"Whatever our struggles and triumphs, however we may suffer them, all too soon they bleed into a wash, just like watery ink on paper."
Arthur Golden's prose is stunning, there's no denying, but talk about tedious! Don't get me wrong, I adored the story, but it is just so wordy and heavily written at times. Granted, I would rather read a book that is over-written than under-written. And I wouldn't consider Memoirs of a Geisha to be overwritten, anyway; it is just the right amount of written. Descriptive narration makes up a majority of the text, leaving only a small percentage to dialogues, which is likely why this novel comes across so heavily.
I was completely immersed in the world, the scenery, and the drama of Gion district, Kyoto. This is one of those instances of a book transporting the reader to another time, place, and culture and letting them experience a whole new life for a little while.
Yet, even alongside this remarkable, languid prose, for me, it was the characters that stood out. Each character is unique, individual, fully realized. Every action and interaction is heartfelt and believable. I find it hard to believe that these characters are all fictional!
Coming back around to what I disliked, I did find Sayuri's end goal and the finale of the novel to be lacking. I am all for hopeless romance, but it was a little a lot disappointing for the entire 400+ page book to lead up to a half-hearted happy ending. Though I loved the intricacies throughout, on the whole, I wish that there had been more substance to the major plot.
Overall a beautiful novel, Memoirs of a Geisha didn't amaze and astound as I was expecting. 3/5 Stars
Find all of my reviews at goodreads.com/warpedshelves
Happy reading!
Audrey, Warped Shelves
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