Negative Positive
Title: fascinating story about the mysterious tradition of Geisha
Review: I first learned about this book from listening to Arthur Golden's interview on National Public Radios' "Fresh Air". A story about a Geisha written in first person by a western MAN sounded intriguing. A most difficult feat, but Golden manages to pull it off. In the interview, Golden described how he completed the research for this book and why his earlier attempt at writing in another voice besides first person failed. The details Golden adds when describing the rituals and training of young Sayuri, the Geisha-to-be is what I enjoyed most about this book. The Geisha tradition is very foreign to me as an American who has never traveled to the far east, and has limited exposure to Asian culture, firsthand. The story of Sayuri's life is very sad, but the reader is rooting for this strong willed woman to survive and overcome the tragedies of her early life. I think this book is destined to be a classic like Pearl Buck's "The Good Earth."
Is the review positive or negative? 