3.5
The Tale of Genji
By Murasaki Shikibu & Royall TylerPublisher Description
The world’s first novel, in a translation that is “likely to be the definitive edition . . . for many years to come” (The Wall Street Journal)
A Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, with flaps and deckle-edged paper
Written in the eleventh century, this exquisite portrait of courtly life in medieval Japan is widely celebrated as the world’s first novel. Genji, the Shining Prince, is the son of an emperor. He is a passionate character whose tempestuous nature, family circumstances, love affairs, alliances, and shifting political fortunes form the core of this magnificent epic. Royall Tyler’s superior translation is detailed, poetic, and superbly true to the Japanese original while allowing the modern reader to appreciate it as a contemporary treasure. Supplemented with detailed notes, glossaries, character lists, and chronologies to help the reader navigate the multigenerational narrative, this comprehensive edition presents this ancient tale in the grand style that it deserves.
A Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, with flaps and deckle-edged paper
Written in the eleventh century, this exquisite portrait of courtly life in medieval Japan is widely celebrated as the world’s first novel. Genji, the Shining Prince, is the son of an emperor. He is a passionate character whose tempestuous nature, family circumstances, love affairs, alliances, and shifting political fortunes form the core of this magnificent epic. Royall Tyler’s superior translation is detailed, poetic, and superbly true to the Japanese original while allowing the modern reader to appreciate it as a contemporary treasure. Supplemented with detailed notes, glossaries, character lists, and chronologies to help the reader navigate the multigenerational narrative, this comprehensive edition presents this ancient tale in the grand style that it deserves.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities4 Reviews
3.5
Kathryn Stanton
Created 12 days agoShare
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“Just wasn't for me.”Unsatisfying plot
Ylva
Created about 2 months agoShare
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“It feels somewhat wrong to give this fantastic book half a star short of the full five. Like a blasphemy almost. The Tale of Genji is 1000 years old and was such a formative work—still is to this day—, that one can feel its ripples through the centuries during reading. It also entirely transported me to the Heian Court, and in the Tyler a translation the often tricky subtleties needed to be worked out were a challenge, and yet one that quickly became part of my daily reading routine that I looked forward to most every day. The writing is beautiful, in this translation even more so. I loved Genji as a humanly flawed character with often questionable choices and find it extremely sad to part from him…at least for the time being. So for the main story, I give all five stars. I still did not like certain narrative choices towards the end that to me didn’t compare with what came before. Hence the half star minus. Looking at the book’s time of original publication and its sheer influence, though, I am amazed! I’m glad I read it, and must admit I feel a bit abandoned now, without another new chapter to accompany me through every evening.”
Lillian
Created over 2 years agoShare
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PixelSowelo
Created about 11 years agoShare
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About Murasaki Shikibu
Murasaki Shikibu, a lady in the Heian court of Japan, is best known as the author of The Tale of Genji–written in the eleventh century and universally recognized as the greatest masterpiece of Japanese prose narrative and possibly the earliest true novel in the history of the world.
Other books by Murasaki Shikibu
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