A review by corruptednatz
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

First things first, the reader has to tolerate young girls entertaining older men. It is a different time period and it was kind of hard for me to get past but I digress. I have a huge problem with the main character Chiyo or Sayuri later on, she was relatable in the beginning with her family situation and her move from a small fishing village to the big city to become a geisha and how she didn’t want that lifestyle. I felt her emotions but afterwards she’s become unlikable. Shes rather boring and is uncomfortably obsessed with this older man. Shes brainless and only thinks of him like a stalker and she said she has no purpose without him, which struck me as weird. Also similes EVERYWHERE. I almost starting counting them. So overused to the point the simile lost its meaning or became confusing, it didn’t help chiyo would talk to people like she’s reciting a poem. And the ending was not what I expected just like the author ran out of steam and quickly made an ending.
The ending is dumb. She works so hard to become a geisha and win the affections of this man just to become his mistress and kicked out of her home basically.
 

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