Time to (Re)Read Memoirs of a Geisha

[craftyT]

The movie comes out December 9th!

I hope the movie can keep the book's integrity... such a great read!

Memoirs of a Geisha (http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/memoirsofageisha/index.html)

[IrisHope]

I LOVED that book!!

[lawyerlee]

Ah, it was *so* good! :D

[msnicolea]

I can't wait to see the movie--I adore Ziyi Zhang--she rocked in Crouching Tiger. . .

[VASLP]

That was one of my favorite all time reads. In fact I've had to re-buy the hard cover 3 times because I keep lending it out and people seem to love it as much as I do, and never give it back! :rolleyes: I try to keep a collection of all my favorite books in hardcover. It also helps my hubbie know that if it is a hardcover book, he should ask before letting someone borrow it. (My house is a bit like a library for our friends :rolleyes: )

[jenahdawn]

I keep buying used copies because I keep giving them away, so I should invest in a hard cover one....mostly because my first one was on the verge of falling apart.

What I love about it is that I can pick it up and open it to ANYWHERE and just read.

I'm curious about the movie. It's been through so many directors and such....I just hope it's good.

[Vishenka69]

I didn't even know about the movie. Can't wait to see it. I absolutely loved the book but then lent it to a friend and never saw it again. I'm just afraid that if I reread it now, I won't like the movie as much. I always prefer books to the movies.

[msnicolea]

I hope they are going to stay fairly true to the book--Ang Lee is directing, I think, so I am confidant it will be a good one!

[lawyerlee]

There is a nice blurb about the movie in the new Premiere magazine. It sounds like it is going to be really good. :)

[singerwife]

If any of you are interested in the whole geisha theme, Sayo Masadu's "Autobiography of a Geisha" is really good, too...and read a lot more gritty/authentic to me. She's illiterate and more representative of, (imo) the more typical geisha process.

It's not as smoothly written, but some of the passages were so amazingly detailed. I loved it, in a lot of ways, much more than Memoirs of a Geisha.

http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/9800000/9802382.gif

[jenahdawn]

I LOVE Liza Dalby's "Geisha: An Anthropological Study". She helped Arthur Golden with MoaG.

[SiValleySteph]

I swear Memoirs of a Geisha was/is one of my favorite books and I've read it 2-3 times. BUT ... what happens in this book? I'm remembering as just the life story of a geisha. What I remember loving is the detailed explanations of being a Geisha. I don't remember anything really happening. Obviously I need to reread, but was their enough of a plot for a movie?

Does it bother anyone that Ziyi Zhang is Chinese not Japanese? Seems a little odd to me (although I've heard of Latinos playing Native Americans and whatever, so I guess it's not too unusual).

[jenahdawn]

MoaG: Quick and Dirty

Follows the story of Sayuri, sold as a young girl, to a geisha house, "used as a pawn" against a mean geisha (I put it that way, because, after reading, you know the truth), and her life, including falling in love....I don't want to say too much if there's someone who has never read it.

There is PLENTY for a movie, almost too much. Just re-read it, or parts of it, you'll remember.

[SiValleySteph]

There is PLENTY for a movie, almost too much. Just re-read it, or parts of it, you'll remember.

Thanks! I definitely need to re-read before the movie. I have the book at my parents house (unless someone borrowed it and didn't return it), so I'll have to get my mom to bring it out to me.

I hate how I can't remember what happens even in books I've read multiple times! :rolleyes:

[jenahdawn]

Oh, I get that way, and sometimes, with multiple books by the same author, I can't remember which events happened in which books. Hate that!

[enchantingdragon]

Ill chime in and say this is ony of my favorite books ever. Its so beautifully written and I cant wait to see the movie (though Im not sure how much they will actually stick to the real book) I have also began to read the Autobiography of a Geisha mentioned by someone (cant remember who now) else earlier and I agree its more gritty and telling but very good as well

[SiValleySteph]

My parents brought the book to me this weekend, so I've just started the re-read! I'm so glad to read it again. I moved away 5+ years ago, so it's been a while. It's all dog-earred from many readings before... a well loved book! :D

[Ohana]

SiValleySteph Yep, it bothers me that the title role didn't go to a Japanese woman. But I'm half Japanese, so I'm biased ;)

[ysolde]

Well, I figure if Andy Garcia can play an Italian-American in "Godfather, Part III," (and, IMHO, he was one of the best things in that movie) we are ready for racial and ethnic blind casting. As long as I get to see more of Andy Garcia. ;)

[Purple]

I loved this book and look forward to the movie even though I always prefer books over film. There are so many nuances and details of characters that are missed in movies. Now I will definitely re-read it before it comes out. I hope that I am not too disappointed in the movie though.

[SiValleySteph]

I just went and watched the preview. It looks pretty good! Of course, no one looks how I pictured them. :rolleyes:

I'm almost finished re-reading the book. I still love this book.

[LeslieR]

OMG, I loved this book. What made it even better for me was that I had no idea it was fiction until I was done. Blew me away.

[JFlo]

I read this book about a year ago and I loved it so much!

Not sure if I'll get around to seeing the movie because sometimes I think the movie can ruin a good book. But, I'll wait to make my decision after some movie reviews come out!

[Kaleidoscope]

So did anyone see the movie? If so, what did you think?

[KarenS]

Saw it, loved it. Really loved it. The cinematography and the lighting ... oh my Lord it was gorgeous.

They stuck very close to the book - some things were clipped out obviously for space ... but the story as a whole was kept very true to the book.

The acting was great and the costuming was amazing.

