Memoirs Of a Geisha
by Golden, Arthur
Memoirs of a Geisha is a novel by Arthur Golden, published in 1997. The novel, told in first-person view, tells the fictional story of a geisha working in Kyoto, Japan, before and after World War II.
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On Jan 16, 2014, Anonymous said
Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden, is a warm, happy read. It is the story of a Japanese girl whose father sells her and her sister to strangers as her mother dies. Her older sister is sold into prostitution, and our heroine, Chiyo, only nine years old at the time, is sold to a geisha household in Kyoto, and expected to become a geisha. We discover that, at this time, becoming a geisha requires years of schooling. Chiyo studies various instruments, singing, dancing, and the tea ceremony, so that she can become an entertainer of men in tea houses. Eventually, she is adopted as a “younger sister” by Mameha, a first-rank geisha. All of this occurs before the Great Depression and the Second World War. During that terrible period, everyone in Japan underwent great hardships. The geisha profession was legally abolished. Chiyo, by now known by her geisha name of Sayuri, spent the war years sewing parachutes in a former kimono maker’s home and shop. After the war, she eventually was able to return to her geisha life. The story of her success, largely guided by Mameha, and her own desire to become worthy of a man she has fallen in love with, is very endearing. Somewhat to our surprise, she eventually comes to live in the USA, along with her lover. We suspect, although we are never told outright, that she has an American son. She tells her story verbally over a period of months to a sympathetic writer. This is a hard book to put down; the action is so real, and the writing so lyrical, that we feel we must keep reading until we know the end.
Available Copies
Memoirs of a Geisha
by Golden, Arthur
- Condition
- Used - Acceptable
- Published
- 1997-09-23
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780375400117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Item Price
-
$5.31
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Knopf, 1997-09-23. Hardcover. Acceptable. 6x1x10. Item Price
$5.31
Memoirs of a Geisha
by Arthur Golden
- Condition
- Used - Good
- Published
- 1998
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780099771517
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Wellington, NZL
- Item Price
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$4.22
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Description:
Vintage. Good. 20 x 14cm. Paperback. 1998. 434 pages. Text tanned. Cover worn . Item Price
$4.22
Memoirs of A Geisha
by GOLDEN, Arthur
- Condition
- Used
- Published
- 1997
- ISBN
- 9780375400117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Wadsworth, Illinois, USA
- Item Price
-
$50.00
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Description:
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997. First edition and first printing. Hardcover. An immensely popular book which which went through dozens of printings. The basis for the Rob Marshall movie of the same name. A clean very near fine copy in a fine dust jacket. Item Price
$50.00
Memoirs of a Geisha: A Novel
by Arthur Golden
- Condition
- Used - Good
- Edition
- Later printing
- Published
- 1999
- ISBN
- 9780679781585
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Brossard, Quebec, CAN
- Item Price
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$2.18
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Description:
Vintage, New York, 1999. Later paperback printing. Condition: Good, edge ware and corner bumps, spine creasing and nicks, back cover has creasing, well read.
A literary sensation and runaway bestseller, this brilliant debut novel presents with seamless authenticity and exquisite lyricism the true confessions of one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.
In Memoirs of a Geisha, we enter a world where appearances… Read more about this item Item Price
$2.18
Memoirs Of A Geisha
by Arthur Golden
- Condition
- Used - Very Good Condition
- Jacket Condition
- No Dust Jacket
- Edition
- Later Edition
- Published
- 2005
- Binding
- Softcover
- ISBN
- 9780099498186
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Katoomba, New South Wales, AUS
- Item Price
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$15.87
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Description:
Vintage , 2005. Later Edition. Softcover. Very Good Condition/No Dust Jacket. Size: Octavo (standard book size). 512 pages. Text body is clean, and free from previous owner annotation, underlining and highlighting. Binding is tight, covers and spine fully intact. Edges foxed and browned. Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilogram. Category: Fiction; ISBN:… Read more about this item Item Price
$15.87
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MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA: A Novel
by Golden, Arthur
- Condition
- Used
- Published
- 1997
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Middletown, Maryland, USA
- Item Price
-
$100.00
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Description:
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997. First edition. Scarce uncorrected proof; in blue, printed paperwraps. AUTHOR'S FIRST BOOK, one of the surprise hits at the time. Made into a film in 2005. Crease to back cover extending to last several pages otherwise near fine. Item Price
$100.00
Memoirs of a Geisha
by Golden, Arthur
- Condition
- Used - Acceptable
- Binding
- Hardback
- ISBN
- 9780375400117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
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GORING BY SEA, West Sussex, GBR
- Item Price
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$14.00
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Hardback. Acceptable. Item Price
$14.00
Memoirs of A Geisha (Advance Reading Copy)
by GOLDEN, Arthur
- Condition
- Used
- Published
- 1997
- ISBN
- 9780375400117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Wadsworth, Illinois, USA
- Item Price
-
$60.00
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Description:
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997. First edition. Softcover. Advance reading copy. A wildly popular book which was the basis for the Rob Marshall movie of the same name. A clean very near fine copy in illustrated wrappers with publisher information on the rear panel. Much less common than the trade first edition. Item Price
