Arthur Golden’s classic best-selling book, Memoirs of a Geisha, which most critics of the world of fiction give to reviews, appeared on the shelves of bookstores in 1997 and is still one of the best-selling novels of the last millennium. According to rumors, the writer received about ten million dollars for his work, not counting the profits from the film adaptation. The novel has been reprinted more than once in huge print runs.
Enthusiastic reviews of "Memoirs of a Geisha" could be heard from well-known director Rob Marshall, writer Jonathan Franzen and Jonathan Safran Foyer.
The novel became a classic in its genre, inspiring many creative people around the world.
Arthur Golden
Arthur Golden was born into the family of Ruth and Ben Goldenov - representatives of the influential Oaks-Sulzberg family. The parents of the future writer were the owners of the famous newspaper The New York Times.
Arthur graduated with honors from the elite private “Baylor School for Boys” and entered Harvard University at the Department of Oriental Art.
In 1979, Golden completed his studies, acquired a bachelor's degree in humanities in the field of art history of Japan. A year later, Arthur Golden received the title of Master of Japanese History at the University of Columbia, and also graduated with honors from North Chinese courses.
Jobs in Japan
The summer of 1981, the writer spends at the University of Beijing, where he gives a separate course of lectures on the theory of art. When the contract expired, Golden moved to Japan and got a lecturer at the University of Tokyo, while working on a scientific monograph on the history of Japanese fine art. A close acquaintance with the culture and customs of Japan awakens a keen interest in this country in Golden. The writer feels the need to creatively rethink his experience and impressions.
Mineko Iwasaki
In the late eighties, Golden begins to harbor the idea of ​​writing a novel about traditional Japanese customs, choosing the fate of geisha in Japanese society of the late thirties as the main theme. Among the representatives of this profession interviewed by him was Mineko Iwasaki, one of the legendary geishas who worked at that time. Having taken an obligation from Golden to not disclose the information communicated to him, she agreed to a series of lengthy conversations, during which the writer drew a lot of material for his upcoming novel.
When the book was published in 1997, Golden nevertheless indicated the name of Mineko in the thank-you section, which caused the former geisha a number of problems. The Japanese public condemned her for violating the "principle of silence" and disclosing secret information. This led to lengthy litigation, during which Golden still had to pay Mineko a certain amount of money.
One of Mineko’s main complaints about the text of the novel was the traditional customs of Japan that were misinterpreted by the American writer. Geisha claimed that most of them were invented by Golden himself, and the fact of this invention not only offends the people of Japan, but also makes the writer a slanderer, for which he should be held accountable.
"Memoirs of a Geisha"
The novel "Memoirs of a Geisha" was released in 1997 and instantly became a bestseller, becoming the 1997 sales leader in England, the USA and many European countries. Over the next three years, the book withstood several reprints and was translated into 30 languages ​​of the world, receiving laudatory reviews from most literary critics of famous periodicals.
Such enthusiastic reviews of Golden Memoirs of a Geisha were joined by reviews from many cultural and art figures. Obviously, the reason for this popularity of the novel lies in the psychological plot of the book.
The plot of the novel tells about the fate of two poor sisters, whom the mother is forced to sell to a “reseller”. The older sister becomes a geisha, the younger is forced to become a prostitute. Later, the narrative focuses on the girl who chose the path of a geisha.
The story of the love of free men to an unfree woman instantly resonated in the hearts of millions of readers around the world, making Arthur Golden one of the most sought-after writers of the late twentieth century.
Criticism
The reviews on the Memoirs of a Geisha have been monotonous throughout the history of its sales since publication. Critics have traditionally noted the novelty and courage of the novel, the authenticity in depicting the life of the population of Japan. Golden was particularly praised for his “masterful depiction of the details of the culture and life of the countries of the East,” which his readers particularly appreciated.
At the time of the novel’s release, such a large-scale work on the artistic description of Japan was only possible for James Clavell, who published the novel “The Shogun” in 1975. After the Shogun, there was a lull in world literature: practically no one wrote about Japan, and Golden’s novel became a “breath of fresh air” in the system of literary views on the Land of the Rising Sun. In the first week of sales, the publishers were literally inundated with letters of enthusiastic reviews of the Memoirs of a Geisha. Many readers called the novel "a work of the century" and "an ingeniously painted picture of Japanese life."
Such opinions, circulated in literary circles, only strengthened the already stunning popularity of the novel.
Film adaptation
Ten years after the release of the novel, the famous Hollywood director Rob Marshall decides to stage the film according to a script written by Golden himself in collaboration with a young screenwriter Robin Svaykord.
Reviews about the "Memoirs of a geisha", transferred to the film, were overwhelmingly negative. Western film critics noted the excessive length of the film and the focus of the viewer on "completely inappropriate things", and reviewers of Japan and China were unhappy with the "false image in the tape of ancient customs."
Also, representatives of Asian cinema were confused by the fact that all the roles of prostitutes in the film were performed by actresses of Chinese origin. A petition was sent to the director demanding an official apology to the people of China, but the famous Japanese actor Ken Watanabe sided with Rob Marshall, saying that "the talent has no nationality."
Book Reviews
Arthur Golden's novel has received and continues to receive a huge number of reviews. It is characteristic that the reviews about the book "Memoirs of a Geisha" are mostly positive. The novel caused a negative reaction only among Japanese traditionalists who disagreed with the interpretation of the national customs of their homeland in the text of the book. The remaining reviews are written in a positive manner. The novel has become incredibly popular with the female half of humanity, since, first of all, it reflects the strength of the female spirit and the willful desire to achieve the goal.
The guys' comments about the "Memoirs of a geisha" are in the nature of admiration for the female essence. Men are genuinely surprised when they realize how many difficulties a woman can endure and still remain herself.
“Real Memoirs of a Geisha”
After the release of the sensational novel by Arthur Golden, offended by the "slanderous writer" Iwasaki decides to write a "true story about the very events of his life." After several years of work, the novel “Real Memoirs of a Geisha” comes out from under her pen, the reviews of which, to the displeasure of the opponents of the novel, were not positive.
The novel significantly lost to Golden's work both in the plot plan and in terms of artistic expressiveness. The book could not win the hearts of readers in the United States and European countries, gaining little popularity only among circles of conservative Japanese, despite all attempts to raise sales of the novel through advertising, interviews and television commercials. Reviews of the book "True Memoirs of a Geisha" left much to be desired.
However, despite the failure of the book in the United States, she was able to become a bestseller in the UK and Russia, almost catching up with Golden’s novel on sales and popularity.