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Autobiography of a Geisha
Sayo Masuda was a geisha at a hot springs resort, where the realities of sex for sale are unadorned by the trappings of wealth and power. Remarkable for its wit and frankness, the book is a moving record of a woman's survival on the margins of Japanese society—in the words of the translator, "the superbly told tale of a woman whom fortune never favored yet never defeated."
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
About the author
Sayo Masuda
3 books10 followersMasuda was born in 1925, near the town of Shiojiri in Nagano Prefecture. During her later teen years, into her early twenties, she was an onsen geisha at a hot-spring resort in Japan. After this, she became a prostitute, vigorously protesting the passage of anti-prostitution laws. She eventually got a job making soap for a Korean worker, which she held for several months. When the soap business failed, she began drinking heavily, which led to her near death from liver failure and a suicide attempt. She survived and quit drinking, and when she had sufficiently recovered, she began to look after children, eventually becoming a full-time caretaker for several years. Eventually, she was able to open her own restaurant, and ran it for several decades. As a result of heavy drinking in her twenties, she died of liver cancer on June 26th, 2008.
Masuda wrote her autobiography between the years of 1956 and 1957. She had never learned to read more than hiragana, and wrote her entire book in it. Her editors worked carefully to convert her work into the standard kanji while preserving the feeling of her original writing.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Masuda wrote her autobiography between the years of 1956 and 1957. She had never learned to read more than hiragana, and wrote her entire book in it. Her editors worked carefully to convert her work into the standard kanji while preserving the feeling of her original writing.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 232 reviews
August 25, 2013
Very recently I read Mineko Iwasaki's Geisha: A Life and I had a lot to say about that one. I have a lot less to say about Sayo Masuda's personal account of her life as a country resort geisha in the days before WWII; in short, it's less procedural than Iwasaki's book, but far more touching, and I liked it much more.
Iwasaki's world was one of privileged luxury, consummate arts training, the glamour of Kyoto's Gion Kobu district, and the wealth and prestige that came with being a high-class geiko. Masuda's story begins with crushing poverty and borderline starvation, resulting in her sale by her own family into a crowded, low-class okiya in the town of Suwa, where the geisha practice is only thinly separated from sex work by a transparent veneer of training in shamisen and dance. The translator's introduction makes very clear the separation between the city geiko versus the country geisha, and having read both autobiographies the difference is as clear as night and day.
While Iwasaki did elaborate on the extensive training and entertainment work she did in the Kyoto teahouses and theater, Masuda chooses instead to focus on her inner life and the people around her. Her narrative voice is plain and clear, which is perhaps what makes her account so tragic to read. By contrast, Iwasaki's book read like an extended exercise in self-congratulation and her pursuit of fame and prestige is off-putting; in fact, I got the impression that Iwasaki was highly sheltered from the reality of geisha as sex workers outside of wealthy places like Kyoto, and at earlier times in history. Masuda entertains no illusions about her low status, nor does she feel fondly about the geisha tradition in her region. Her feelings extend beyond the sex work industry to the very problem of poverty that led her parents to sell their daughter for enough money to feed themselves for a month. Her conclusion to the book is a firm admonishment to would-be parents not to have a child lightly, because in her experience once a child is born into a world that doesn't want it, it's better for it to die than to grow up neglected and in misery as she did. It's a harsh truth that we still live with in the world, and while Masuda's account is very much of its time and place, the lessons she learned in her life transcend it. The honesty of her voice, and refusal to glamourize what she sees as a harmful practice, is much appreciated. It can be easy for readers who know little of the geisha tradition to decide that it's one of two extremes: a sex-free, elite form of artistic entertainment as shown in Iwasaki's autobiography, or else the glorified form of prostitution Masuda recounts; but indeed, as with any cultural institution in any place, the practices of geisha can't be considered a monolithic entity and one can easily find accounts by real practicing geisha from both sides of this perceptual divide, or even somewhere in between the two.
Iwasaki's world was one of privileged luxury, consummate arts training, the glamour of Kyoto's Gion Kobu district, and the wealth and prestige that came with being a high-class geiko. Masuda's story begins with crushing poverty and borderline starvation, resulting in her sale by her own family into a crowded, low-class okiya in the town of Suwa, where the geisha practice is only thinly separated from sex work by a transparent veneer of training in shamisen and dance. The translator's introduction makes very clear the separation between the city geiko versus the country geisha, and having read both autobiographies the difference is as clear as night and day.
While Iwasaki did elaborate on the extensive training and entertainment work she did in the Kyoto teahouses and theater, Masuda chooses instead to focus on her inner life and the people around her. Her narrative voice is plain and clear, which is perhaps what makes her account so tragic to read. By contrast, Iwasaki's book read like an extended exercise in self-congratulation and her pursuit of fame and prestige is off-putting; in fact, I got the impression that Iwasaki was highly sheltered from the reality of geisha as sex workers outside of wealthy places like Kyoto, and at earlier times in history. Masuda entertains no illusions about her low status, nor does she feel fondly about the geisha tradition in her region. Her feelings extend beyond the sex work industry to the very problem of poverty that led her parents to sell their daughter for enough money to feed themselves for a month. Her conclusion to the book is a firm admonishment to would-be parents not to have a child lightly, because in her experience once a child is born into a world that doesn't want it, it's better for it to die than to grow up neglected and in misery as she did. It's a harsh truth that we still live with in the world, and while Masuda's account is very much of its time and place, the lessons she learned in her life transcend it. The honesty of her voice, and refusal to glamourize what she sees as a harmful practice, is much appreciated. It can be easy for readers who know little of the geisha tradition to decide that it's one of two extremes: a sex-free, elite form of artistic entertainment as shown in Iwasaki's autobiography, or else the glorified form of prostitution Masuda recounts; but indeed, as with any cultural institution in any place, the practices of geisha can't be considered a monolithic entity and one can easily find accounts by real practicing geisha from both sides of this perceptual divide, or even somewhere in between the two.
August 27, 2011
Not just a good book, but an important one.
Sayo Masuda's memoir gives an unembellished, unromanticized view of what it was really like to live and work as a geisha. It's a story of extreme poverty and oppression, but her resilience, spirit and humor shine through. It feels to me as though translator Rowley truly captured her authentic voice - the tale seems honest and sincere. The author never flinches from telling the bad along with the good, and the result is a story which truly shows the universality of humanity at our best and worst, regardless of time period or culture.
Sayo Masuda's memoir gives an unembellished, unromanticized view of what it was really like to live and work as a geisha. It's a story of extreme poverty and oppression, but her resilience, spirit and humor shine through. It feels to me as though translator Rowley truly captured her authentic voice - the tale seems honest and sincere. The author never flinches from telling the bad along with the good, and the result is a story which truly shows the universality of humanity at our best and worst, regardless of time period or culture.
March 8, 2009
Sayo Masuda was born out of wedlock, and when her mother would no longer have her because of the associated shame, she was sent to work as a nursemaid. Later, when she was older, her uncle sold her to a geisha house. During this time, no one cared for her or comforted her, and no one taught her anything useful – she spent most of her young life fearing other human beings because her interactions with them had always been painful or unpleasant.
