Well, the check came in and the first things I spent money on, even before coffee at Borders, were two books.
I sought out
Autobiography of a Geisha by Sayo Masuda largely on the strength of having read Arthur Golden's
Memoirs of a Geisha.
Memoirs is a fascinating novel set in a different era, in the world of elegant geishas catering to the entertainment of well-to-do and influential men of Tokyo. I found it to be a very pleasant read, with an ultimately heart-warming endng, and I would recommend it to ayone interested in reading about a totally different culture.
Autobiography, on the other hand, is described as an unblemished look into the unhappy life of the 'other' kind of geisha who is placed in bondage at a young age, and who works at a hot springs resort for, I quote, the "realities of sex for sale." The second book is described as a corrective to the somewhat rosy glow surrounding the descriptions of the first. So now we shall see what a slice of gritty life is like.
Second, I bought Neil Gaiman's
Smoke and Mirrors because I found
Neverwhere to be such a thoroughly enjoyable read. That was my first fantasy book in a long long time and I am looking to an equally enjoyable experience with his short stories. In addition to which, I must say that Gaiman himself, speaking in his own voice in the Introduction, comes across as a very literate and engaging personality.
Now I think that is it for this month, but that also remains to be seen
Peder
