© Jofer Serapio

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

The first time I got around to reading this wonderful book was years ago. I think I was still in grade school that time, perhaps in the 5th or 6th grade. My copy was borrowed from an old friend, a girl, who found the book to be boring and so I pitied her for she never really found it in herself to appreciate such wondrous literature.

The story is told from the point of view of Sayuri Nitta, a retired and exiled geisha who is now living in the Waldorf Towers of New York City. She is interviewed by Jakob Haarhuis, a translator and professor of New York University. Both characters are obviously fictional. Apparently, the interaction of the two characters is a reference to Golden’s interview with a real retired geisha as research for the book. Flashbacks are utilized every now then as memoirs are made just for them. As for the geisha part? Well, Sayuri explains and describes the way of life as vividly as Golden wrote her to, which also makes this fiction quite culturally distinct and interesting.

I am rereading the classic out of nostalgia, mostly because I love reading classics for being classical. My current copy was borrowed from a Book Club friend, Angelica, and I thank her for the generosity and from the bottom of my literate heart.

I’ve always been a fan of stories that display culture different from what I’ve grown up with. It functions like a window, a portal, to another world, to another time. Books like this made me love literature to an extent that it goes beyond the normal.

Golden gives the reader access inside the lifestyle of a geisha. His characters are wonderfully woven and if Sayuri was real, I’d welcome and love the chance to meet her.

A full review will be posted right after I finish reading Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.

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On a personal note, I just came home from Replika (my sociorealist art guild)’s first ever workshop seminar with the likes of George Calaor. The turn out wasn’t that great but it wasn’t so lackluster either. It was an acceptable start.

Aside from that, I also gave a lecture on Sportswriting in the RSHS VI Basic Campus Journalism Training and Workshop 2009 a few hours ago.

…and I got two new books from my mom: Blaze by Stephen King (as Richard Bachman) and At Some Disputed Barricade by Anne Perry.

† Jofer