Autobiography of a Geisha - Softcover
Unusual book
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review:
Sayo Masuda’s Autobiography of a Geisha offers a story of unremitting hardship faced by a hot-springs geisha, a virtual indentured sex-slave in pre-World War II Japan.
Book Description:
Born in 1925, Masuda began work as a nursemaid at age 5 and suffered a childhood of emotional and material poverty. She was then sold to the Takenoya geisha house in Upper Suwa at age 12. While her food and clothing were provided for by Takenoya, she was subject to constant verbal abuse as an apprentice. At one point, she was heaved down the stairs by her "Mother" (the name she uses for the proprietor of the geisha house) and nearly lost a leg. During her recovery, she attempted suicide and further injured herself.
Eventually, Masuda mastered the art of seduction as a geisha. The middle portion of the narrative is taken up with stories of her successful campaign for a danna (patron), of her brother’s tragic suicide, and of her star-crossed love affair with a Japanese politician.
Autobiography of a Geisha, translated for the first time into English by G. G. Rowley, was published in Japan in 1957 and has been in print in Japan steadily ever since. The tale is rendered in a simple English prose to reflect Masuda’s own, untrained style (she did not have schooling and she only learned to write hiragana script later in life). For Western readers, Masuda’s autobiography is a gift: a glimpse into the dark reality behind one of the most shrouded institutions in Japanese culture. --Patrick O’Kelley
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."
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherRandom House Uk Ltd
- Publication date2006
- ISBN 10 0099490773
- ISBN 13 9780099490777
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages224
- Rating
Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace
Stock Image
Autobiography of a Geisha
Published by
Random House Uk Ltd
(2006)
ISBN 10: 0099490773
ISBN 13: 9780099490777
Used
Paperback
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR001067464
Buy Used
US$ 2.58
Convert currency
Stock Image
Autobiography of a Geisha
Published by
Random House Uk Ltd
(2006)
ISBN 10: 0099490773
ISBN 13: 9780099490777
Used
Paperback
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Good. The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine. Seller Inventory # GOR003759889
Buy Used
US$ 2.58
Convert currency
Stock Image
Autobiography of a Geisha
Published by
Random House Uk Ltd
(2006)
ISBN 10: 0099490773
ISBN 13: 9780099490777
Used
Paperback
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Fair. A readable copy of the book which may include some defects such as highlighting and notes. Cover and pages may be creased and show discolouration. Seller Inventory # GOR010722914
Buy Used
US$ 2.58
Convert currency
Stock Image
Autobiography of a Geisha (Vintage East)
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. This book is in stock now, in our UK premises. Photos of our books are available on request (dustjacket and cover illustrations vary, and unless the image accompanying the listing is marked 'Bookseller Image', it is an Abebooks Stock Image, NOT our own). Overseas buyers please also note that shipping rates apply to packets of 750g and under, and should the packed weight of an item exceed this we reserve the right to ship via 'Economy', or request extra postage prior to fulfilling the order, or cancel. Seller Inventory # mon0000098807
Buy Used
US$ 3.08
Convert currency
Seller Image
Autobiography of a Geisha (Vintage East)
Published by
Vintage, London 03.08.2006.
(2006)
ISBN 10: 0099490773
ISBN 13: 9780099490777
Used
Softcover
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: Gut. 224 Seiten Schnitt etwas vergilbt u. Abplatzung auf der Coverrückseite, Buch ist durch eine Druckstelle etwas verlagert (längs durchgebogen), kleine Lagerspuren am Buch, Inhalt einwandfrei und ungelesen 204811 Sprache: Englisch Gewicht in Gramm: 125 17,8 x 10,4 x 1,8 cm, Taschenbuch. Seller Inventory # 162704
Buy Used
US$ 4.40
Convert currency