Masuda, or Little Crane, as she came to be called, was sent to geisha school, and spent several years learning the geisha’s art as well as serving in the geisha house. Geishas are essentially indentured servants to the proprietors of the house until such time as they are able to pay off the fees incurred by their purchase, their training, their room and board, clothing, etc. While Masuda enjoys, at times, the perks of being a geisha (gifts, plenty to eat, some power over the men she entertains), she hates that she remains powerless to change her circumstances. Even when she leaves the geisha house, the stigma of what she has been is still upon her. People look down on her; there are no opportunities for her.
Masuda’s life is a string of unfortunate events – unwanted and unloved by her mother, sold into a sex trade, loses the brother she loves to suicide, declines in health, lost love, and on and on. She attempts to kill herself several times – by drowning, through alcoholism, by neglecting her health – but in the end she finds a new purpose (at the tender age of 30). [It’s interesting to note that Masuda considers her life basically over when she’s in her early 20s. I’m not sure if this is because she was thinking in geisha terms (as beauty fades with youth, most geisha retire and take up other work), or because she really thought that she had nothing more to contribute.:] She finds that she can make children feel important and appreciated and that they come to value her company. She tells them silly stories, and brings them gifts, and, most importantly, spends time with them – all of the things she never got as a child. And this is where her story ends, although, not her life. She’s still alive, according to a translator’s note, and in her late 70s (as of 2003). But she wants no contact with publishers, or people who know anything about her former life as a geisha. She wants to be the person she is now.
Masuda’s autobiography is just as readable and fascinating as Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha. It’s a bit less glamorous, however. Masuda definitely drives home the point that no girl chooses to be a geisha – it is thrust upon her, and how each girl learns to cope with that reality determines what her life will be. Masuda overcomes a lot of obstacles, and it would be interesting to know if she has found love or happiness – things she sought and thought she would never find when she was a young woman.
Masuda, or Little Crane, as she came to be called, was sent to geisha school, and spent several years learning the geisha’s art as well as serving in the geisha house. Geishas are essentially indentured servants to the proprietors of the house until such time as they are able to pay off the fees incurred by their purchase, their training, their room and board, clothing, etc. While Masuda enjoys, at times, the perks of being a geisha (gifts, plenty to eat, some power over the men she entertains), she hates that she remains powerless to change her circumstances. Even when she leaves the geisha house, the stigma of what she has been is still upon her. People look down on her; there are no opportunities for her.
Masuda’s life is a string of unfortunate events – unwanted and unloved by her mother, sold into a sex trade, loses the brother she loves to suicide, declines in health, lost love, and on and on. She attempts to kill herself several times – by drowning, through alcoholism, by neglecting her health – but in the end she finds a new purpose (at the tender age of 30). [It’s interesting to note that Masuda considers her life basically over when she’s in her early 20s. I’m not sure if this is because she was thinking in geisha terms (as beauty fades with youth, most geisha retire and take up other work), or because she really thought that she had nothing more to contribute.:] She finds that she can make children feel important and appreciated and that they come to value her company. She tells them silly stories, and brings them gifts, and, most importantly, spends time with them – all of the things she never got as a child. And this is where her story ends, although, not her life. She’s still alive, according to a translator’s note, and in her late 70s (as of 2003). But she wants no contact with publishers, or people who know anything about her former life as a geisha. She wants to be the person she is now.
Masuda’s autobiography is just as readable and fascinating as Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha. It’s a bit less glamorous, however. Masuda definitely drives home the point that no girl chooses to be a geisha – it is thrust upon her, and how each girl learns to cope with that reality determines what her life will be. Masuda overcomes a lot of obstacles, and it would be interesting to know if she has found love or happiness – things she sought and thought she would never find when she was a young woman.
May 29, 2011
There are two kinds of Geisha. There of the Geisha of Gion and Tokyo, who pride themselves as being not only social entertainers but also artists. Sex is almost always implied, never overt. Then there are the Hot Springs Geisha. For these geisha, shamisen and dance are not an art unto themselves, they are a means to an end. Sex is the ultimate goal, and the line between artist and prostitute is so blurred it is almost non-existent.
Sayo Masuda wrote about her experiences as a pre-WWII hot springs geisha, and her life afterwards, in the mid 1950s. Although a best-seller in Japan, it wasn't translated into English until 2003, when the mythology of the geisha entered western thought with Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. Although Masuda only spent about 5 years as an actual hot springs geisha, she shows how the experience affected her life -- both in terms of the talents she picked up there and the stigma she earned -- for the next several years. In the afterward, the translator even mentions that just the publication of the book ran her out of the town she had been living in at the time.
Masuda writes with a simplicity brought on by the fact that she wasn't taught to read or write until her 20s, and the tense often switches from past to present and back again. But the simplicity also means there's no room for deceit, and the plain truth of her words jump off the page with an easiness not found in more "serious" memoirists.
Although, as I said, she only spends about 5 years, and about 1/4 of the book, as an actual hot springs geisha, this book is still a fascinating account of what it was like to be a woman living on the margins of society in the early 20th century Japan. Most women like her could have never told their story, since most of the them would have been as illiterate as she started out. So this book uniquely preserves an unexamined strata of society in Japan.
Sayo Masuda wrote about her experiences as a pre-WWII hot springs geisha, and her life afterwards, in the mid 1950s. Although a best-seller in Japan, it wasn't translated into English until 2003, when the mythology of the geisha entered western thought with Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. Although Masuda only spent about 5 years as an actual hot springs geisha, she shows how the experience affected her life -- both in terms of the talents she picked up there and the stigma she earned -- for the next several years. In the afterward, the translator even mentions that just the publication of the book ran her out of the town she had been living in at the time.
Masuda writes with a simplicity brought on by the fact that she wasn't taught to read or write until her 20s, and the tense often switches from past to present and back again. But the simplicity also means there's no room for deceit, and the plain truth of her words jump off the page with an easiness not found in more "serious" memoirists.
Although, as I said, she only spends about 5 years, and about 1/4 of the book, as an actual hot springs geisha, this book is still a fascinating account of what it was like to be a woman living on the margins of society in the early 20th century Japan. Most women like her could have never told their story, since most of the them would have been as illiterate as she started out. So this book uniquely preserves an unexamined strata of society in Japan.
September 9, 2018
Ogni promessa è debito, perciò ecco il mio breve commento per Piuma & Calamaio. Spero sia gradito e vi invogli a concedergli una possibilità! 😇
http://piumaecalamaio.blogspot.it/201...
VALUTAZIONE:
http://piumaecalamaio.blogspot.it/201...
Il mondo dei fiori e dei salici è un libriccino che ho scoperto casualmente, seguendo una discussione sui libri ambientati in Giappone e a tema "geisha". Infatti è stato proprio quando
ho letto il sottotitolo: "autobiografia di una geisha" che subito sono stata colta da una smania incontrollabile; dovevo assolutamente leggerlo. Uno dei miei libri preferiti in assoluto è "Memorie di una geisha" di Arthur Golden e, quindi, avevo voglia di immergermi ancora una volta in questo microcosmo plasmato di studiata femminilità e di danze e gesti aggraziati, ma le mie previsioni si sono rivelate errate. Il punto di forza del romanzo di Golden è la capacità di proporre al lettore uno scenario tanto onirico quanto romantico ed appunto romanzato; qui, invece, ci troviamo di fronte ad una realtà cruda e spietata, costellata da rinunce e sofferenze come solo la vita vera può essere.
