Memoirs of a Geisha is a beautifully written book about a young girl named Chiyo, who was born in a fishing town in old Japan. When her mother died, her father, blind with devastation, sold her and her sister to become Geisha. Chiyo and her sister are torn apart and lead in separate ways. Chiyo is then thrust into a world of competition, struggle, and betrayal when she is sent to a house that is meant for Geisha, or an "Okiya." Upon her arrival, a Geisha named Hatsumomo looks upon Chiyo with green eyed jealousy, and is bent on making her life miserable. Chiyo must overcome Hatsumomo's torment and lose sight of escaping the Okiya, and look towards becoming a Geisha and reaching her full potential.
There are two main conflicts in this book that I can give away without revealing too much of the story. One of those conflicts is Hatsumomo. Hatsumomo is a Geisha that immediately hates Chiyo, calling her "the garbage" the minute that she walks into the Okiya. Every chance that Chiyo gets at becoming a Geisha, she is ruined by Hatsumomo. Hatsumomo is also the personal favorite of the owner of the Okiya, so there is nowhere for Chiyo to go, and no one to believe her when she protests that Hatsumomo tells nothing but lies. Chiyo's entire life is about to be ruined, thanks to a jealous, spoiled, and unlikeable Geisha. Another conflict is Chiyo's will for freedom. She always remembered her sister, and the little fishing town that she had once came from. All of those good memories clog her mind and strengthen her wishes to leave the Okiya. Always, she hates everything about that house. She hates the bossy staff, she hates Hatsumomo, and she hates not being able to see her sister. All if these reasons push her mind away from thoughts of becoming a Geisha, and she does not want to be one.
The theme of this story is redemption and determination. It is all about overcoming the odds, really wanting your potential goal, and not listening or caring about what other people might say or do on the way. Chiyo displays courage and determination, while also hiding a burning fear from herself and others. She is a very admirable character, and she grows tremendously over the course of the book.
Now I will share with you my review. I was quite hesitant about reading this, because I had never really read a book that had shown such propriety, culture, and sophistication. I remember that I saw the ads for the movie while I was at the movie theater, but I didn't know that it was based on a book. When I saw a friend reading it, I became interested. I got the book from a library, and I started to read it. Immediately, I was taken aback from the beautiful style and tone of the book. By the second chapter, I was already hooked. The writer had written the book so perfectly, that it seemed like I had felt every one of Chiyo's emotions while I was reading. I was sad when she had left her parents, I hated Hatsumomo, too, and wanted something bad to happen to her. I would recommend this book to everyone over the age of 12. Thanks for reading, tune in later!
No comments:
Post a Comment