Published in 1997, Memoirs of a Geisha became successful into a short period of time and remained on The New York Times best seller list for two years. The book was the result of 6 years of work and it was rewritten 3 times with changers regarding the view point.
In his historical novel, Arthur Golden offers an insight in the life of a geisha in a Japan torn by war while explaining the process a girl will have to take in order to become a geisha and the things expected from them. Instead of continuing the idea that the Western world had about geishas and the work they do, Arthur Golden presented them in a fair light, as artists who undergo years of training before they are considered geishas.
In order to write his book, Arthur Golden interviewed geishas that gave him information about the life style and provided background regarding their life. He also presents the Japanese society during and after the Second World War and how the social dynamics changed drastically after the end of the war.
The novel has been translated in numerous languages and, in 2005, a film version was released.