Ma che tu sia bella oppure no, una volta applicato un po’ di trucco bianco, a meno che il tuo viso non sia proprio devastato, diventi carina come tutte le altre. Invece, il saperti vendere oppure no, quello sì che dipende dalle tue abilità.
Masuda Sayo ci espone il suo trascorso - e lo fa con una semplicità disarmante - a partire da un'infanzia difficile, caratterizzata dall'abbandono e da continui momenti di derisione e punizioni corporali, fino ad arrivare al suo debutto come geisha (芸者) e agli anni di tracollo economico ed indigenza dovuti allo scoppio della Seconda Guerra Mondiale. Aprendoci uno scorcio su di un aspetto del patrimonio culturale giapponese che da sempre stuzzica la curiosità degli Occidentali e su cui aleggiano non pochi misteri. Per tutta la durata della lettura si mantiene una cadenza abbastanza sostenuta e fluida, anche se - per certi versi - risulta un po' ripetitivo. Il libro è suddiviso in brevi paragrafi nei quali Sayo si racconta e ci racconta che le geishe non erano soltanto donne in grado di padroneggiare la complessa e armoniosa arte della seduzione, ma donne semplici, capaci di provare intensi sentimenti, dotate di un'incommensurabile sensibilità!
Quando a qualcuno affamato d’amore viene mostrato un affetto autentico, cosa c’è di strano se quello ci si butta a capofitto? Dopo tutto avevamo vent’anni, eravamo donne, era un crimine così grave sognare di amare e di essere amate?
Tante sono le frasi che mi sono rimaste nel cuore e mi ha molto colpita l'ingenuità e la schiettezza di Sayo di fronte a diversi argomenti scottanti, quali il suicidio o l'elaborazione del lutto. Tuttavia sono fortemente convinta che la storia di questa bimba - cresciuta troppo in fretta - dal temperamento forte vi conquisterà.
VALUTAZIONE:
March 8, 2021
“Госпожица Малък жерав” от Сайо Масуда с оригиналното заглавие “Автобиотрафия на една гейша” е издадена на български през 2004 година от издателство “Прозорец” в превод от Силвия Вълкова.
Излиза за първи път през 1957 година и от тогава е многократно преиздавана.
За разлика от живота на бляскавите гейши в Киото, описан в известния роман на Артър Голдън “Мемоари на една гейша”, в “Четиридесет години в Шинбаши” на Хида Чахо или в “Животът на една гейша от Минеко Ивасаки, Масуда е гейша в курорта с топли минерални извори Сува в префектура Нагано. Ръкописът и е първото свидетелство за житието на гейшите в по-непрестижни увеселителни места. Клиентите им не са богати индустриалци, а често груби и противни гангстери.
Масуда произхожда от много беден район. Още шестгодишна е изпратена от майка си да работи като бавачка, където в замяна на непрестанен, изтощителен труд получава само обиди и толкова малко храна, че непрекъснато е измъчвана от непоносим глад. На 12 години е продадена за гейша, за да може майка и да се грижи за съпруга си. Продажбата на хора в Япония е забранена със закон от стотици години, затова строго погледнато не можем да говорим за продажба, но резултатът от сключената между дома за гейши и вуйчото на момичето сделка е, че тя трябва да заработи сумата, която той получава, а също инве��тициите в обучението, разходите по прехраната и облеклото си.
Единственият изход за едно гейша е неин “данна” да изкупи дълга и, с което тя става зависима от него.
Масуда е принудена да прави секс само с мъже, които не харесва и дори успява да притръпне към това, докато самоуважението не я подтиква да избере много по-беден и опасен, но почтен живот.
Възхитена съм от силата на духа на тази необикновена според мен жена! След като се оттегля от света на гейшите тя започна да издържа своя полубрат и жертва всичко за него. По-късно се грижи за деца и им дава цялата любов на голямото си сърце.
Пише автобиографията си изцяло на сричковата азбука, която децата изучават през първите месеци в училище. Тези оскъдни знания получава от свой клиент, защото тя никога не е ходила на училише и е практически неграмотна. Продава ръкописа си, защото има нужда от пари, а също и за да надигне глас срещу лицемерния закон срещу Проституцията, приет в Япония през 1956 година. Желае да остане анонимна до края на живота си, въпреки или заради огромния интерес, който мемоарите и предизвикват.
Чрез тази книга ще станете свидетели на удивителна жестокост и мерзост, на пречупени съдби, но и на благородство и нечувана издържливост при сломяващи обстоятелства. Нашите избори ни определят, а Масуда, въпреки някои грешки, прави трудни морални избори, които я открояват като много силен дух.
Книгата не е роман, и в нея не можем да търсим литературни внушения, но пък има чудесен ритъм, жив език и казва много за човешката природа. Въпреки нещастния си живот, Масуда успява да открие смисъл и утеха. Тези и думи дълбоко ме докоснаха:
“Днес това момченце вече отдавна е пораснало и ако не ме е забравило, когото види разплакано дете, ще изпита желание да му каже една мила дума и да му избърше носа. А когато и това дете порасне, и то ще стори същото. Да сториш нещо мило за друг никога не навява лошо чувство; това подхранва духа в грижата му за останалите хора. А и кой знае, след няколкостотин години човешките същества може дори да се научат взаимно да си сътрудничат.”
Излиза за първи път през 1957 година и от тогава е многократно преиздавана.
За разлика от живота на бляскавите гейши в Киото, описан в известния роман на Артър Голдън “Мемоари на една гейша”, в “Четиридесет години в Шинбаши” на Хида Чахо или в “Животът на една гейша от Минеко Ивасаки, Масуда е гейша в курорта с топли минерални извори Сува в префектура Нагано. Ръкописът и е първото свидетелство за житието на гейшите в по-непрестижни увеселителни места. Клиентите им не са богати индустриалци, а често груби и противни гангстери.
Масуда произхожда от много беден район. Още шестгодишна е изпратена от майка си да работи като бавачка, където в замяна на непрестанен, изтощителен труд получава само обиди и толкова малко храна, че непрекъснато е измъчвана от непоносим глад. На 12 години е продадена за гейша, за да може майка и да се грижи за съпруга си. Продажбата на хора в Япония е забранена със закон от стотици години, затова строго погледнато не можем да говорим за продажба, но резултатът от сключената между дома за гейши и вуйчото на момичето сделка е, че тя трябва да заработи сумата, която той получава, а също инве��тициите в обучението, разходите по прехраната и облеклото си.
Единственият изход за едно гейша е неин “данна” да изкупи дълга и, с което тя става зависима от него.
Масуда е принудена да прави секс само с мъже, които не харесва и дори успява да притръпне към това, докато самоуважението не я подтиква да избере много по-беден и опасен, но почтен живот.
