Memoirs of a Geisha

This book was AWESOME: it was hard to put down, the story went by fast, and was really creative! The only thing that confused me is that it's called a "Memoir" but was written by a man...? Either way, I disregarded that fact and enjoyed the story because it was beautifully crafted and left me thinking about the characters long after the novel was done. The book was really interesting because you got to see Japan before, during and after WWII through the eyes of a geisha. I'd never known this before, but geishas were considered artists in the craft of entertainment: they learned instruments, dance, and conversation skills. Either way, this book gave both two insights into the life of a geisha: the good and the bad parts. Good, as in they got into a lot of aristocratic parties and met lots of people, Bad, as in their bodies were sold for money and they had no choice in life. For example, the main character, Chiyo (later known as Sayuri), was sold from her home to become a geisha, and had no say in what was going to happen in her future. Although this sort of thing happened in the past in the time of geishas, the story of Chiyo was quite an interesting one, and this book has come to be one of my favorites.