Jan 3, 2010

Memoirs of a Geisha | Critical Overview

A first-person account of a geisha’s life written by a man from Tennessee seemed an unlikely success, but Memoirs of a Geisha proved a hit with readers and critics alike. Brad Hooper of Booklist describes the book as “sparkling” and commends Golden’s “thorough research.” People Weekly reviewer Lan N. Nguyen finds the novel “lyrical” and “evocative.” Nguyen adds that despite Golden’s tendency to overnarrate and skim Sayuri’s emotions, “his elegant language” and ability to transport the reader to such an unusual setting makes up for the...