Book report on “Memoirs of a Geisha” / PART II・・・My impression・・・

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□■ PART II ・・・My impression of the odor and the color ■□
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     At the beginning of this story, I was most strongly impressed with the odor.
     For example, when compare Chiyo’s house with Mr. Tanaka’s house, 
“The glade of pine trees surrounding it smelled as richly as the ocean 
back on the seacliffs at our house. Mr. Tanaka’s house had smelled of smoke and pine,
 but ours smelled of my mother’s illness in a way I can’t even bear to describe.
     When Chiyo and Satsu were taken to inside the Japan Coastal Seafood Company. 
And “the corridor couldn’t have smelled more strongly of fish guts 
if we had actually been inside a fish.” 
You must have a bad feeling that there will be something wrong for them. 
     When compare The Nitta okiya with Mameha’s apartment, 
The Nitta okiya must be one of the wealthiest in Gion, 
but inside there were stink so badly here and there. One of that was the toilet. 
Another was Mother’s room. She didn’t like anyone to touch her futon, 
even to change the sheets, so the whole room smelled like dirty linen. 
And the paper screens over the windows were stained terribly on account of her smoking, 
which gave the room a gloomy cast. Etc…And to add the members of the okiya, 
like Granny, Hatsumomo of course, you should have heavy and sullen feeling. 
     On the contrary, Mameha’s apartment wasn’t large, but it was extremely elegant, 
with beautiful tatami mats that were obviously new, for they had a lovely 
yellow-green sheen and smelled richly of straw. And Chiyo could sitting for a long while 
with nothing to do but listen to the sound of water passing 
over the knee-high cascade in the Shirakawa Stream outside. 

     I think those variety odor had an important part in the entire story. 
Chiyo felt happy, misery, swamp, anxious, exciting, joy, whenever there were peculiar odor. 
I got quite vivid sensation with it.
     The another important part was the colors. The colors used mainly in kimono. 
I enjoyed those various designs and combination of the colors. 
Also the colors called attention to Chiyo’s felt or her standpoint. 
And I got quite vivid sensation with it, too.

     But, what a pity, you know…In the middle of the story where after the start of the war, 
I felt the story seemed became powerless and passionless. I think the author 
didn’t use the odor or colors for stick out in contrast to others.
It was really disappointed me. Before I came middle of the story, 
I regarded this story as superior and I want gave “★★★★★!!!!!”
But past the middle or 2/3, there were no attractive power. 
So I thought I’ll give “★★★★” 

     There again, I can see surprise where around ending. 
Those scene were quite exited me and after that, I got peaceful image and had pleasant feeling. 
Even though there were not much peculiar odor or color, those scene were really struck me. 
So I want to gave”★★★★★” for this story.