Memoirs of a Geisha
by Arthur Golden
★ Top 10 book of 1997 · #10 on Best Books of 1997
Nitta Sayuri recalls her life as a geisha, beginning in 1929 when she is sold from a poor fishing village into a renowned geisha house. Her training and rivalries unfold in a world where appearances rule.
Best for: Readers who enjoy lyrical, romantic historical fiction set in the hidden world of geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha is #10 on BookWard's Best Books of 1997, out of 27 1997 books that cleared our data bar.
What Memoirs of a Geisha is about
In 1929, nine-year-old Chiyo and her sister are sold by their father from the fishing village of Yoroido. Chiyo is taken to an okiya in Gion, a household of geisha, while her sister goes elsewhere. There she meets the cruelty of Hatsumomo, the house's leading geisha, and the guidance of Mameha, who becomes her mentor and gives her the name Sayuri. A moment of kindness from a stranger she calls the Chairman gives her something to hold on to through years of training. Told in the first person by an older Sayuri looking back, Arthur Golden's novel follows rivalry between women, the mix of love and money, and a way of life threatened by war. It is lyrical and wistful, and will appeal to readers who like historical fiction with a strong, intimate voice.
Memoirs of a Geisha on the Best Books of 1997
Memoirs of a Geisha came out in 1997. Of the 27 books first published in 1997 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #10 on our Best Books of 1997 list.
Why it made the list: 484 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (95 ratings); 20 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 1997 list
- Wizard and Glass Stephen King, #8
- The Subtle Knife Philip Pullman, #9
- Killing Floor Lee Child, #11
- The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Anne Fadiman, #12
See all Best Books of 1997 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1996 Best Books of 1998.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 336 want to read it, 20 are reading it now and 127 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4 out of 5 from 95 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 67 | 55% |
| Reader love | 63 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 59 | 20% |
Questions about Memoirs of a Geisha
When was Memoirs of a Geisha published?
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden was first published in 1997.
Was Memoirs of a Geisha one of the best books of 1997?
Memoirs of a Geisha is #10 on BookWard's Best Books of 1997, out of 27 1997 books that cleared our data bar. 484 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (95 ratings); 20 are reading it right now.
Why is Memoirs of a Geisha on the Best Books of 1997 list?
484 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (95 ratings); 20 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 1997
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone J. K. Rowling, #1
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad Robert T. Kiyosaki, #2
- Guns, Germs, and Steel Jared Diamond, #3
- The Adventures of Captain Underpants Dav Pilkey, #4
- The Power of Now Eckhart Tolle, #5
- Into Thin Air Jon Krakauer, #6
See the full Best Books of 1997, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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