Memoirs of a Geisha
by Arthur Golden
The most fascinating thing about this book was easily the level of historical detail it incorporated. The story and characters didn't always captivate me, but somehow I had trouble putting it down and not reading one more paragraph (which without fail became two more chapters). The language and metaphors were beautiful and only added to the presence of the time and place.
The ending took me by surprise; I could hardly finish the last couple chapters because I just knew it was going to end horribly. I still haven't decided whether it fit or not. The stream-reaching-ocean metaphor is somehow not very Western, where I think we don't (reflexively, at least) believe in fate.