Memoirs of a Geisha

While Memoirs of a Geisha was a good read because of the way Arthur Golden writes and manages to create beautiful pictures with his words alone, the book itself sends - in my opinion - difficult messages. In the end it's just another story that describes, people who don't fulfil certain beauty standards - whether it might be female or male characters - you will never be good enough. I especially had problems with the way Nobu Toshikazu has been treated throughout the book. Even though he always had problems with showing emotions towards people; he always treated Sayuri with kindness. In his own way. And even though Nobu has been a good friend to Sayuri through the entire book, he never stood a chance. Which would be completely fine for me, if it was solely because Sayuri was in love with The Chairman (Iwamura Ken). Or because she simply didn't have any romantic affection for Nobu. But I could never once shake off the feeling, that she would've given him a chance if he didn't have scars from war over his face and body, and wasn't missing an arm. Writing a character in a way they don't fulfil "beauty standards" so they will never be good enough seems like a very weak excuse. What I disliked even more was the way the Minister was protrayed - as an incredibly fat man with disgusting habits. Solely for the reason that Sayuri sleeping with him to rid herself of Nobu will be a very uncomfortable experience. He could've had a terrible character. He could've been peculiar, creepy, demeaning, degrading, violent, and many other things to portray him as a character, who's not good to be around. But no, he had to be an incredibly obesed person with an enormous underbite in which saliva gathers in pools and who vomits himself and others because he drinks too much. As I mentioned already, this makes the experience of Sayuri sleeping with the Minister all the more horrific. He forces himself inside her. His saliva, which is of a grey colour and a thicker texture because he'd had squid guts a few minutes before, drips on her cheeks while they're in the act. You see, the Minister didn't have to be physically disgusting (as Golden writes in the book) for the whole encounter to be terrible. Arthur Golden manages to create well written characters. I felt like I could say things like "Mameha is a person who behaves this and that way" or "Nobu would never do such a thing, he's so much better than XY". I felt like I *knew* the characters. Which makes it all the way sadder that they're reduced to their looks.

Hach, wie schön die Geschichte doch ist... Man leidet ordentlich mit und freut sich ebenso! Klare Leseempfehlung!

Ich habe die Geisha schon vor einigen Jahren als Film gesehen und ihn seitdem immer wieder rauf und runter geguckt. Schon im Film habe ich Chiyo aka Sayuri mit den tiefblauen Augen geliebt. Und ich kann nur sagen, das Buch steht dem Film in nichts nach. Tatsächlich finde ich persönlich dass es gar keine allzu großen Unterschiede zwischen Buch und Film gibt. Viel eher habe ich beim lesen bzw. hören (das Hörbuch ist super vertont!) immer wieder die schönen Filmszenen vor Augen gehabt und die Atmosphäre in dieser Geschichte ist sooo atemberaubend. Ich liebe insbesondere die erste Hälfte des Buches in der wir die kleine Chiyo beim aufwachsen beobachten können bis hin zu ihrer Verwandlung in der wunderschöne Sayuri. DIe ganze Umgebung, die Darstellung der "Geisha-Kultur" ( sicherlich nicht genauso im echten Leben, dennoch schön zu lesen), die Charaktere und die Tänze, die Unterhaltungen in den Teehäusern und die Gedanken der Erzählerin ... ein Traum. Wenn ich so darüber nachdenke könnte ich es gleich nochmal lesen. Die zweite Hälfte der Geschichte fand ich schon immer weniger schön als die erste, natürlich ist die Erzählung dort auch düsterer. Trotzdem liebe ich jeden einzelnen Satz in dieser Geschichte. Bald werde ich mir das Gionviertel in Kyoto mit eigenen Augen ansehen und ich bin so gespannt. Ich liebe diese Geschichte, vielen Dank Arthur Golden für eines meiner Lieblingsbücher!

While Memoirs of a Geisha was a good read because of the way Arthur Golden writes and manages to create beautiful pictures with his words alone, the book itself sends - in my opinion - difficult messages. In the end it's just another story that describes, people who don't fulfil certain beauty standards - whether it might be female or male characters - you will never be good enough. I especially had problems with the way Nobu Toshikazu has been treated throughout the book. Even though he always had problems with showing emotions towards people; he always treated Sayuri with kindness. In his own way. And even though Nobu has been a good friend to Sayuri through the entire book, he never stood a chance. Which would be completely fine for me, if it was solely because Sayuri was in love with The Chairman (Iwamura Ken). Or because she simply didn't have any romantic affection for Nobu. But I could never once shake off the feeling, that she would've given him a chance if he didn't have scars from war over his face and body, and wasn't missing an arm. Writing a character in a way they don't fulfil "beauty standards" so they will never be good enough seems like a very weak excuse. What I disliked even more was the way the Minister was protrayed - as an incredibly fat man with disgusting habits. Solely for the reason that Sayuri sleeping with him to rid herself of Nobu will be a very uncomfortable experience. He could've had a terrible character. He could've been peculiar, creepy, demeaning, degrading, violent, and many other things to portray him as a character, who's not good to be around. But no, he had to be an incredibly obesed person with an enormous underbite in which saliva gathers in pools and who vomits himself and others because he drinks too much. As I mentioned already, this makes the experience of Sayuri sleeping with the Minister all the more horrific. He forces himself inside her. His saliva, which is of a grey colour and a thicker texture because he'd had squid guts a few minutes before, drips on her cheeks while they're in the act. You see, the Minister didn't have to be physically disgusting (as Golden writes in the book) for the whole encounter to be terrible. Arthur Golden manages to create well written characters. I felt like I could say things like "Mameha is a person who behaves this and that way" or "Nobu would never do such a thing, he's so much better than XY". I felt like I *knew* the characters. Which makes it all the way sadder that they're reduced to their looks.