Customer Reviews

Geisha

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I read Liza Dalby's book following my reading of Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. I do wish I had read Geisha prior to reading Golden's book as I would have derived a great deal more from Golden's book. Yet, Golden's book was a wonderfully sensitive story! Liza Dalby's effort here is to portray the life a Geisha through the eyes of a cultural anthropologist. She has done this and done it well. There is authentic scholarship here. There is a special sensitivity to the demands, sorrows and joys of geisha life. The breadth of the book is superb. The photo work, the layout, the use of japanese drawings as they relate to geisha life is well done. This is a wonderful book for those truly interested in geisha life. What a marvelous gift and privilege that Liza Dalby had, as an American, to enter the world of the geisha.

I recommend it to all who are truly interested in geisha life, but more than that in the status of women now and throughout history.

I have a penchant for nearly all things relating to Japanese history, especially from 1600-1950, and this book was fascinating.Like many others, I had just finished the exquisite "Memoirs of A Geisha" by Arthur Golden. The cover I bought of the book came with a ringing endorsement by Golden himself, saying how brilliant Liza Crihfield Dalby's work is. He's right.Dalby smoothly weaves amusing anecdotes (a meeting with a tipsy and raunchy customer) with brilliantly simple facts (the nuances in tying kimono) in relating her unique story: she is the only American ever to become a geisha.With her exquisite hair and powdered face, Dalby embarks upon a mission of mystique, prestige, and learning, creating a fascinating and enjoyable read.If you have the opportunity, and time, pick up a copy of Dalby's "Geisha." It's a definitive source on the subject, and shouldn't be missed by any aficionados.

[Note: At the time I wrote this review, I had not yet read Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. And I think I may be the only person in America who still hasn't.]

Of course, it's now a full week after A&E aired _The Secret Life of Geisha_, a show nominally based on Dalby's 1983 account of her time in Kyoto as the only non-Japanese ever to train and serve as a geisha. But I kept reading anyway. The show's material came, for the most part, from the first four chapters of the book, which cover a good deal of history, and ignored the rest, which is more of a personal accounting of Dalby's time in Kyoto and her research in Tokyo and some of the smaller towns.

Dalby's account is straightforward and precise, though I don't want to give the impression there's nothing here that would give the reader a sense of personal experience; far from it. Dalby, an anthropologist by nature as well as trade, has a knack for being able to translate emotion into recognizable speech and get it all down on paper in an easy-to-understand form.

The end result is compulsively readable, half-journal and half-explication, of the widely misunderstood world of geisha and the cultural context to which it belongs-- as important to an understanding of what geisha are as a study of the women themselves. Dalby adresses the paradox that the women considered the most servile in Japan are also those with the most freedom, and by the time the book is finished it's no longer a paradox, really. Dalby takes the reader through the world of geisha, its history, its context, and most importantly the outside world's misconception of it. All is explained in such a way as to be easily absorbed, Not in the tradition of "classic" anthropological works at all. Which is a good thing.

Absorbing, a quick read, new stuff to be learned, how can you go wrong?

Written by anthropologist Dalby, who has the distinction of being the only Westerner to become a geisha, this book deftly synthesizes the personal experiences and interactions of the author in this most unusual role and society with the discerning eye of a scholar. Her attention to detail is superb and provides interesting tidbits of cultural trivia for the reader. The stories she tells -- about the backgrounds of her geisha friends, the mothers of the community and other figures in the hanamachi (geisha district) of Pontocho as well as geisha communities of different stripes elsewhere in Japan -- let the reader in on a very personal part of the geisha world that no other author in my opinion has truly touched, or could, really. Dalby was singularly qualified for the role as a geisha, as she could speak Japanese, play the shamisen and had the appropriate connections, and as a geisha herself (versus an interviewer who would always be external in some way), more doors were opened to her, through both internal connections (her relationship with the Pontocho mothers and her onesan) and the trust that these enigmatic women were willing to put in one of their kind.

Dalby's ability to story-tell also lends a quality of magic to the analysis. Even simple stories about floating paper lanterns on the Kamo River or stopping with the three geisha mothers to watch an old-style candymaker draw the reader in with their unselfconscious charm and personal allure. Without this sort of skill, even an intelligent analysis of the subject could be very dull, but her ability to shape the smaller stories within the overall experience make for more intimate and memorable peeks into her life as a geisha, rather than a "just the facts, ma'am" approach.

I have read some reviews juxtaposing this work with other more recent books on the subject of geisha, and one of the complaints other readers seem to have about this book is that it is somewhat out of date. True, it was originally written in the 1970s, after Dalby had completed her time in the geisha world. To me this indicates that this book was one of the first to address this subject in an objective manner and didn't just jump on the "Memoirs of a Geisha" bandwagon. In my opinion it is the definitive book on the subject, and given its unique perspective it is all the more valuable. If a reader read this book and no others on the subject, he or she would still be well informed about the geisha world, as well as entranced by its mystery, made somewhat less elusive by Liza Dalby's sensitive tour of the inner corridors of the hanamachi of Kyoto.

