i also read Memoires Of A Geisha
and the book (ghost)written by the same lady who allegedly Memories is based on, Geisha, A Life.
Memoires is a nice fiction book, with a villain, a protagonist character arc, challenges to overcome, antagonistic secondary characters, everything you'd expect from a perfect story. It's no surprise that it's bullshit, mostly. But it's a decent read.
A Life is more down to earth and nowhere near as interesting from .. a plotline point of view.
Both books describe the ascent of the most famous (and stupidly rich) Geisha of the WW2 period. In Memoires, she is a poor baby girl dressed in rags, carrying heavy buckets of water but determined to master the arts. She endures defloration, betrayal, jealousy, cruel teachers, faux pas misunderstandings, eventually overcoming adversity through her dedication to the dance.
In the second book, she is a particularly handsome young girl who is earmarked for success, and a troupe of experienced professionals build her up into what is essentially a fashion model.
The first book is more interesting as a fable, the second is more interesting as a snapshot of what was essentially japan's last moment of "ancient times" before the postwar modernization. Which of these two books you would find more interesting, is down to what you expect out of a book.
Neither book is great, but, they were not a waste of time. I would say "average".
i am currently reading Ivanhoe. My dad bought me a (different) copy of this book which i have not yet read, and that was 30 years ago - i better get to it.