Geisha [Paperback]

Liza Dalby (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2007

Published with a new preface, this bestseller offers an intimate glimpse into a unique female community. Liz Dalby, the only non-Japanese woman ever to have trained as a geisha, reveals the realities of geisha life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A meticulously researched work of scholarship, but is also a delightfully personal account of Dalby's year among the geisha. "Geisha remains [Dalby's] best-known work and is the bible of geisha studies to this day."--The "Times Literary Supplement

From the Inside Flap

"Dalby knows more about the subject than I'll ever know, and she writes about it with grace and eloquence."--Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Vintage/Ebury (a Division of Random (December 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0099286386
• ISBN-13: 978-0099286387
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.9 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,401,006 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is good news!, September 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Geisha (Paperback)

I first read this book in the early '90s and was so impressed that I bought multiple copies to give as gifts. Liza Dalby portrays the geisha world as a special and exotic one -- exotic by the standards of any modern culture, including that of Japan. She makes this private world accessible but avoids any tendency to sensationalize or dissect -- the geisha world is revealed with grace and subtlety. At the same time, a history of geisha culture involves the history of so much else in Japan -- various social customs, attitudes toward female sexuality, transportation, nightlife... Dalby goes there too.

I am really glad _Geisha_ will be available again. Just the other day, I was bemoaning the fact that Dalby's _Geisha_ seems to be out of print. I need a copy for my library! Can't wait.

-- TQ in New York

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique and fascinating account, April 1, 2003

By 

mdchachi "mdchachi" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Geisha (Hardcover)

Like others I read this book after reading Memoirs of a Geisha. I found this book much more interesting because it tells real stories about real people. The history and backgound that Dalby relates as well her own personal experiences make this book one-of-a-kind and deeply interesting. A must-read for anybody interested to learn more about geisha. Although there are extensive footnotes to explain certain things more deeply, the more you already know about Japan, the more you will get out of this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars love it., September 13, 2010

By 

Charlotte Vale (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Geisha (Hardcover)

i actually read this book in barns and noble last year. i went there every day for a week or two, and read a bit. i've always wanted to read it, and i have always been fascinated with geisha. if your're interested in knowing more about geisha, learning about some of the smaller details, or you want to know what really went on, and what is currently going on, i highly recommend it. i recently came across it on amazon, and decided to buy a copy even though i'd already read it.