What better way to finish Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden than by picking up this book. Unlike Memoirs this is a real story (although Liza Dalby, as an American anthropology student, isn't a 'real' geisha but a curiosity). She tell us in immaculate detail the trials, dilemmas and joys of geisha life. From the intricacies of the kimono to correct manners she straightens out those who believe that a geisha is merely a prostitute. One of the many fascinating elements in this book was her description (from her experience) of what geisha are like in different areas of Japan. The only thing I wanted was more photos. It would have been lovely to see some large colour photos of her time as a geisha.Regardless, by the end you are hoping that this small and beautiful 'water and willow' world never disappears.

I was living near Tokyo in 1976, the time when Liza Dalby was a geisha, so that in itself made me drawn to read her fascinating book. My view then and up until I read "Geisha" was quite limited. Like most people, I was intrigued about the intimate details of geisha life, and Dalby's book satisfies the innate curiosity to the fullest. Like the previous reviewer, I became aware of this book after reading "Memoirs of a Geisha" by Golden. Now I want to read more on the subject. Absolutely great reads, both of them.

After seeing a special on television about geisha, and hearing Liza Dalby's book mentioned, I rushed to buy it. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I was fascinated by the detail and description of the geisha lifestyle, and was amazed that I knew so little about it. As soon as I finished it, I read Memoirs of a Geisha by John Golden, and enjoyed that as well as it took me into a fictitious account of the world.

If you have just read MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA and are interested in learning more about the world of geisha, their history, and culture, then this is a great place to start. It was written in the seventies, so may be somewhat out of date now, but it is in many ways the foundational work for much of what has been written on geisha.

Liza Dalby presents a broad and comprehensive look at all aspects of geisha life, and unlike many other works on geisha, also explores the lives and status of geisha *outside* the famed Kyoto geisha districts, including those of geisha in other big cities such as Tokyo, and those of geisha working at less-glamorous places such as at seaside vacation resorts--which sets her apart from most works I have read on geisha, which only focus on Kyoto and sometimes only on Gion. She explores the historical origins of geisha and presents sometimes surprising facts (such as that, way back when, the profession that eventually developed into the modern geisha was originally all-male), as well as exploring the ways in which geisha differed from yujo, the courtesans of the pleasure quarters.

However, be warned: this is not a story, not a biography and not a memoir. Dalby's book is an anthropological work (Dalby herself is an anthropologist, I believe) and is written in what is a popular style for scholarly anthropological literature, interweaving personal experience with information collected from interviews with her subjects with historical references and references to other such literature. From some of the reviews, it seems that some have found this style off-putting, which is fair enough. Despite this, her book is never dry and dull, nor boring, and is filled with much information which is essential to anyone wanting to begin learning more about geisha.

Despite my book review title, "Geisha" is an excellent read.

However, I do feel it is necessary to provide a caveat to alert potential readers that the focus of "Geisha" is to provide a cultural, social, and historical examination of geishas' role in Japan. The author's secondary intent is to dissolve non-Japanese (i.e., Western) perceptions of what being a geisha means to both geisha themselves and Japan as a nation.

With the (well-deserved) popularity of Arthur Golden's novel "Memoirs of a Geisha" and the upcoming movie version set to debut in December 2005, I am sure there will be many people who seek this book out to satisfy their curiosity. But again, this is *not* a fictionalized account of life as geisha.

Considering the book is nearly 20 years old (it was originally published in 1983) I found the subject matter riveting. Dalby used her unique position as the sole American woman (at that time) to serve as a geisha in order to examine their role, impact and influence in Japan.

The result is both academic and extremely personal as Dalby uses both personal anecdotes and historical references to highlight the intricacies of geisha culture.

Initially, the book reads more like a dissertation, however Dalby's writing style quickly relaxes and she is able to paint a vivid picture of the "flower and willow world". Dalby utilizes personal stories of geisha she befriended in Japan that successfully humanizes her analysis.

Relating the life stories of the geisha she met during the course of her book creates an emotional connection that allows the reader to better understand a culture one may not be familiar with.

Overall, a very compelling picture of an important aspect of Japanese culture.

This book is Dalby's definitive work on perhaps the most secret, the most mysterious, and certain the most provocative aspect of Japanese society - the Geisha.

Dalby does a masterful job in showing Western culture the ins and outs of the Japanese geisha society and does an excellent job correcting many of the misconceptions about geishas. What better person to write a social and cultural history on geishas than a person who knows the language and was accepted into that exclusive niche of that cultural.

I would like to give Ms. Dalby especial praise for her excellent detail and descriptions on the meaning of kimono, for which there must have been enough because she wrote an entire book dedicated to that subject matter. I feel that the author gives a well thought out and analytical study of the history of the geisha society - what it was then and how it became what it is today.

This book is a great read. Dalby's style makes this book flow. It certainly is NOT your typically dry non-fiction historical analysis.

I consider this Dalby's best work to date. It is an outstanding piece of non-fiction and a top source for information on geishas and their lives, heirarchy, history, culture, art, etc.