madness_personified's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
An in depth look at geishas as well as other surrounding Japanese history. Includes personal stories from geishas the author met and interviewed. Very informative and highly detailedÂ
crispinsday's review
informative
medium-paced
4.0
An interesting book which covers both the history of the geisha and an exploration of modern (late 1990s) geisha districts across Japan, with interviews with geisha, meiko, and people associated with the world, from wigmakers to customers. My main complaint is that the author leaves unexamined some occasional contradictions in the text/story, and also absorbs and reflects some pretty heavy misogyny about 'wives'.
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