Memoirs of a Geisha
Arthur Golden

   The metaphors in this book delve into the meaning of life. My favorites include; ‘I felt as a bird must feel when it has flown across the ocean and comes upon a creature that knows its nest.’ ‘Was life nothing more than a storm that constantly washed away what had been there only a moment before, and left behind something barren and unrecognizable?’ ‘We lead our lives like water flowing down a hill, going more or less in one direction until we splash into something that forces us to find a new course.’ I was amazed at times with the writing and the detail of it. At other times, however, I felt the author sacrificed the story for style. In the beginning the metaphors were well-placed and clever, but as the story went on I wished that just once, Sayuri could say something without comparing it to leaves or butterflies. 

It's a novel that's full of passion, feelings, and sadness which made me want to keep reading to discover what was going to happen next. The setting is what makes this book readable and enjoyable. By using original Japanese words and detailed descriptions the author draws the most incredible pictures in the readers' mind. I liked that the heroine was not flawless, it helped me sympathize with her situation. But what captivated me was the subject matter, it's a rare and enlightening look at a secret culture that's both elusive and seductive. The book closes with an image Sayuri constructs, describing the choices she has made: 

"But now I know that our world is no more permanent than a wave rising on the ocean. Whatever our struggles and triumphs, however, we suffer them, all too soon they bleed into a wash, just like watery ink on paper." 

Although the ending was a disappointment, the rest of the story more than made up for it and anyway, what’s wrong with fairy tales?