Възхитена съм от силата на духа на тази необикновена според мен жена! След като се оттегля от света на гейшите тя започна да издържа своя полубрат и жертва всичко за него. По-късно се грижи за деца и им дава цялата любов на голямото си сърце.
Пише автобиографията си изцяло на сричковата азбука, която децата изучават през първите месеци в училище. Тези оскъдни знания получава от свой клиент, защото тя никога не е ходила на училише и е практически неграмотна. Продава ръкописа си, защото има нужда от пари, а също и за да надигне глас срещу лицемерния закон срещу Проституцията, приет в Япония през 1956 година. Желае да остане анонимна до края на живота си, въпреки или заради огромния интерес, който мемоарите и предизвикват.
Чрез тази книга ще станете свидетели на удивителна жестокост и мерзост, на пречупени съдби, но и на благородство и нечувана издържливост при сломяващи обстоятелства. Нашите избори ни определят, а Масуда, въпреки някои грешки, прави трудни морални избори, които я открояват като много силен дух.
Книгата не е роман, и в нея не можем да търсим литературни внушения, но пък има чудесен ритъм, жив език и казва много за човешката природа. Въпреки нещастния си живот, Масуда успява да открие смисъл и утеха. Тези и думи дълбоко ме докоснаха:
“Днес това момченце вече отдавна е пораснало и ако не ме е забравило, когото види разплакано дете, ще изпита желание да му каже една мила дума и да му избърше носа. А когато и това дете порасне, и то ще стори същото. Да сториш нещо мило за друг никога не навява лошо чувство; това подхранва духа в грижата му за останалите хора. А и кой знае, след няколкостотин години човешките същества може дори да се научат взаимно да си сътрудничат.”
August 3, 2023
What a hard life just at the age of 21. never take anything for granted.
This was a sad but straightforward look at Masuda's life before and after being a hot springs geisha.
Memoirs of a Geisha felt like a mixture of this and geisha, a life.
You have to give her props for tenacity and never giving up, no matter what that entailed.
Worth a read, but not necessarily a happy book.
My main complaint is that the translator's intro is a massive spoiler of what will come. I suggest skipping it and going back to it at the end.
4 Stars
This was a sad but straightforward look at Masuda's life before and after being a hot springs geisha.
Memoirs of a Geisha felt like a mixture of this and geisha, a life.
You have to give her props for tenacity and never giving up, no matter what that entailed.
Worth a read, but not necessarily a happy book.
My main complaint is that the translator's intro is a massive spoiler of what will come. I suggest skipping it and going back to it at the end.
4 Stars
September 28, 2016
"Eine Geisha erzählt - ungeschminkte Einblicke in ein hartes Leben."
Sayo Masuda ist erst zwölf Jahre alt, als
sie an ein Geisha-Haus verkauft wird
und in die Welt des traditionellen
japanischen Amüsments eintaucht.
Doch das Lächeln der Geisha täuscht :
Die Ausblidung ist hart und unmenschlich,
hinter den Kulissen herrschen Rivalität
und Schikane. Aber Sayo Masuda gibt
nicht auf und kämpft um ihre Freiheit ....
Als Japaninteressierte war dieser Kauf sicher keine Überraschung.
Ein paar Bücher über Geisha´s und deren Leben nenne ich mein Eigen.
Zumal "Die Geisha" mein unangefochtener Lieblingsfilm ist.
Dennoch unterscheiden sich die Geschichten, was der jungen Sayo angetan wurde lies mir das Herz bluten !
Wir beginnen die Geschichte und lernen ein kleines Mädchen von 6 Jahren kennen. Welches in fürchterlicher Angst vor menschlichten Wesen und deren grausamer Strafen lebt.
Damals als Kind dachte sie nicht über ihre Eltern nach, sie wusste nur Hunger tat weh und vor Menschen hatte sie Angst. Die Kinder und Erwachsenen quällten sie mir großer begeisterung, egal was passierte sie war immer Schuld.
Ihr Onkel holte sie im Alter von 12 Jahren von dem Gutshof weg, da erst erfuhr sie wie ihr Name lautete. Bisher hatten sie alle nur Affenkind gennant.
Doch das Glück währte nur kur Sayo wurde an ein Geisha-Haus verkauft, da erst begann ihr weiterer Weg ...
Das Buch mag nur dünn sein mit seinen 189 Seiten Geschichte, aber mehr hat es nicht gebraucht um mich zu berühren. Die Geschichte lies mich traurig und wütend zugleich zurück. Seite um Seite litt und kämpfte ich mit Sayo, gegen wiederliche Männer,rachsüchtige Frauen und die Wogen des Schiksals ...
Japaner haben eine andere Art Geschichten zu erzählen, man muss isch darauf einlassen und sich von den Worten tragen lassen. Worte die ein Kind sprach und zu einer jungen Frau heranwuchs. EIn Buch das die Schattenseiten hinter dem hübschen weißen Gesicht und den roten Lippen zeigt.
Abslolut lesenswert !
Sayo Masuda ist erst zwölf Jahre alt, als
sie an ein Geisha-Haus verkauft wird
und in die Welt des traditionellen
japanischen Amüsments eintaucht.
Doch das Lächeln der Geisha täuscht :
Die Ausblidung ist hart und unmenschlich,
hinter den Kulissen herrschen Rivalität
und Schikane. Aber Sayo Masuda gibt
nicht auf und kämpft um ihre Freiheit ....
Als Japaninteressierte war dieser Kauf sicher keine Überraschung.
Ein paar Bücher über Geisha´s und deren Leben nenne ich mein Eigen.
Zumal "Die Geisha" mein unangefochtener Lieblingsfilm ist.
Dennoch unterscheiden sich die Geschichten, was der jungen Sayo angetan wurde lies mir das Herz bluten !
Wir beginnen die Geschichte und lernen ein kleines Mädchen von 6 Jahren kennen. Welches in fürchterlicher Angst vor menschlichten Wesen und deren grausamer Strafen lebt.
Damals als Kind dachte sie nicht über ihre Eltern nach, sie wusste nur Hunger tat weh und vor Menschen hatte sie Angst. Die Kinder und Erwachsenen quällten sie mir großer begeisterung, egal was passierte sie war immer Schuld.
Ihr Onkel holte sie im Alter von 12 Jahren von dem Gutshof weg, da erst erfuhr sie wie ihr Name lautete. Bisher hatten sie alle nur Affenkind gennant.
Doch das Glück währte nur kur Sayo wurde an ein Geisha-Haus verkauft, da erst begann ihr weiterer Weg ...
Das Buch mag nur dünn sein mit seinen 189 Seiten Geschichte, aber mehr hat es nicht gebraucht um mich zu berühren. Die Geschichte lies mich traurig und wütend zugleich zurück. Seite um Seite litt und kämpfte ich mit Sayo, gegen wiederliche Männer,rachsüchtige Frauen und die Wogen des Schiksals ...
