery, evil, happiness, and above all the yearnings of the character. A touching first novel by Golden, something every teenage girl should read.

Reader reviewed by L. Eustace

A lengthy novel about the life of a geisha in the early 1900's. This book has rivalry, love, mystery, evil, happiness, and above all the yearnings of the character. A touching first novel by Golden, something every teenage girl should read.