Memoirs of a Geisha is a novel by Arthur Golden published in 1997. Memoirs of a Geisha tells the story of a geisha known as Nitta Sayuri, who lives in New York as a hostess to Japanese businessmen. The novel is narrated from the point of view of Sayuri, who is retired and is spending her retired life at the Waldorf Towers in New York City. The story is told in an intense and intimate style. It gives a comprehensive picture of the lives of geishas and the cultural aspects of Japan at that time.
The story begins in a remote village by the sea—Yoroido—where Sayuri (then called Chiyo) and her sister, daughters of an aged fisherman and an ailing wife live. Unlike her dimwitted elder sister Sastu, Chiyo is a young, bright, sensitive 9-year-old girl with unusual gray-blue eyes. Both Chiyo and her sister are sold by her destitute father to people who place her in a classy geisha house or an okiya in Kyoto while her sister is sold into prostitution.
Initially Chiyo rebels and dreams of returning home, but her one attempt at escape is easily foiled and she eventually resigns to her fate. At the okiya she becomes a maid to Hatsumomo, a cold, controlling, and calculating geisha who is instantly jealous of Chiyo’s unusual, beautiful eyes and childish innocence. Hatsumomo cannot stand competition and recognizes that Chiyo will be her rival if she becomes a geisha. Chiyo’s life goes from bad to worse thanks to Hatsumoro and she is reduced to becoming a servant in the okiya with no hope of becoming a geisha.
A chance encounter with a kind and wealthy man with the title of chairman changes Chiyo’s fortune. Chiyo wins the attention of Mameha, the most successful geisha in Gion. Hatsumomo despises Mameha because she outshines her in every aspect and cannot be toppled because, unlike Hatsumomo, Mameha has earned her independence as a geisha. Mameha adopts Chiyo as her apprentice and trains her to rival Hatsumomo. Her entrance into apprenticeship is marked by being given a new name—Nitta Sayuri.
As an apprentice geisha, Sayuri is trained in the art of being a geisha—she learns to sing, dance, walk and take tea ceremony lessons, as well as lessons in the art of conversation. In the daytime, there are grueling classes; in the evenings, parties and banquets, where Chiyo is introduced to potential patrons. She learns to flirt with men.
With her success and her virginity sold for the highest price at that time in a ritual called mizuage, Sayuri not only becomes a highly successful geisha but also pays off all the debts that bound her to the Nitta okiya when she was a servant and is adopted by the mistress of the okiya. Sayuri’s fortunes soars and she is freed from Hatsumomo’s abuse. But everything collapses in 1942 because of war.
During her time as a geisha before the war, she encounters the Chairman again, but finds it impossible to get as close to him as she wants. Instead, she finds herself constantly being pushed to be with Nobu, the Chairman’s most trusted friend. Nobu loves her and saves her from the harsh labour of the war until Gion is able to open again. He asks and becomes her patron. Even after all he has done and even though he is her patron, Sayuri does not love Nobu as she is deeply in love with the Chairman. Sayuri and Mameha destroy Hatsumomo’s reputation and Hatsumomo is thrown out of the okiya.
Soon Sayuri tells admits her deep love to the Chairman who frees him from the okiya and she becomes her mistress. When her presence in Japan, disrupts the Chairman’s family harmony, Sayuri insists on leaving Japan. She sets up a posh teahouse for Japanese businessmen in New York and settles down quite comfortably to her new life in a new country.
The book is filled with prose that is lyrical and imagery that is breathtaking. The vivid portrayals and subtle expressions gives the reader a thorough understanding of the rich and complex cultural heritage of Japan and its nuances. The customs and rituals that are part of the Japanese life and the life of a geisha from a servant in an okiya, to an apprentice geisha and finally to a full blown geisha is very well captured in the words of Sayuri. It also demystifies many myths and exposes many hidden aspects of the Japanese culture.
The book was made into a movie by the same name. The movie was directed by Rob Marshall and was released in 2005. It stars Zhang Ziyi, Ken Watanabe, Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh, Youki Kudoh, and Suzuka Ohgo. The film was nominated and won numerous awards, including nominations for six Academy Awards, and eventually won three—Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design.
Book Details:
- Author: Arthur Golden
- Publisher: Knopf
- Year: 1997
- ISBN: 0375400117
- Cover & Page Count: Hardcover, 448 pages