Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36888 in Books
• Published on: 2000-09-28
• 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

Synopsis
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.

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

Geisha
In `Geisha' Liza Dalby has managed to write a book studying the lives of Geisha and how their art developed, whilst at the same time making it flow like a novel. This book is an in-depth look at Geisha life and also touches upon general life in Japan as well, which makes for fascinating and captivating reading. It is illustrated throughout with photos and a few charts/graphs to demonstrate points made. Liza is the only (at the time of writing) foreigner to be introduced into the Geisha world and this affords her, and us, with a unique insight into the traditions and lifestyle of Geisha. She writes with genuine humour and with sympathy for the lives Geisha lead and the sacrifices they make for their art and this is passed on to the reader. I found myself completely immersed in the lifestyles and aspirations of those described and had a deeper understanding of Geisha life as a result. An informative read, written in a beautiful way, what more can you ask for?

A wonderful peek into a secret world
It is probably worth mentioning after reading previous reviews of this book, it is NOT fiction like Memoirs Of A Geisha. This is a true life account of an American women living amongst Geisha. Liza Dalby's writing brings to life the secret 'flower and willow' world before the readers very eyes. It is a touching and personal account with well researched facts peppered amongst Liza's own experiences. I would recommend this book to anyone, who like me has a huge interest in the rarely viewed world of the Geisha.

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...