$60.00
Memoirs of a Geisha
by GOLDEN, Arthur
- Condition
- Used - Near Fine
- Published
- 1997
- Binding
- Softcover
- ISBN
- 9780375400117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Gloucester City, New Jersey, USA
- Item Price
-
$200.00
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Description:
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997. Softcover. Near Fine. Uncorrected proof. A faint sticker shadow on the front wrap else near fine in wrappers. Celebrated debut novel, a confession told in the voice of Japan's most famous geisha. Much scarcer than the Advance Reading Copy. Item Price
$200.00
Memoirs of a Geisha
by Golden, Arthur
- Condition
- Used - Very Good in Very Good dust jacket
- Edition
- 9th Printing
- Published
- 1998
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780375400117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Odessa, Texas, USA
- Item Price
-
$27.45
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Description:
New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. Very Good in Very Good dust jacket. 1998. 9th Printing. Hardcover. Small 4to 9" - 11" tall; 434 pages; Mylar Cover on dust jacket. Dust Jacket shows little wear of usage. Book Tight. Text is clean no markings seen. . Item Price
$27.45
Memoirs of a Geisha
by Golden, Arthur
- Condition
- Used - Orig. quarter black cloth and white boards lettered in gilt. Fine in fine dust wrapper
- Edition
- First edition
- Published
- 1997
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
ardsley, New York, USA
- Item Price
-
$90.00
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Description:
New York: Knopf, 1997. First edition. Hardcover. Orig. quarter black cloth and white boards lettered in gilt. Fine in fine dust wrapper. 434 pages. 24 x 16,5 cm. Type in Fairfield, the first typeface by Rudolph Ruzicka. Item Price
$90.00
Memoirs of a Geisha
by Golden, Arthur
- Condition
- Used - Fine
- Jacket Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Published
- 1997
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780375400117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Marlton, New Jersey, USA
- Item Price
-
$35.00
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Description:
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997 This is a later printing (5th) of a bestseller that resulted in a Major Motion Picture. Binding and pages are tight and clean. Jacket is unclipped. Item Price
$35.00
Memoirs of a Geisha [SIGNED COPY]
by Golden, Arthur
- Condition
- Used - Near fine
- Jacket Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition 1st Printing
- Published
- 1997
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780375400117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
San Francisco, California, USA
- Item Price
-
$114.93
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Description:
Knopf, 1997. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. Near fine/Fine. Near fine in fine dust jacket. SIGNED and inscribed âTo Jamie with warm regardsâ by the author on the title page. 1st edition, later printing. Dust jacket is fine. Book has a tiny dent in the bottom of the pageblock. Basis for the film of the same name. Golden… Read more about this item Item Price
$114.93
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
by Golden Arthur
- Condition
- Used - Fine
- Jacket Condition
- Fine
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
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PASADENA, California, USA
- Item Price
-
$29.95
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Knopf Book. Fine. Hardcover. A FINE HARDCOVER REPRINT IN DUST JACKET WITH SIGNED PUBLISHERS BOOKPLATE. Item Price
$29.95
Memoirs of a Geisha
by Golden, Arthur
- Condition
- Used - Acceptable
- Published
- 1997-09-23
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780375400117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Houston, Texas, USA
- Item Price
-
$5.37
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Description:
Knopf, 1997-09-23. Hardcover. Acceptable. 101x22x152. Item Price
$5.37
Memoirs of a Geisha: The Literary Sensation and Runaway Bestseller
by Golden, Arthur
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780099771517
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
GORING BY SEA, West Sussex, GBR
- Item Price
-
$1.27
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Description:
Paperback. Very Good. Item Price
$1.27
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Memoirs of a Geisha
by Golden, Arthur
- Condition
- Used - Near fine
- Jacket Condition
- near fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Published
- 1997
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780375400117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Neenah, Wisconsin, USA
- Item Price
-
$75.00
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Description:
New York: Knopf, 1997. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Near fine/near fine. 1st Edition. Hardcover. A novel about true confessions of one of Japan's most celebrated geisha. A lot of praise to Golden for transforming a Japanese woman's heart and soul from a male writer! Stated First Edition. Author's first book. Item Price
$75.00
Memoirs Of A Geisha
by Golden, Arthur
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780099498186
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
GORING BY SEA, West Sussex, GBR
- Item Price
-
$13.68
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Description:
Paperback. Very Good. Item Price
$13.68
Memoirs of a Geisha
by Arthur Golden
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN
- 9780375400117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
- Item Price
-
$1.49
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Knopf. Used - Good. . . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business. Item Price
$1.49
Memoirs of a Geisha
by Golden, Arthur
- Condition
- Used; Like New
- Jacket Condition
- Near Fine
- Published
- 1997
- Binding
- Hard Cover
- ISBN
- 9780375400117
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Haines City, Florida, USA
- Item Price
-
$40.00
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Description:
New York, NY, U.S.A: Alfred A. Knopf Incorporated, 1997. Hard Cover. Used; Like New/Near Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. SIGNED ON BOOKPLATE BY AUTHOR. Small bump from binding defect (too much glue at bottom of back endpaper). Bestselling novel of the true confessions of a celebrated Geisha. Sayuri's story begins at nine… Read more about this item Item Price
$40.00