On the other hand, that very alien sensibility is a lot of the attraction. The translator himself, Waley, noted it's in many ways "alien to modern sensibilities" and at times I wasn't sure of what was happening, whether I was supposed to interpret Genji's character favorably and wondered what I missed in translation despite frequent footnotes. The Tale of the Genji, the product of a sophisticated court, is thus close in age to Beowulf, and by and large, in its English translation in some ways more accessible. Show More around the turn of the first millennium, when Europe was just emerging from the Dark Ages.
LADY MURASAKI THE TALE OF GENJI FULL
One plus to the abridged version is it is full of woodblock printings inspired by the novel. However if you don't mind lengthy books, I would recommend reading the unabridged version which has 54 chapters compared to the 12 available in this version. This book is also good for anyone who truly enjoys classics because it is considered one of the WORLD's first novels. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Japanese history, since it is written by someone who lived during the Heian period. One good thing about all of Genji's affairs is it gives the reader the chance to read many different Waka, which are two lined poems that would be exchanged between lovers. Genji chose some rather unexpected characters to become his lovers including a little girl that he brings to the palace to shape into the perfect wife.
Most of the story is consumed by Genji's affairs, which can be a bit tiresome and confusing. The good looks that the people at court thought would lead to Genji having a short life, proved to be wrong and ended up turning Genji into s true ladies man. Some could say that Genji is the equivalent of the European Renaissance man. Show More Genji cannot become an heir to the thrown he is the jewel of the imperial court, being talented in everything that was valued at the time including: poetry, dance, koto playing, and a keen eye for ascetics. "Not speaking is the wiser part, And words are sometimes vain, But to completely close the heart In silence, gives me pain." -Prince Genji, in The Tale of Genji … ( more) Condensed, it's a quarter length of the unabridged text, making it perfect for readers with limited time. This version by Kencho Suematsu was the first-ever translation in English. This book has influenced not only generations of courtiers and samurai of the distant past, but artists and painters even in modern times-episodes in the tale have been incorporated into the design of kimonos and handicrafts, and the four-line poems called waka which dance throughout this work have earned it a place as a classic text in the study of poetry. The Tale of Genji follows Prince Genji through his many loves and varied passions. Genji is also a master poet, dancer, musician and painter. Prince Genji manifests what was to become an image of the ideal Heian era courtier gentle and passionate. Lady Murasaki Shikibu and her tale's hero, Prince Genji, have had an unmatched influence on Japanese culture. Written centuries before the time of Shakespeare and even Chaucer, The Tale of Genji marks the birth of the novel-and after more than a millennium, this seminal work continues to enchant readers throughout the world. The most famous work of Japanese literature and the world's first novel-written a thousand years ago and one of the enduring classics of world literature.
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