It is a wonderful introduction to geisha, Japanese culture, and the East for the uninitiated Western reader, and I can see why the book is popular, but I found it disappointing. Memoirs of a Geisha is an American novel, and as such the attempt at West does East, especially on the complex and delicate subject of the geisha, is compelling, interesting, but also heavy-handed and ultimately ineffective (even more so in the case of the film). There are indeed prostitutes in Japan, as there are in every other country in the world (except maybe Antarctica), but the terms are not interchangeable. They are paid for this service, but sex is not a given part of the service offered. A real geisha's job is to act as a hostess in the true sense of the word, by providing conversation, serving food and drink etc at formal dinners, or accompanying a guest to observe the beauties of nature such as cherry blossoms, autumn colours etc-often with a picnic included, at which the geisha will serve the food or treats. "Gei" means "art." They specialise in one of the performing arts: music, traditional dancing, reciting poetry or singing, etc. There are still geisha who are what the original word means: artists. "Gei" means "art." They specia …more "Geisha" and "prostitute" are not the same thing.
Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) "Geisha" and "prostitute" are not the same thing.
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