Japaner haben eine andere Art Geschichten zu erzählen, man muss isch darauf einlassen und sich von den Worten tragen lassen. Worte die ein Kind sprach und zu einer jungen Frau heranwuchs. EIn Buch das die Schattenseiten hinter dem hübschen weißen Gesicht und den roten Lippen zeigt.
Abslolut lesenswert !
May 5, 2013
I really enjoyed this (very quick) read. I picked it up in Oxfam because it looked so beautiful; a slim volume with a cherry blossom kimono print on the inside and back cover. I think I loved it before I even started reading...
I love Masuda's style; she is clear and her prose is precise. She tells her story without hyperbole or self indulgence. Her life was tough but not without joy; her biography is a testament to the human ability to endure. Her description of life as a geisha is surprising, my only knowledge of Geisha comes from Memoirs of a Geisha and this account has a totally different focus. While Golden is crafting a story with romance, intrigue and suspense; Masuda is recounting her litany of let-downs. Amazingly she does this with almost a total lack of indulgent self pity. To me she seems to have amazing strength of character. Her life was very tough, she was constantly so poor that prostitution was her only way to survive and yet that really isn't what the book is about at all. Her story is about what she had to do to survive being indentured as a nursemaid and then as a Geisha. When she has earned her "freedom" it becomes the story of how she attempts to escape the stigma of having once been a geisha.
Though I loved the book, it is incredibly sad; the mother, the uncle, the brother, the lover and then the most heart wrenching bit of all the children's story about the hawk. It's all so sad and yet there is so much beauty in Masuda's character and her descriptions that rather than being left with a broken heart when you finish you are left marvelling at the power of one woman to never really let the bastards get her down.
I love Masuda's style; she is clear and her prose is precise. She tells her story without hyperbole or self indulgence. Her life was tough but not without joy; her biography is a testament to the human ability to endure. Her description of life as a geisha is surprising, my only knowledge of Geisha comes from Memoirs of a Geisha and this account has a totally different focus. While Golden is crafting a story with romance, intrigue and suspense; Masuda is recounting her litany of let-downs. Amazingly she does this with almost a total lack of indulgent self pity. To me she seems to have amazing strength of character. Her life was very tough, she was constantly so poor that prostitution was her only way to survive and yet that really isn't what the book is about at all. Her story is about what she had to do to survive being indentured as a nursemaid and then as a Geisha. When she has earned her "freedom" it becomes the story of how she attempts to escape the stigma of having once been a geisha.
Though I loved the book, it is incredibly sad; the mother, the uncle, the brother, the lover and then the most heart wrenching bit of all the children's story about the hawk. It's all so sad and yet there is so much beauty in Masuda's character and her descriptions that rather than being left with a broken heart when you finish you are left marvelling at the power of one woman to never really let the bastards get her down.
June 15, 2009
This one's depressing. I read Autobiography of a Geisha at my roommate's insistance after I read Memoirs of a Geisha (Yes, I know it took a long time.) As opposed to Memoirs which is based on a retelling of the life of a geisha, Autobiography is the life of Sayo Masuda in her own words, translated by G. G. Rowley. She originally wrote a short version to enter in a contest because she needed the prize money. When contacted by a publisher, she wrote a longer version to help supplement her meger income.
The way that Masuda relates the story of her life is very simple, and matter of fact. Some of this stems from her small amount of education, and some from the simple look she has on life. Either way, her language is simple and plain; the text itself is short, at only 170 pages or so.
While Memoirs spends a lot of time talking about the details of everyday life, dress, and custom, Autobiography relates events and reactions in a much more narriative style. She frankly accounts her grinding poverty, physical abuse, and emotional hardship. It's incrediably moving and frank portrayal of an old and often mis-understood custom.
If you've read Memoirs, you should read this. If you haven't, you probably should read Memoirs first, just to get an understanding of the lifestyle, the details that help flesh out Masuda's story. It'll give you an incrediable case of middle-class guilt, but it's good to have that experience occasionally to keep things in perspective.
The way that Masuda relates the story of her life is very simple, and matter of fact. Some of this stems from her small amount of education, and some from the simple look she has on life. Either way, her language is simple and plain; the text itself is short, at only 170 pages or so.
While Memoirs spends a lot of time talking about the details of everyday life, dress, and custom, Autobiography relates events and reactions in a much more narriative style. She frankly accounts her grinding poverty, physical abuse, and emotional hardship. It's incrediably moving and frank portrayal of an old and often mis-understood custom.
If you've read Memoirs, you should read this. If you haven't, you probably should read Memoirs first, just to get an understanding of the lifestyle, the details that help flesh out Masuda's story. It'll give you an incrediable case of middle-class guilt, but it's good to have that experience occasionally to keep things in perspective.
October 31, 2010
As the title states, this is a true story of a Japanese geisha in the 1940s and 1950s. Beware though: it’s not the beautiful sweetness that you read or saw in Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha. No, life as a geisha was not about that for Masuda-san.
Masuda-san was sold by her parents to act as a nursemaid (as a child- not much bigger than the children she was meant to look after) and then again by an uncle to a geisha house. She had little education and could barely read and write. There she and her ‘elder sisters’ gradually rose up the ranks to become geishas. They learned the dancing and the shamisen, but the main objective was money for sex. The girls were indentured to the geisha house, forced to collect ‘points’ to pay out their contract. There were pregnancies, deaths from diseases and suicides.
But life after being a geisha was harsh. Masuda-san did many jobs to try and look after her brother: mistress, collecting and selling food, selling soap on the black market and waitressing. The poverty after WWII is tangible. Masuda-san only told her story to a women’s magazine to try to win a prize. She did, and fifty years later, her book is still in publication and translated into English.
This story is poignant as it tells of the stigma forever attached to geisha at this time (will people find out Masuda-san’s history?) and the running away from love as to avoid that stigma for her beloved. It’s not a pretty picture, but a very compelling one.
Masuda-san was sold by her parents to act as a nursemaid (as a child- not much bigger than the children she was meant to look after) and then again by an uncle to a geisha house. She had little education and could barely read and write. There she and her ‘elder sisters’ gradually rose up the ranks to become geishas. They learned the dancing and the shamisen, but the main objective was money for sex. The girls were indentured to the geisha house, forced to collect ‘points’ to pay out their contract. There were pregnancies, deaths from diseases and suicides.
But life after being a geisha was harsh. Masuda-san did many jobs to try and look after her brother: mistress, collecting and selling food, selling soap on the black market and waitressing. The poverty after WWII is tangible. Masuda-san only told her story to a women’s magazine to try to win a prize. She did, and fifty years later, her book is still in publication and translated into English.
This story is poignant as it tells of the stigma forever attached to geisha at this time (will people find out Masuda-san’s history?) and the running away from love as to avoid that stigma for her beloved. It’s not a pretty picture, but a very compelling one.
May 20, 2017
If you want to learn more about the life of geisha, this isn't quite the book for you. Much of this memoir doesn't concentrate on the details of geisha life, which I was sad about. After having read the fictional 'Memoirs of a Geisha' and Mineko Iwasaki's autobiography 'Geisha of Gion', I was hoping to see more into the life of a lower-ranked geisha, because the other books fictional or not were about geisha that were more lucky.
