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Autobiography of a Geisha Paperback | Pages: 186 pages

Point Epithetical Books Autobiography of a Geisha

Title	:	Autobiography of a Geisha
Author	:	Sayo Masuda
Book Format	:	Paperback
Book Edition	:	Anniversary Edition
Pages	:	Pages: 186 pages
Published	:	February 5th 2004 by Vintage (first published 2003)
Categories	:	Nonfiction. Cultural. Japan. Biography. Autobiography. Memoir. History

Rendition To Books Autobiography of a Geisha

Sayo Masuda's story is an extraordinary portrait of rural life in japan and an illuminating contrast to the fictionalised lives of glamorous geishas.

At the age of sis Masuda's poverty-stricken family sent her to work as a nursemaid. At the age of twelve, she was indentured to a geisha house. In Autobiography of a Geisha, Masuda chronicles a harsh world in which young women faced the realities of sex for sale and were deprived of their freedom and identity. She also tells of her life after leaving the geisha house, painting a vivid panorama of the grinding poverty of rural life in wartime Japan.

Many years later Masuda decides to tell her story. Although she could barely read or write she was determine to tell the truth about life as a geisha and explode the myths surrounding their secret world. Remarkably frank and incredibly moving, this is the record of one woman's survival on the margins of Japanese society.

List Books Conducive To Autobiography of a Geisha

Original Title:	Autobiography Of A Geisha
ISBN:	0099462044 (ISBN13: 9780099462040)
Edition Language:	English

Rating Epithetical Books Autobiography of a Geisha

Ratings: 3.94 From 2909 Users | 190 Reviews

Judgment Epithetical Books Autobiography of a Geisha

The most remarkable thing about this book is the author's voice. Although you have to wonder how much was altered in translation from Japanese to English, it is still very compelling. I think with memoirs you can always tell whether the author is trying to gloss over negative aspects of their life, but Masuda is unapologetic and genuine. This is not the soft, lyrical story of Arthur Golden, but the real thing, expressed by someone who was there. A very rich and evocative memoir.

It's less about Geisha life, and more about Sayo Masuda's life. Still good though.

Despite it is a very sad book, I liked to read it. Not because I love to read about other people's misery, but because this autobiography gave a better look into the reality of a geisha's training. It was not easy to read about the difficulties Matsuda faced as a child, being sent away again and again, lacking a loving family and, when she was a grown up, the circumstances of war. Reading about what she had to do to survive, how desperate she has been was not pleasant, but I am glad I did read



Check this out and also check out its author, who apparently has bibliographies of Japanese lit on her website somewhere and who focuses on literature by Japanese women - this year's Japanese reading list is too light on women, and this might help.

When I read Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha I found there was a certain falseness to the narrative. Of course it was a fictional account (albeit based on interviews with a former geisha), and therefore removed to a certain extent from reality.I also read Mineko Iwasaki's autobiography Geisha of Gion which gave a more realistic view of the secluded life of the geisha. Even though they have a busy social life, and may develop close/longstanding relationships with their clients, these young

Sayo was basically sold off by her family because she was illegitimate and her mother's new partner didn't want to raise someone else's child. Through no fault of her own, Sayo found herself working as a nursemaid and then training to be a geisha. This was not the glamorous world the West thinks as Sayo was one step above a prostitute on the streets. She shows remarkable perseverance in her life as she does whatever she can to survive. This is a fascinating memoir and a glimpse into a whole