Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

In 1997, the book "Memoirs of a Geisha" was published. The circulation was four million copies. The author of the book - Arthur Golden - instantly became famous all over the world. The book was loved by millions of readers, but the woman, whose biography the author referred to when creating the image of the main character, the work caused an uproar. Who served as the prototype for the character of the famous novel? What caused this man's anger? Arthur Golden's book "Memoirs of a Geisha" is the topic of the article.

East and West

Who are geishas? Not every European will be able to answer this question. Only those who study the culture of Japan or are connoisseurs of the traditions of the Land of the Rising Sun. Or read a book written by an American Japanese scholar named Arthur Golden.

The attitude towards geishas in the mass consciousness of Europeans in the last century was dismissive. Representatives of this profession, according to the majority, were the standard of Japanese beauty. Butafter all, the main duty of geishas is to entertain we althy guests. This means that they are beautiful, frivolous and do not tend to think about issues of morality and morality. Fans of the novel, which Arthur Golden created in the late nineties of the twentieth century, will not agree with such statements. "Memoirs of a Geisha" is the story of an educated, thinking, strong and, most importantly, capable of true love.

Book about Japan

It would be unfair to say that before Arthur Golden wrote the book that became a bestseller, the inhabitants of Europe and America were ignorant of the national Japanese traditions. But nevertheless, it was "Memoirs of a Geisha", and in most cases a film adaptation of this novel, that gave many inhabitants the right idea about the customs and traditions of the most mysterious and original people in the world.

Geisha means "man of art" in Japanese. She wears a kimono, her face has a specific make-up. But most importantly, a geisha knows how to keep up a conversation on an intellectual topic, knows how to properly conduct a tea ceremony, knows how to dance. At the same time, a representative of this profession never breaks subordination in communication with guests.

It is impossible to write a book about Japan without having a deep knowledge of the history and culture of this country. Who is Arthur Golden? Why did he take it upon himself to tell the story of one of the world's most famous geishas?

About the author

What else, besides the famous work, did Arthur writeGolden? His books are probably in the process of being created. To date, Golden's only work is the novel discussed in this article.

The writer became interested in the culture of Japan in his student years. At the university, he studied the history of Asia and even mastered the complex Chinese dialect. He received his master's degree in 1980. Of course, Golden specialized in Japanese art history, but after graduating from the university he went to Beijing. And only a few months later he ended up in Tokyo.

Litigation

During my stay in the Japanese capital, Golden had the idea to create a novel about one of the most amazing social and cultural phenomena in this country. But in order to write a work of art about the life of geisha, it is not enough to know about them only what is said in historical literature. Golden was lucky: he met one of the representatives of this profession.

After the publication of the novel, the writer was sued by a woman named Mineko Iwasaki. It was on her that the author relied, creating a portrait of the geisha Sayuri. What caused Iwasaki's discontent? A geisha with many years of experience claimed that Golden divulged personal information, which caused the anger of the former patrons of the Japanese beauty.

Mineko Iwasaki

At one time she was the highest paid geisha in Japan. Iwasaki retired from the profession at the age of twenty-nine. At the heart of Golden's novel is the story of this woman. Iwasaki told about her life to the writer, but only on the condition that her name would not be mentioned in the novel. Golden did not hold backpromises.

In the preface to the novel, the author named her name, and many others. In addition, the geisha was outraged by the lie, which, in her opinion, was present in the work of the American writer. Mineko Iwasaki never sold her virginity, and called the chapters of the novel about "mizuage" slander.

Litigation ended in reconciliation. The writer paid Iwasaki the amount, the amount of which remained a secret.

Reviews

What is the reason for the popularity of a book about a Japanese woman? Why do European readers love the work created by the American writer Arthur Golden?

"Memoirs of a Geisha" tells the story of the plight of a girl from a poor family. The character of the inhabitants of Japan is incomprehensible to the inhabitants of the USA, France, Germany or Russia. The book reveals the unknown side of life in the Land of the Rising Sun. And that is why the work captures from the first pages. The light style of narration should also be attributed to the merits of the novel. And most importantly, a lot of interesting facts. However, those who have studied the history of Japan and lived in this amazing country for many years are likely to find flaws in Golden's prose.

True Memoirs

In response to Golden's sensational novel, Mineko Iwasaki wrote her memoirs. She called the book The Real Memoirs of a Geisha. Iwasaki's work did not gain wide popularity. Rather, her book interested readers because it was the result of a conflict between a former geisha and the author of a famous novel. Golden's Memoirs are written in good literary language. There may be less truth in them than in Iwasaki's writing, but for readers, the exciting plot is a priority, and not how much it describes the events that happened in reality.