Memoirs of a Geisha by Peter Goulden

just spent the last two nights Not sleeping. 'What was I doing?' You might ask. Well, I wasn't sleeping, as I should have been (gotta go to work after all), was I? No. I was reading author Peter Goulden's excellent debut novel, Memoirs of a Geisha. I was riveted from about the first page. The Queen had read it several months ago. I asked if I should read it. It was a best seller after all. "You probably wouldn't like it. It's kind of a girly book," I was told. So I forgot about it for a couple of months, I guess. Haven't seen the film, either. Well Wednesday night, I was having one of those nights we all do when you simply cannot get to sleep. Up later than anyone in the house, I spied it laying on the kitchen table, when I came down to go out back to have a smoke. So I picked it up and set it where I would see it when I headed back up stairs, thinking, 'If I don't like it, maybe it will put me to sleep'. One word... BULLSHIT!!!! As I said, I was riveted from about the first page. This novel tells the story of a woman, sold off by her family to a Geisha House in Kyoto in the mid 1900's and runs through almost the present day, I think. Incredible... I've always been curious about Japanese culture. They seem so different, somehow. It was an incredible read. Far from putting me to sleep (and I really needed the sleep), I think it actually kept me awake(!) I tried to put it down about 1:00 AM Thursday morning, and turned the light off to go to sleep. No go on the sleep thing. All the exotic things Mr. Goulden was painting in my mind were racing around in there, gelling into one incredible Japanese painted scroll. So I picked it up and turned on the light and read for about another hour I think. When the alarm went off, I awoke with a start, still clutching the book. I went to bed Friday night early intent on getting some sleep. As I pulled back the covers to get into bed, the book fell to the floor. Shit! I picked it up, with intentions to read just until my eyes drooped. They didn't. I finished the damn thing at around 2:30 this morning. Now I'm no critic, but it's safe to say I loved this book, and would recommend it to anyone. What a piece of Prose! Pick it up, and read a few pages. You'll be hooked. Sucked in to early 20th century Japan, just as I was. Who doesn't like to read about exotic people, doing exotic things, in exotic lands. Maybe if you don't then this book isn't for you, but even then...