An Insight

I am not really keen on war time books, or more generally any depressing books. I am a very 'happy-ending' kind of a person. 

There is a little story behind how I got the book. It was one of those stressful weeks at work when once I am out for lunch I have no will to go back. I had to do some errands that day during lunch and had already used up most of my 45 minutes when I thought to give myself a quick visit to the library (with no hopes of finding a book, only greedy for the aroma of a room full of books). 

I just glanced through the fiction stands and saw a book titled something like 'The Story of A...'. I don't know why but it reminded me of Memoirs of a Giesha! I thought oh it would have been nice if I had found Memoirs instead and guess what - on the next stand - not in alphabetical order - I found it!! One can guess how happy it made me feel to have been granted a tiny wish on a stressful day :))

I took my own time (had to re-issue it twice before) to get into it. Once I went past the first 20-30 pages, it was difficult to put down. One of the reasons I have taken to reading so strongly is because they give the power to transport myself into another world. Memoirs of a Geisha did it very effectively for me. It was indeed an insight into a world I had not heard/read much about. I did know what Geisha means (thanks to a BBC documentary) but none of the little nuances of their lives. It was a difficult to believe, yet  captivating story. 

Having been brought up in a certain school of thought, I couldn't agree with the author when the profession of a Geisha was equalled to something sacred and 'art'. Perhaps now, after I have read the book, I can see an element of art in the job, and the discipline of an artist in their lives, but beyond that I can't see the glory. 

Also, some of the decisions by the protagonist were not very convincing. As a woman I found myself at conflict with the 'need' of a man driving some one's life for 50 years!

Though the way the book is written is quite good. I enjoyed little 'foot notes' from the narrator about the Japanese culture and contrasts with Western ways. There is also an autobiographical feel to the book, which lends it more credibility. A book like this is almost at the cusp of fiction and non-fiction.

As with most books I read, I looked it up on the Internet and came across the statement from the inspiration behind 'Sayuri'. It made me realise that I was not reading a real story, but a novel with a 'fictional' disclaimer.

However, it did sour the experience a bit for me. 

Strangely I don't feel any thing for the author.  I don't know whether it is a complement for the author or not that I came away from the book thinking that it was 'Sayuri''s tale told as it happened. The author in my interpretation was only recording.

Kudos to the author for being able to let his characters do the talking without making the readers feel that he 'wrote' it.

Overall a very well written depressing insight into lives of Geisha 60-70 years ago (if I take it to be non-fiction) and a decent plot (if I take it as a fiction).