Listen free for 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Memoirs of a Geisha cover art

Memoirs of a Geisha

Written by: Arthur Golden
Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.20

Buy Now for $26.20

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

Nitta Sayuri tells us in a voice at once haunting and startlingly immediate of her life as a geisha. Her story begins in a poor fishing village in 1929, when, as a nine-year-old girl with unusual blue-gray eyes, she is taken from her home and sold into slavery to a renowned geisha house. We witness her transformation as we enter a world where appearances are paramount; where a girl's virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men; and where love is scorned as illusion.

It is a unique and triumphant work of fiction - at once romantic, erotic, suspenseful - and completely unforgettable.

©1997 Arthur Golden; Copyright ©1998 by Random House, Inc.

What the critics say

"Astonishing...Breathtaking...You are seduced completely." (Washington Post Book World)
"...a bravura performance, a first novel that provides a vivid view into a largely lost and secret world." (The Los Angeles Times Sunday Book Review)

What listeners say about Memoirs of a Geisha

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    116
  • 4 Stars
    25
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    92
  • 4 Stars
    29
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    113
  • 4 Stars
    19
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love This Story So Much

I have both read and watched the movie multiple times and this story never looses its magic!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • J.S
  • 2020-06-25

Loved it

it was a bit long. and there were times where it was hard to get into. but overall I loved the book and would definitely recommend it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable as the book

I have read the book many years ago and saw the movie as well. I like the narrator however the story is not as well written as I thought it was. The story is captivating until the war then it feels like someone else wrote the remaining chapters. It's still a good book overall.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book!

A great listen and not a single boring part. The narrator does an excellent job!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Highly recommended

A beautiful tale that captures you. I couldn’t stop listening. And excellently read. Thank you for the experience.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing, couldn't stop listening

There's so much more here than in the movie. So much more history and character motivation, and it answers questions about what happened to her afterwards. I truly enjoyed this. Other reviews said the narrator was monotone and hard to follow, and I do not agree at all. I will definitely listen to this again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An incredible story, narrator not ideal.

Memoirs of a Geisha was a mesmerizing read, with stories rich in description and an authors voice that was both unique and telling. Unfortunately, the narrator chosen for this audiobook was monotone - basically more robotic than fluid. It was difficult to remain interested when the novel itself was captivating. #Audible1

I was able to finish the audiobook, but unfortunately I was disappointed in the overall performance.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Sweet and sour

This was a beautiful distraction for someone never having travelled to Japan. Loved rich descriptions.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

Memoirs of a Grisha is such a beautiful and well written book, I highly recommend!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Bleh

What a beautiful story told, only to have it destroyed by the narration. I love this book but I won’t listen to it again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!