Now I really really apologize for being M.I.A for the past month. Things have been chaotic lately. Working seven days out of a week can definitely drain you both physically and mentally. But I have had some time off and I feel super rejuvenated, so I decided to take the time and make book reviews that I had promised to my devoted readers way back in May.
I cannot believe that we are already in June, and by next week we will be in July. Unfortunately, my summer break has not allowed me to read as much as I would like to because of my busy schedule. Last month, I finished reading Madness by Roald Dahl, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. What I did not get to finish was Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Maybe I’ll pick up in the near the future, but I found it really hard to read through. His writing and prose was dull and too descriptive—he made the narrator kind of annoying due to her naiveté. I am ashamed to even say this but I did not even make it to page 100! I just did not find it interesting—the storyline did not captivate me as I thought it would. Also, the way that Golden portrayed the Geisha culture was inaccurate. I understand it the book is “historic fiction” but that does not mean that the author has the right to skew the Japanese culture and how Geisha is valued and seen in Japan. I do not want to go into too much detail, since I did not get a chance to read the whole book, but all I can say is that I do not know how the book was an international bestseller—it is astounding.
Madness is a collection of short of grim tales. I found Dahl’s storyline concepts to bear great similarity to Shirley Jackson’s Dark Tales, but Dahl’s main focus is exploring insanity. Because I read it last month, I do not remember the specific stories that gave me the chills, that captivated me, that shocked me—but there is no question about it, Dahl is a phenomenal writer who appeals to any generation and person. I did only find his short stories to be grim and forbidding, but I found it to be also amusing and entertaining. What I love about this one collection of his short tales is that readers get to appreciate his imagination, his talent, creativity, and his writing style for adults. Dahl is best known as an acclaimed author of children stories, but we never get to see the “dark” side of him that is displayed through Madness. Fortunately, this is one collection out three other editions that all focus on a specific theme. I do plan on reading more adult stories by him, so I will definitely keep you—my readers—posted on it.
All in all, Memoirs of a Geisha was a not a book that kept me interested—it was both the mundane prose and knowledge of knowing that the story was and is historically inaccurate; therefore, I give this book two stars. Madness is a book that I recommend any person who is interested in weird, insane and bizarre tales, and because of that, I give it a four star rating.
x, Kayla
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