Memoirs of a Geisha

I finally saw "Memoirs of a Geisha" last night. I've been waiting to see this since I first heard the movie was being made because I read the book about 4 years ago and I could not put it down. It is one of the most fascinating books I've ever read, and I loved learning about the Geisha world. In choosing books to read, I usually look for settings in worlds I know nothing about, cultures that I can learn from. I love learning about Asian culture, the slavery era in America, Native Americans, and even the South. These are all worlds that are foreign to me and that fascinate me every time I enter one.

I decided to reread the book before I saw the movie and I got through it pretty fast since we had our 12 hour trip to and from Ohio a few weeks ago. So I went into the movie with a knowledgeable perspective. I don't know why I put myself through the torture. The movie is NEVER worth seeing after reading the story first. I'd say the best book-to-movie transition I've experienced is Gone With the Wind. But you also have to take into consideration that Gone With the Wind is a long movie, so they were able to stick to the story with some continuity.

Memoirs of a Geisha is gorgeous, I'll give you that. The settings and wardrobes were breathtaking, especially those set in Japenese gardens. But there was so much missing from the story. I was constantly thinking to myself, how will anyone who has not read the novel know what is going on? It was patchy and confusing.

Bottom line and personal opinion of Tara Chapman: More disapointing than most movies based on popular books. There are thousands of movies out there--don't pick this one next time you're at Blockbuster or logging onto Netflix!