Geisha
by Liza Dalby
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Book Reviews of Geisha
Book Review: Unbelievable
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading "Memoirs of a Geisha" I have become consumed with everything Japanese, geishas in particular. This book was the next to follow in my voracious appetite to learn everything geisha. What an experience Liz Dalby must have had when she gradually became a member in Pontocho's geisha community. I seriously doubt that there will be another American geisha in this lifetime. To read the difficulties becoming a geisha involves opened my eyes that nothing is all what it seems. Training to be a geisha isn't as easy as what most people probably thinks. Despite the lengthiness of the book, I could not put down the book. What makes this book special in comparison to other books on geishas is that the author isn't an outsider looking in. She drew upon her own experiences and that is why I love Liz Dalby's book more than the coffee table books on geishas.Book Review: Memoirs of a real geisha
Summary: 3 Stars
[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?
Book Review: GEISHA - immersion in the life
Summary: 5 Stars
Liza Dalby's book takes the reader on an imaginative journey through the Willow World, full of the many flavors and nuances that make up this very special part of Japanese society. Dalby's writing and observations are so wonderful that I was able to picture myself in her place as she gradually "became" a member of the Pontocho geisha sisterhood. This volume covers the joys, sadness, hard work and dedication inherent in geisha, from maiko to older, experienced women. I"ve been to Japan and Ms. Dalby was very accurate in her depiction of life in Japan and especially Kyoto. What an enjoyable and informative book!Book Review: Read this one before 'Memoirs of a Geisha'.
Summary: 5 Stars
Extraordinarily well written by a first-rate cultural anthropologist. No guesswork or fantasies here. The book itself is well designed and easy to read, with a wealth of detailed information. My only complaints: It's printed on very cheap paper that discolors easily. Not enough photos. Those used are poor quality and none of them are in color. Otherwise, 'Geisha' is highly recommended.Book Review: Behind the Flower and Willow World...
Summary: 5 Stars
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.