Women of the Pleasure Quarters: The Secret History of the Geisha
by Lesley Downer
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Book Summary Information
Author: Lesley DownerEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-04-09
ISBN: 0767904907
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Broadway
Book Reviews of Women of the Pleasure Quarters: The Secret History of the Geisha
Book Review: Great - what else is there to say?
Summary: 5 Stars
Lesley Downer's book on geisha is, quite honestly, one of the best out there. Whereas Liza Dalby has been incorrectly referred to as the only non-Japanese woman to be a geisha (see my review on Dalby's "Geisha"), Downer presumes few airs due to her involvement with the community. The picture of her wearing a geisha wig demonstrate a slight embarrassment but there-through her good-humour in acknowledging that she could never be associated with the fine women of Gion or Pontocho. She is an outsider and she recognises that, even if she learnt much about them.
Downer comments in detail upon the lives, both past & present, of geisha in Japan, talking extensively about how the geisha came to be, as well as how they exist today. In doing so she takes time to show that they are real Japanese women, not just dolls in kimono. Indeed they are self-confident, highly-resourceful individuals who rely on themselves alone for their income (not being allowed to get married or have a partner). This is something that is rarely stressed about geisha. Not only can they retire early, many can live well for the rest of their lives with what they earn.
Interestingly she also touches upon the tayu, once courtesans that survive in far fewer numbers than the geisha and maiko of modern Japan, as well as the taiko-mochi ("male geisha"). These are "artists" that few authors have ever discussed. This is one of the things that makes the book for me. Whereas other works have been somewhat narrow in their focused, Downer tries to be more thorough in examining other related areas.
She does a fantastic job in conveying how closed and inaccessible this world is normally, being quite honest in how her initial attempts to enter it were frustrated. She attributes good fortune rather than personal worth as to why she was able to write this book. Her lamentations over the precarious state of the survival of the geisha should also be noted. As wonderful as they seem to us, their exclusivity and inflexibility coupled with Japan's changing circumstances (less people with the money or interest to fund the communities) is the biggest threat to their future. Whereas authors have previously tried to paint an overly romantic or simplified portrait of geisha, this book thoughtfully highlights the complex and subtle nature of this aspect of Japan's culture, while also pointing out the challenges it faces.
Summary of Women of the Pleasure Quarters: The Secret History of the Geisha
Ever since Westerners arrived in Japan, they have been intrigued by Japanese womanhood and, above all, by geisha. This fascination has spawned a wealth of extraordinary fictional creations, from Puccini?s Madame Butterfly to Arthur Golden?s Memoirs of a Geisha. But as denizens of a world defined by silence and mystery, real geisha are notoriously difficult to meet and even to find. As a result, their history has long been cloaked in secrecy.Lesley Downer, an award-winning writer, Japanese scholar, and consummate storyteller, gained more access to this world than almost any other Westerner, and spent several months living in it. In Women of the Pleasure Quarters, she weaves together intimate portraits of modern geisha with the romantic legends and colorful historical tales that shape their fascinating past. Contrary to popular opinion, geisha are not prostitutes but, literally, "arts people." Accomplished singers, dancers, and musicians, they are, above all, masters of the art of conversation, soothing the worries and stroking the egos of wealthy businessmen who can afford their attentions. Looking into such traditions as mizuage, the ritual deflowering that was once a rite of passage for all geisha, and providing colorful descriptions of their dress, training, and homes, Downer transforms their reality into a captivating narrative, and reveals an enthralling world unlike any other.
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