Personally I wouldn't have forgiven my mother for what she did if I had a mother like the one in this book, because Masada's childhood was simply heartbreaking. Poor little girl. For a memoir, this was a good book, and the afterword made it even better, I was happy to find out what happened to this geisha in particular. 3.5/5 stars for this book. The writing is clean and the story is interesting, so as a memoir it's a good read. If it had more information on the life of these lower-level geisha, I would have given it a higher rating.
Personally I wouldn't have forgiven my mother for what she did if I had a mother like the one in this book, because Masada's childhood was simply heartbreaking. Poor little girl. For a memoir, this was a good book, and the afterword made it even better, I was happy to find out what happened to this geisha in particular. 3.5/5 stars for this book. The writing is clean and the story is interesting, so as a memoir it's a good read. If it had more information on the life of these lower-level geisha, I would have given it a higher rating.
June 22, 2011
Masuda Sayo was a geisha in a rural part of Japan. Her story starts when she was six years old. Rejected by her mother as she was an illegitimate child, Masuda was sent to be a nursemaid at an age where she should still have been in the nursery herself. When she was twelve she was sold to a geisha house. Masuda relates her training years – then describes how she was sold to an elderly man when she was only sixteen. He had a wife and a mistress already.
This is a terrible story to read – in that it is not made up – it really happened. Masuda never went to school but related her story to expose the geisha industry from the fairytale status that the western world seems to hold it. She is frank, and hold nothing back. Geisha’s are an integral part of Japanese society, and yet the women who work in the industry are scorned by society when they leave the protection of the Geisha houses.
G. G. Rowley translated the story directly from the original Japanese in 2003 – she then was able to meet Masuda in 2004 when she was 81 years of age – and added an epilogue in 2005.
An interesting insight into another world.
This is a terrible story to read – in that it is not made up – it really happened. Masuda never went to school but related her story to expose the geisha industry from the fairytale status that the western world seems to hold it. She is frank, and hold nothing back. Geisha’s are an integral part of Japanese society, and yet the women who work in the industry are scorned by society when they leave the protection of the Geisha houses.
G. G. Rowley translated the story directly from the original Japanese in 2003 – she then was able to meet Masuda in 2004 when she was 81 years of age – and added an epilogue in 2005.
An interesting insight into another world.
January 7, 2012
Despite it is a very sad book, I liked to read it.
Not because I love to read about other people's misery, but because this autobiography gave a better look into the reality of a geisha's training.
It was not easy to read about the difficulties Matsuda faced as a child, being sent away again and again, lacking a loving family and, when she was a grown up, the circumstances of war. Reading about what she had to do to survive, how desperate she has been was not pleasant, but I am glad I did read this book, for it takes away a bit of the glamour & glitter that geisha-hood is surrounded with for foreigners.
Although I knew that the training is hard, that young girls are more often sold to geisha houses out of poverty than out of free will of the girl, I had no idea that there was a geisha world like the one described by Matsuda.
Not because I love to read about other people's misery, but because this autobiography gave a better look into the reality of a geisha's training.
It was not easy to read about the difficulties Matsuda faced as a child, being sent away again and again, lacking a loving family and, when she was a grown up, the circumstances of war. Reading about what she had to do to survive, how desperate she has been was not pleasant, but I am glad I did read this book, for it takes away a bit of the glamour & glitter that geisha-hood is surrounded with for foreigners.
Although I knew that the training is hard, that young girls are more often sold to geisha houses out of poverty than out of free will of the girl, I had no idea that there was a geisha world like the one described by Matsuda.
March 25, 2019
Con parole semplici e dirette l’autrice ci racconta e si racconta, trattando la sua vita come una storia da cui apprendere una morale, una idea preziosa da portare con sé per sempre. Una favola al contraro, quindi: tante disavventure, tanti disagi, tanti dolori, malattie, morti, per arrivare ad un quieto vivere. Diversamente da Memorie di una geisha, la storia fluisce attraverso la voce chiara e squillante dell’autrice, capace di alternare vari registri narrativi, senza che il tutto appaia finto, anzi. Si sente fin da subito il fondo crudo degli eventi, cosa che non si può dire per il libro di Golden.
May 13, 2018
What a bleak, bleak life. Surprisingly, her strength and liveliness come through -- I say surprisingly, because it is translated, and since she didn't have a lot of education, Masuda's story comes across as nearly terse at times (the note says it was given as an oral account).
Hard to imagine that, comparatively speaking, this wasn't that long ago at all.
Hard to imagine that, comparatively speaking, this wasn't that long ago at all.
Want to read
July 24, 2018Check this out and also check out its author, who apparently has bibliographies of Japanese lit on her website somewhere and who focuses on literature by Japanese women - this year's Japanese reading list is too light on women, and this might help.
January 4, 2012
Autobiography of a Geisha has none of the glamour usually shown in other books and movies about the life of a geisha. Sayo Masuda endured many hardships from an early age that did not stop when she became a full-fledged geisha. It was interesting to read for awhile; yet, I felt that she was holding something back or discussing certain parts of her life in such a way to emphasize a certain point or moral. After going through and struggling to get out the sex trade (geisha at a hot-springs resort), Masuda stresses the value and responsibility of child-rearing and the importance of family bonds. Maybe I am expecting something different since I am not a huge advocate of adding present thoughts on past events.
Anyway, this book is not perfect but definitely profound and insightful. For most of her life, Sayo Masuda could not read or write. Even the autobiography was originally written in simple hiragana. Forget the idyllic image of a geisha in popular culture for the ones described in this book. Poverty, betrayal, and other conflicts offer a more realistic portrait of most lives of those in the sex trade.
Anyway, this book is not perfect but definitely profound and insightful. For most of her life, Sayo Masuda could not read or write. Even the autobiography was originally written in simple hiragana. Forget the idyllic image of a geisha in popular culture for the ones described in this book. Poverty, betrayal, and other conflicts offer a more realistic portrait of most lives of those in the sex trade.
March 7, 2013
A true reflection of what Geishas went through.Sayo Masuda had a really challenging life,which sometimes would move me to tears.Being forced at an early age of 12 years,into a life where there's no respect or regard for women with very low wages-paying off debts that probably accrued from your parents.Its just sad how someone could sell you off,like that and you get to work for them for years before you even pay it off.Your work is just to entertain and be used as a vessel by your patron.Going through that hard life,of sleeping in the cold ice,sacrifices she made so that her brother could at least read,going through the death of her brother.All I can say is,I admire for her strength and her passion.For never giving up despite how hard and humiliating things got.In the end she got to do what she loved the most,stay with kids,and just live.Very inspirational.
September 23, 2017
Sayo was basically sold off by her family because she was illegitimate and her mother's new partner didn't want to raise someone else's child. Through no fault of her own, Sayo found herself working as a nursemaid and then training to be a geisha. This was not the glamorous world the West thinks as Sayo was one step above a prostitute on the streets. She shows remarkable perseverance in her life as she does whatever she can to survive. This is a fascinating memoir and a glimpse into a whole other life and culture.