Yeah, I know ... a post full of superlatives ... but it was truly a wonderful movie, I thought. DH, who hasn't read the book, really liked it a lot, too, and was able to keep up fairly well, although he asked me a lot of questions afterwards.

karen

[LeslieR]

I've heard nothing but good things about the movie including that it was better than the book!:eek: I'm hoping to go see it on Thursday when DH is off and can watch the baby.:D

[sublime311]

Saw it, loved it. Really loved it. The cinematography and the lighting ... oh my Lord it was gorgeous.

They stuck very close to the book - some things were clipped out obviously for space ... but the story as a whole was kept very true to the book.

The acting was great and the costuming was amazing.

Yeah, I know ... a post full of superlatives ... but it was truly a wonderful movie, I thought. DH, who hasn't read the book, really liked it a lot, too, and was able to keep up fairly well, although he asked me a lot of questions afterwards.

karen
I totally agree with your review! I received the book and movie passes to see the movie for Christmas. I thought visually the movie was stunning. It was an amazing story, too and I am really looking forward to the book.

[jenahdawn]

I thought the cinematography and the scenery was GORGEOUS.

But, I think the book is MUCH better. I felt some things may have been a bit confusing if you didn't understand why the characters did what they did. (If you hadn't read the book)

[jenny0505]

Can't wait to see it. I loved the book the first time, and I'm enjoying it even more the second time around.

[olive]

I love the book as well but I wasn't totally satisfied with what happens to Sayuri. I don't want to disclose any details for those still reading. I am looking forward to seeing the film soon!

[Reenie]

Another person who loved it checking in. I haven't seen the movie yet, and to be honest, I'm a little afraid that I might be disappointed... seems like I always am disappointed in these cases.

[SiValleySteph]

I can't talk my DH into seeing it. :(

Looks like I'll be waiting for pay-per-view...

[Reenie]

I can't talk my DH into seeing it. :(


Yeah, mine said, "Well, I guess I'll see it with you, if The Producers and Pride and Prejudice aren't playing near here." Which pretty much means that he doesn't want to see it at all. :rolleyes: :( I'll have to round up a girl friend for the trip, I think.

[Ohana]

I can't talk my DH into seeing it. :(

Looks like I'll be waiting for pay-per-view...

You're not missing anything. It was terrible. I spent half of the movie hating it, most of the rest of the movie trying to like it, and only enjoying one scene.

I guess if the dialogue coach had helped Sayuri, Mameha, and Hatsumomo learn how to pronounce their freaking names properly, if the costumer had a clue about what a geisha really wears, and if the hairstylist bothered to read Arthur Golden's incredibly in depth description of a maiko's hair, it would have been much better. But as it was, I was so distracted by these inaccuracies that I just could not enjoy the movie at all.

[KarenS]

Wow. I didn't see that it was that inaccurate. I thought the costuming and the hair and makeup were quite good as did DH who has spent quite a bit of time in Japan and done a lot of studying on Japanese history. What were we missing?

Karen

[vancouvergirl]

Another person who loved it checking in. I haven't seen the movie yet, and to be honest, I'm a little afraid that I might be disappointed... seems like I always am disappointed in these cases.

me too! maybe i just won't see it and opt to re-read it again. nah, i'll probably succumb. :rolleyes:

[Ohana]

Wow. I didn't see that it was that inaccurate. I thought the costuming and the hair and makeup were quite good as did DH who has spent quite a bit of time in Japan and done a lot of studying on Japanese history. What were we missing?

Karen

Mostly, it was the costuming and hair on Hatsumomo's character that bothered me. She was a full fledged geisha the entire movie, yet many of her kimono were furisode (the kind with the sleeves that almost go to the ground). She also had a few scenes where her obi (the sash around her waist) was tied in very elaborate knots. I had simply been under the impression that the furisode and fancy obi knots were reserved for maiko. Geisha, as I understood it, dressed in more subdued colors with shorter sleeved kimonos, and wore simpler hairstyles without all the hair combs and such.

But really, it was the horrific pronunciation of "Sayuri", "Hatsumomo" and "okiya" and other Japanese words by the main female actors that made the entire movie like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. But Japanese is my first language, so I was biased.

[KarenS]

Ohana That's really interesting. Thanks for the information. :) Off to go do some research. See this is why I never get any real work done - I get caught up in interesting stuff like this and spend 3 hours digging around researching. It's a sick addiction! :)

Karen

[njdiva]

I saw the movie last night and was quite afraid that since I read the book some years before, that I would not remember the plot. But it literally came back to me rather quickly. I loved the movie - because I felt like it brought the words to life for me. The cinematography & costumes were beautiful. And I felt the little girl who plays a childd Sayuri was rather good...

I did feel like they used a lot of Japanese terms that were explained in the book but not in the movie - so I felt like if you were not familiar with the book you might have been a bit confused... (i.e. danna, okiya, etc..). I also would have liked to have them describe the differences in the kimono & hair styles for the full fledged geisha compared with an apprentice --- the book really goes into detail about this.
(I also went home to skim through the book and realized that they pretty much stuck to the overall storyline...)

But I can understand Ohana's frustration with their pronunciation - b/c since it is your first language you are more prone to pick out the mistakes.

[jenahdawn]

Karen,

To do some research, go to the library and get "Geisha: An Anthropological Study" by Liza Dalby. She also wrote "Kimono" (Which I desperately want)

She was the first (I still say only since I read this irritating little book by a pathetic wanna-be) western geisha. She goes into great detail. The book should be a text book, and I read it like a novel.

I swear, if I ever DO decide to go to grad school, my thesis will have something to do with kimono.

[KarenS]

Oooh... Thanks for the recommendation. I also put the other book that was recommended (up a ways, but can't find it quickly) on my library list. Hopefully they'll come in soon.

Karen