After reading Memoirs of a Geisha and loving it, I decided to read Geisha: A Life. It is Mineko Iwasaki's autobiography that was created after Memoirs was published. Memoirs of a Geisha was written from interviews with Mineko, who was displeased with the outcome of the book.
Let me start by saying I loved Memoirs of a Geisha. It was thrilling and I couldn't put the book down. After I finished it, I looked for similar books and seeing an autobiography by an actual Geisha, I had to read it and compare fiction to nonfiction.
I loved Geisha: A Life more than Memoirs of a Geisha, although at times, Geisha: A Life was a little difficult to read because it wasn't written to put readers in a trance.
Memoirs of a Geisha is meant to be enchanting and make readers wish they could have a glamorous career like a Geisha. Geisha: A Life gives the real details of a geisha, that are less flattering and reveal the long nights of entertaining ending at 3 am, early mornings starting at 6 am for practicing dance, studying, and doing household chores.
Mineko chose to become a Geisha while she was a toddler. She left her home and parents to live with strangers and a bitter older sister who tormented Mineko at any given chance.
What really inspired me from reading the book, was that Mineko was a fighter. She wanted to be the best and became the best. She inspired me to become my best as well. If Mineko made a mistake or was disappointed with something in her life, she would write it down and come up with ways to overcome it.
I'm not sure if everyone would connect with Mineko the same way I did, but for me, we are very similar. Mineko is constantly hiding in closets to be alone but she has one of the most social careers. I am similar where I prefer not to socialize, but I work in retail and with the general public.
I strongly suggest reading both books, one for enchantment and joy and one for growing and learning about an otherwise unknown culture.
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