March 13, 2011
A little gem I picked up second hand. I read this after reading Memoirs of a Geisha, and it's non-fiction to Memoirs' fiction, as well as portraying the life of a geisha in a hot springs resort as opposed to the very rich and priviliged life of a big city geisha, as the one in Memoirs. The writing style, closely translated from the original japanese, has such an honest charm to it. I really enjoyed this book.
February 19, 2009
A darker, gritter, more honest nonfiction cousin to Memoirs of a Geisha. Sayo Masuda's writing (in excellent translation) is amazingly clear, open and conversational. Her life story struck me as quite unique but also, sadly, probably all too common at the time. At only 160 pages, this is a quick but powerful read.
January 7, 2020
Short at 160 pages. Very sad true story of a geisha which is very different to the more glamorous portrayals. Masuda had a very difficult life. I was sorry to read that the publishing of her novel caused her more issues too.
May 11, 2018
Geisha a confronto
Mineko Iwasaki, famosa per essere stata la persona che ha ispirato, attraverso i suoi racconti, il famisissimo Memorie di una geisha, si è poi risentita per il modo grottesco con cui l'autore, Arthur Golden, ha dipinto un mondo di arte e raffinatezza, trasformandolo in qualcosa di molto vicino ad un bordello. Nel dubbio, mi sono letta anche la biografia di Mineko Iwasaki, e l'ho trovata effettivamente molto più soft rispetto al romanzo di Golden. Soft nel senso che la vita di questa geisha non è piena di costrizione, di schiavismo e di rassegnazione, come si scorge tra le pagine di Memorie di una geisha (lettura che consiglio sempre), bensì frutto di una propria consapevole scelta. Ora, leggendo le preziosissime pagine di Sayo Masuda, mi sorge un dubbio: o la signorina Mineko è stata tremendamente fortunata, oppure Golden ci aveva visto lungo, ed ha carpito informazioni che la stessa fonte non è mai riuscita ad articolare, nascondendo tutto il marcio sotto al tappeto. Perché le pagine di Sayo Masuda trasudano lacrime e sangue, e gridano al mondo una verità ben peggiore di quella che Arthur Golden ha provato a trascrivere.
Stiamo parlando di un libro di impatto, che non mira assolutamente ad essere né una lettura piacevole, con una bella storia da raccontare, né un esercizio di stile: l'autrice è stata per metà della sua vita analfabeta, ed ha scritto questa denuncia con poche semplici parole ed un'ancora più elementare sintassi. Quello che si trova tra queste pagine è un resoconto di una bambina nata illegittimamente negli anni Venti di un Giappone arretrato ai limiti dell'assurdo, una bambina venduta, umiliata, picchiata e prostituita. E l'immagine che esce fuori del pittoresco mondo dei fiori e dei salici è ben lontana da quella a cui siamo abituati grazie alle storie di Mineko, quella di un'elegantissima Kyoto, abitata da gente raffinata e facoltosa; qui ci sono soltanto cattiveria e squallore.
Una piccola nota che mi sembra d'obbligo, per chi voglia cimentarsi in questa lettura (e farebbe molto bene): non è totalmente corretto dire che questo libro tratti del mondo delle geisha; questo è trattato soltanto nella prima metà dell'intero volume. Si tratta piuttosto dell'intera vita dell'autrice, anche dopo essersi lasciata alle spalle quel modo di vivere, che però l'ha profondamente segnata. Ad ogni modo, questo resoconto è prezioso: la gente che viene emarginata in questo modo ai confini dell'umanità, di solito non scrive le proprie vicende (a volte, come nel caso di Sayo Masuda, non saprebbe nemmeno come farlo, non avendo imparato a scrivere); quando però questo succede, si ha testimonianza di un mondo che altrimenti non verrebbe nemmeno immaginato credibile, per chi vive dall'altra parte.
Mineko Iwasaki, famosa per essere stata la persona che ha ispirato, attraverso i suoi racconti, il famisissimo Memorie di una geisha, si è poi risentita per il modo grottesco con cui l'autore, Arthur Golden, ha dipinto un mondo di arte e raffinatezza, trasformandolo in qualcosa di molto vicino ad un bordello. Nel dubbio, mi sono letta anche la biografia di Mineko Iwasaki, e l'ho trovata effettivamente molto più soft rispetto al romanzo di Golden. Soft nel senso che la vita di questa geisha non è piena di costrizione, di schiavismo e di rassegnazione, come si scorge tra le pagine di Memorie di una geisha (lettura che consiglio sempre), bensì frutto di una propria consapevole scelta. Ora, leggendo le preziosissime pagine di Sayo Masuda, mi sorge un dubbio: o la signorina Mineko è stata tremendamente fortunata, oppure Golden ci aveva visto lungo, ed ha carpito informazioni che la stessa fonte non è mai riuscita ad articolare, nascondendo tutto il marcio sotto al tappeto. Perché le pagine di Sayo Masuda trasudano lacrime e sangue, e gridano al mondo una verità ben peggiore di quella che Arthur Golden ha provato a trascrivere.
Stiamo parlando di un libro di impatto, che non mira assolutamente ad essere né una lettura piacevole, con una bella storia da raccontare, né un esercizio di stile: l'autrice è stata per metà della sua vita analfabeta, ed ha scritto questa denuncia con poche semplici parole ed un'ancora più elementare sintassi. Quello che si trova tra queste pagine è un resoconto di una bambina nata illegittimamente negli anni Venti di un Giappone arretrato ai limiti dell'assurdo, una bambina venduta, umiliata, picchiata e prostituita. E l'immagine che esce fuori del pittoresco mondo dei fiori e dei salici è ben lontana da quella a cui siamo abituati grazie alle storie di Mineko, quella di un'elegantissima Kyoto, abitata da gente raffinata e facoltosa; qui ci sono soltanto cattiveria e squallore.
Una piccola nota che mi sembra d'obbligo, per chi voglia cimentarsi in questa lettura (e farebbe molto bene): non è totalmente corretto dire che questo libro tratti del mondo delle geisha; questo è trattato soltanto nella prima metà dell'intero volume. Si tratta piuttosto dell'intera vita dell'autrice, anche dopo essersi lasciata alle spalle quel modo di vivere, che però l'ha profondamente segnata. Ad ogni modo, questo resoconto è prezioso: la gente che viene emarginata in questo modo ai confini dell'umanità, di solito non scrive le proprie vicende (a volte, come nel caso di Sayo Masuda, non saprebbe nemmeno come farlo, non avendo imparato a scrivere); quando però questo succede, si ha testimonianza di un mondo che altrimenti non verrebbe nemmeno immaginato credibile, per chi vive dall'altra parte.
