'Intimate and brutal, written in cool, lucid prose it is a novel whose psychological empathy and historical truths are outstanding' Mail on Sunday

'Intimate and brutal, written in cool, lucid prose it is a novel whose psychological empathy and historical truths are outstanding' Mail on Sunday

'Intimate and brutal, written in cool, lucid prose it is a novel whose psychological empathy and historical truths are outstanding' Mail on Sunday

'Intimate and brutal, written in cool, lucid prose it is a novel whose psychological empathy and historical truths are outstanding' Mail on Sunday

'Intimate and brutal, written in cool, lucid prose it is a novel whose psychological empathy and historical truths are outstanding' Mail on Sunday

'Intimate and brutal, written in cool, lucid prose it is a novel whose psychological empathy and historical truths are outstanding'
Mail on Sunday

Exceptional and erotic
Literary Review

Exceptional and erotic
Literary Review

Intimate and brutal, written in cool, lucid prose it is a novel whose psychological empathy and historical truths are outstanding
Mail on Sunday

Intimate and brutal, written in cool, lucid prose it is a novel whose psychological empathy and historical truths are outstanding
Mail on Sunday

'Endless and fascinating - a narrative that is both gripping and beautifully paced - a wonderful read'
Observer

Endless and fascinating-a narrative that is both gripping and beautifully paced-a wonderful read
The Observer

'Endless and fascinating-a narrative that is both gripping and beautifully paced-a wonderful read' Observer

'Endless and fascinating-a narrative that is both gripping and beautifully paced-a wonderful read' Observer

'Endless and fascinating-a narrative that is both gripping and beautifully paced-a wonderful read' Observer

'Endless and fascinating-a narrative that is both gripping and beautifully paced-a wonderful read' Observer

'This is a high-wire act- Rarely has a world so closed and foreign been evoked with such natural assurance' New Yorker

'This is a high-wire act- Rarely has a world so closed and foreign been evoked with such natural assurance' New Yorker

'This is a high-wire act- Rarely has a world so closed and foreign been evoked with such natural assurance' New Yorker

'This is a high-wire act- Rarely has a world so closed and foreign been evoked with such natural assurance' New Yorker

'This is a high-wire act. Rarely has a world so closed and foreign been evoked with such natural assurance' New Yorker

'This is a high-wire act. Rarely has a world so closed and foreign been evoked with such natural assurance'
New Yorker

This book is exceptional
Daily Mail

Endlessly fascinating...a narrative that is both gripping and beautifully paced...a wonderful read
Observer

'Memoirs of a Geisha ' is the sort of novel that novel-lovers yearn for, which is to say, so convincing that while reading it you become transported to another time, another place, and feel you're listening and seeing with someone else's ears and eyes' Margaret Forster

This is one of those rare novels that evokes a vanished world with absolute conviction and in every detail...This book is exceptional
Daily Mail

'Memoirs of a Geisha ' is the sort of novel that novel-lovers yearn for, which is to say, so convincing that while reading it you become transported to another time, another place, and feel you're listening and seeing with someone else's ears and eyes' Margaret Forster

'Memoirs of a Geisha ' is the sort of novel that novel-lovers yearn for, which is to say, so convincing that while reading it you become transported to another time, another place, and feel you're listening and seeing with someone else's ears and eyes' Margaret Forster

'Memoirs of a Geisha ' is the sort of novel that novel-lovers yearn for, which is to say, so convincing that while reading it you become transported to another time, another place, and feel you're listening and seeing with someone else's ears and eyes' Margaret Forster

'Memoirs of a Geisha ' is the sort of novel that novel-lovers yearn for, which is to say, so convincing that while reading it you become transported to another time, another place, and feel you're listening and seeing with someone else's ears and eyes' Margaret Forster

'Memoirs of a Geisha ' is the sort of novel that novel-lovers yearn for, which is to say, so convincing that while reading it you become transported to another time, another place, and feel you're listening and seeing with someone else's ears and eyes' Margaret Forster

The sort of novel that novel-lovers yearn for, which is to say, so convincing that while reading it you become transported to another time, another place, and feel you are listening and seeing with someone else's ears and eyes
Margaret Forster,

Sayuri's memoirs reveal Golden to have great gifts of imaginative empathy...fascinating
Independent

An epic tale and a beautiful evocation of a rapidly vanishing world
The Times

A truly engrossing story. The reader suffers, triumphs, dreams and doubts with the heroine, all the way through...These memoirs are beautifully written
Sunday Express

A high-wire act... Rarely has a world so closed and foreign been evoked with such natural assurance
New Yorker

Sayuri tells the story of her life as a geisha with such gentle courtesy and determination that you are quickly brought under her spell. She takes you by the hand and leads you into a world that is both formal and intimatel a world that I had only glimpsed before in the fleeting and beautiful images of traditional Japanese ink painting... Memoirs of a Geisha is a wonderful achievement
Julia Blackburn,

beautifully written
Katie White, The Ting Tings, (favourite books choice), Marie Claire

A fascinating novel about a culture alien to us
Independent on Sunday

Josie Kung 12 August 2010

Brilliantly written, Memoirs of a Geisha takes you on a memorable journey of perseverance and rites of passage. The first person narrative and extraordinarily emotive writing style immediately garners readers’ sympathy as protagonist Chiyo is forced to learn and adapt to her unfortunate imprisonment in a new and foreign lifestyle.

We watch as Chiyo matures into an intelligent young woman who manages to takes full advantage of the single stroke of luck she was blessed with during her adolescence. Chiyo becomes one of the best geisha in Gion, adopting the name Sayuri in the process. However, despite her aptitude, Sayuri maintains a childish and seemingly hopeless dream, which creates a frustrating contrast to her competence as a geisha.

Every part of Sayuri’s life is gripping and engaging; the entire novel felt like one rollercoaster ride of tension. I would recommend it to anyone.