Product Description

Published with a new preface, this bestseller offers an intimate glimpse into a unique female community. Liz Dalby, the only non-Japanese woman ever to have trained as a geisha, reveals the realities of geisha life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #143306 in Books
• Published on: 2000-09-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
In the mid-1970s, an American graduate student in anthropology joined the ranks of white-powdered geisha in Kyoto, Japan. Liza Dalby took the name Ichigiku and apprenticed in the famed Pontocho district, trailing behind "older sisters" bemused by this long-legged Westerner intent on learning their arts and customs. In Geisha, this observant ethnographer paints an intoxicating picture of the "flower and willow world" to which she gained entry. "Why are you studying geisha?" asks one slightly belligerent older sister. "Geisha are no different from anybody else." Not quite, says Dalby dryly, pointing out that geisha and wives play utterly divergent, though complementary, roles in traditional Japanese society. "Geisha are supposed to be sexy where wives are sober, artistic where wives are humdrum, and witty where wives are serious." While hardly feminists, they reap freedoms unknown to other women. Dalby illustrates broader cultural differences, too, with a million tiny details about boisterous customers, how many hundred-weight of tabi (split-toed socks) geishas go through, what defines iki (chic), why maiko (young apprentices) are drawn to the life, and what geisha wear, from the skin out. Acknowledging that her growing personal stake in the masquerade prevented objectivity, Dalby frees the reader to enjoy a fluid and fascinating look at one aspect of Japanese culture. --Francesca Coltrera

About the Author
Liza Dalby is an anthropologist specialising in Japanese culture, and the only Westerner to have become a geisha, which she did as research for her PhD and definitive ethnography, Geisha (1983). She is a consultant on Steven Spielberg’s film of Memoirs of a Geisha. She lives in Berkeley, California, with her husband and three children.

Customer Reviews

Fabulous insight into the world of Geisha
After reading 'Memoirs of a Geisha' I became somewhat enchanted by this magical world of Geisha. Since then I have read many (both fictional and non-fictional) books on this subject. Liza Dalby's 'Geisha' is a truly fabulous look into the historical background and changing nature of these women. At times the prose tends to read a bit like an essay or dissertation and you get the feeling that she has tried a bit too hard to include pompous and sometimes unecessarily 'flowery' language often with complex and overpowering sentence structures. The book would simply not be the same though without these aspects, it is after all not a novel about Geisha. Once you get used to re-reading parts that are especially thick and in-depth the book does become more enjoyable. This is a highly intelligent and educational book, though, which may account for some of the opulent grammar and language. Having said that, I particularily like the inclusion of photographs to highlight certain parts of the text. The factual content is, however, one of the best I have come across. If 'Memoirs of a Geisha' inspired you to find out more about the customs, traditions and rituals involved in a Geisha's life then this is a wonderful book for you. Although, I would recommend reading 'Memoirs of a Geisha' first as a 'taster' as this might be a bit heavy for those who do not have the craving to learn more about the intruiging world of Geisha.

An interesting and intelligent insight into this vanishing way of life
After reading many reviews of this book, I do feel that people have misunderstood it. Just to get one thing clear, this book isn't some romantic work of fiction like 'Memoirs of a Geisha', it reads more like a text book with some personal experiences thrown in.

I don't think Liza Dalby ever meant to become a geisha in the formal sense, she was there to do research for a dissertation or thesis of some kind on the subject. Many people have pointed out that her attending social occasions as a geisha without having years of training etc makes a mockery of the whole profession. This could not be further from the truth.

Liza Dalby writes with intelligence and emotion and provides the reader with one of the most informative works on the subject that I have encountered. She covers every subject from the history of the geishas, to the instruments they play and how they dress. The book can be quite heavy going at times, but it is worth sticking to. If you are a fan of 'Memoirs of a Geisha' (as I am), then this is certainly worth checking out.

Another book worth checking out is 'Geisha of Gion' by Mineko Iwasaki.

Fact, not Fiction!
This is a very interesting book that gives a valuable insight into the world of geisha. As a more accessible text based on an anthropologist's study, it achieves an in depth look at history, tradition and the geisha world of thirty years ago from the point of view of an outsider who became accepted into the Pontocho community. It is well written and presented in a format that can be dipped in and out of with ease, with excellent notes, glossary and indexing.

Unlike some other reviewers on this page, I have read and re-read this book, and frequently use it for reference. The background information about such topics as the different geisha districts in Kyoto, geisha names etc. is excellent in helping the reader's greater understanding of the subject.

I would recommend following up this book by reading the autobiography "Geisha of Gion", by Mineko Iwasaki, which is a highly personal account by the leading geisha of the 1960s, in contrast to Dalby's more objective study.

Readers, please remember that Arthur Golden's "Memoirs of a Geisha" is fiction! If you are looking for "racy" fiction, full of vague details about "oriental life", this is NOT the book for you...