July 24, 2014
Despite the romance that the word "geisha" conjures in the minds of most Americans, the fancy kimonos and painted female entertainers, the reality of the system was often brutal, punishing, demeaning, and even deadly, especially for young girls trapped in the smaller towns and spas, where being a geisha was little better than a life of prostitution or being a mistress. Yet, this existence was often better than the alternative for many girls, who were frequently treated as little more than a product to be sold and forgotten. Still, some individuals, such as Masuda, despite the humiliations and indignities, and occasional thoughts of suicide, were resilient and resourceful despite handicaps of culture and education and never lost their humanity, and fought to stay alive and even help those around them. The treatment of poor young girls, outright child abuse, is chilling and disheartening to read about, even if the times and culture are different. You just wonder how people can be so terrible to children, then or now. And much of this still goes on throughout the world. . .in poorer parts of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and even in the more economically advanced countries as well. What is also amazing is how open the system was, how men brazenly used the girls and then discarded them, how many mamasans took advantage, how many turned a blind eye. Ans still do, I suppose, especially when times are really tough. For those who like to romanticize about Japan, this book may serve as a good corrective to see that their is often an ugly underside to any culture, even if aspects of it are lauded.
May 6, 2018
Da amante del Giappone e dell'Oriente, non sono riuscita a non comprare questo libro e a non iniziarlo senza divorarlo, ma dopo pochissime pagine mi sono dovuta fermare a prendere un respiro, perché questo libro è una storia bella, ma crudele, questo libro è una storia vera.
La figura della Geisha mi ha sempre affascinato, ma l’ho sempre considerata un personaggio romantico, lontano da eccessive privazioni ed eccessivi dolori, la mia visione è stata falsata dalle troppe letture di romanzi, bellissimi ma tutt'altro che realistici.
Leggere questo libro mi ha fatto male proprio per questo, questa è la vita reale, questa è una storia vera. Sayo è una bambina non desiderata che viene venduta ad una famiglia come bambinaia, qui viene malmenata e maltrattata, per poi finire in una casa di Geishe, ma anche qui la vita di Sayo si prospetta dura e difficile. La piccola deve sottostare alle eccentriche richieste della Madre e delle Sorelle Maggiori, alle loro angherie, ai loro capricci e quando diventerà una vera Geisha avrà a che fare con una categoria altrettanto pericolosa: i clienti. L’amore romantico, quello vero e pulsante, quello che salva la vita e l’anima, busserà un’unica volta alla porta di Sayo, ma lei, ormai prostata da questa vita, gli sbatterà la porta in faccia, sceglierà un altro tipo di amore, un amore che ha sempre rincorso fin da bambina.
Un libro bellissimo, che mi ha fatto riflettere e mi ha scosso nel profondo, un libro che mostra l’incredibile forza d'animo di una donna che si è trovata a doversi costruire un intero futuro da sola, meraviglioso!
La figura della Geisha mi ha sempre affascinato, ma l’ho sempre considerata un personaggio romantico, lontano da eccessive privazioni ed eccessivi dolori, la mia visione è stata falsata dalle troppe letture di romanzi, bellissimi ma tutt'altro che realistici.
Leggere questo libro mi ha fatto male proprio per questo, questa è la vita reale, questa è una storia vera. Sayo è una bambina non desiderata che viene venduta ad una famiglia come bambinaia, qui viene malmenata e maltrattata, per poi finire in una casa di Geishe, ma anche qui la vita di Sayo si prospetta dura e difficile. La piccola deve sottostare alle eccentriche richieste della Madre e delle Sorelle Maggiori, alle loro angherie, ai loro capricci e quando diventerà una vera Geisha avrà a che fare con una categoria altrettanto pericolosa: i clienti. L’amore romantico, quello vero e pulsante, quello che salva la vita e l’anima, busserà un’unica volta alla porta di Sayo, ma lei, ormai prostata da questa vita, gli sbatterà la porta in faccia, sceglierà un altro tipo di amore, un amore che ha sempre rincorso fin da bambina.
Un libro bellissimo, che mi ha fatto riflettere e mi ha scosso nel profondo, un libro che mostra l’incredibile forza d'animo di una donna che si è trovata a doversi costruire un intero futuro da sola, meraviglioso!
May 27, 2013
Agony, despair, and teeth-grinding misery are great words to describe Sayo Masuda's autobiography. In many ways, this account reminds me of the American autobiography of an abused child, "A Child Called 'It'" that was released in the 90s. Each page is filled with so much suffering and gut wrenching misfortune meagerly accompanied by tiny moments of happiness.
As depressing as this autobiography was, I think it's an essential read for anyone interested in pre WWII/immediate post WWII Japan. The translator provides handy end notes for further historical study too. I would especially recommend this book to anyone who think's Arthur Golden's "Memoirs of a Geisha" encompasses the lives of all geisha. Not all geisha were so well off as I learned by reading Sayo Masuda's story. I enjoyed this book for it's insight but it did make me gulp and feel thankful for what I have.
A memorable passage:
"But what about me? A small diamond ring sparkled on my finger. And I had a gold watch. On my feet, a pair of leather sandals. In my purse, I had 4,000 or 5,000 yen left. But, despite this, my soul was starving, thirsting, crazed with agony as it roamed about looking for a place to die."
As depressing as this autobiography was, I think it's an essential read for anyone interested in pre WWII/immediate post WWII Japan. The translator provides handy end notes for further historical study too. I would especially recommend this book to anyone who think's Arthur Golden's "Memoirs of a Geisha" encompasses the lives of all geisha. Not all geisha were so well off as I learned by reading Sayo Masuda's story. I enjoyed this book for it's insight but it did make me gulp and feel thankful for what I have.
A memorable passage:
"But what about me? A small diamond ring sparkled on my finger. And I had a gold watch. On my feet, a pair of leather sandals. In my purse, I had 4,000 or 5,000 yen left. But, despite this, my soul was starving, thirsting, crazed with agony as it roamed about looking for a place to die."
May 13, 2012
It was a refreshingly straight forward read. It provided a realistic look into the lives of geishas and was a good contrast to the glamourous portrayal of geishas in movies and books today. It is hard even to imagine how Masuda managed to surmount every difficulty that life threw at her and she emerged at the end of the account as an woman to be respected. The account of her life itself is inspiring as she sailed through all odds while life didn't treat her well, it still did give her cruel chances to survive on. And a point brought up through Masuda's perspective as a prostitute regarding the criminalisation of prosititution is indeed a point to reflect upon as nobody goes into this business voluntarily, they only do it to survive.
February 1, 2015
This book strips away the delicate talk about the artistry of geisha life. She confirms that there was an element of slavery involved. Geishas were sold into indenture and the money went to their families. If their contracts were extended, their families were paid again for their services. The life of a hot springs geisha was rather cheap, and only worth buying for a few years. Disease and suicide were not uncommon.
Masuda makes her painful story readable with a distinctive voice. The translation has a refreshingly casual aspect, as the translator captures conversations in Japanese vernacular.
Masuda makes her painful story readable with a distinctive voice. The translation has a refreshingly casual aspect, as the translator captures conversations in Japanese vernacular.
June 14, 2018
Masuda was sent to work as a nursemaid at the age of six, before being sold into the geisha world at the age of 12. Right from the beginning, her life was stricken with poverty, struggles and hardships which she chronicles in this frank, anecdotal autobiography. Despite her tough life, Masuda’s humour and strength shine through in the text, making it a heartbreaking and thought provoking read. G. G. Rowley has done a wonderful job on the translation and I think this is an important, and fast, read for anyone with an interest in the true life story of a hot spring geisha. I adored this book.
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