I just read a great book, "Memoirs of a Geisha". I have not seen the movie yet, but the book was fab. I had read "Autobiography of a Geisha", but it was much more slow-moving, and, uh, boring.
It reminded me of living in China, although Japanese culture is very different. But it is closer in societal thinking than, say, European thought. The way everyday things are described and metaphored to nature sounds very much like traditional Chinese literature. The elegance of simple items, such as the colors in a kimono, a hair ornament, or the bitterness of the Sake are exquisitely described. Also, it gives great insight into the world of Geishas and how Japanese do business. If you were a feminist independent woman in Japan, you would want to be a Geisha, as they were allowed more freedom and education than most any other group of women.
I guess as you grow older in life, you start having more patience, especially with books. It doesn't have to be an edge-of-your-seat book anymore, you have more patience and appreciation for the book to reveal itself to you, to slowly unfold its pages to you as you leisurely imagine the backdrop and the characters.
The irony was, I couldn't put it down! I finished it in like 4 days. Great book!
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2 comments:
I love this book, too! It was a delicious, delicate read, like a finely made yellowtail and scallion roll. I ate it alive.
The movie's good, but the book has much more richness, and the movie's pretty rich.
It's startling to see her eyes in the film, though. It makes you understand why they thought so highly of them.
xoxo Rose
See you soon!
I guess I'll have to rent it this weekend!
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