Looking Back - Memoirs of a Geisha

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Fiction
1999 Vintage (first published in 1997)
Read in May 1999
Rating: 3/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

A literary sensation and runaway bestseller, this brilliant debut novel presents with seamless authenticity and exquisite lyricism the true confessions of one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.

In Memoirs of a Geisha, 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.

My Original Notes (1999):

Good, but not great. I enjoyed learning about the culture, as well as the life of a geisha, but I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters. They were fairly one-dimensional. The story was a typical Cinderella love story with a predictable ending. Still, not bad.

My Current Thoughts:

I read this for a book club discussion in the late 90s. As far as I can tell, this is the only novel written by Golden.