The Tale of Genji

اولش ناز و ملیح و بامزه بود، ولی بعد هرچی گذشت مسخره‌تر شد. :)) داستان‌های یک درباری و معشوقه‌هاش. که یکیشون در بسترش می‌میره و گنجی هم کلی غصه می‌خوره. و شرحی از نظرات فوق جنسیت‌زده‌ش. پایان.

This is classified as one of the first books ever written, and is worth reading for that reason alone. Set in 12th century Japan, during the Heian period, it is a looking glass into life at court--the different classes and social strata, the customs, the rituals, the manners, etc. Written by an author known as Lady Murasaki (after the primary love of the title character's life), it is written to entertain other court ladies.

It starts off with the birth of young Genji, son of the emperor. Because of his fondness for the child, the emperor strips Genji of his royal title in order to free up his future. A large part of the book is spent dwelling on Genji's many, many perfections. His face and physique, his style, his voice, his way of walking and talking, his handwriting, EVERYTHING is perfect! There is a lot of the romance in this book, as anyone who reads romances knows the perfection and utter desirability of the hero. Women are swooning over him at every turn, and Genji is a little bit of a randy goat. He is quite willing to satisfy as many of these ladies as possible, but he's not limited to those who swoon over him. He's willing to satisfy those who aren't even aware that they wanted to be satisfied. The translations are sometimes vague about what is going on, but it usually involves deflowering. Genji is frequently sneaking into bedrooms (these girls who say no are obviously just playing hard to get; how is it possible that they wouldn't want him?) with the assistance of handmaidens, and one way or another, the girls get laid. Sometimes he feels bad when they cry afterwards, but sometimes he's just annoyed that they are harshing his afterglow.

He is constantly on the lookout for pretty new girls; just hearing of the possibility of one brings him running. With all the girls he already has on his payroll, you wonder where he finds the time. He sees a beautiful child, Murasaki, whom he is so taken with that he takes her. Since she is only about nine or ten, he doesn't initiate physical relations with her. He just takes her back to his house (although her dad, his friend, is looking for her) and keeps her there, waiting until she is old enough to take to bed. She eventually becomes his chief wife, but he accumulates several others, as well.

The story extends beyond Genji's life (no one lives very long in this story, a fact that probably reflects the reality of life in that time period) and continues with Genji's son and the son of one of his friends. Their relationship devolves into a rivalry over a woman (of course), and the book just . . . ends. There is no closure or resolution, it just stops.

This story, rather to my surprise, validated what I already knew of Japanese culture. I haven't read that many Japanese books, the primary two being Shogun and a little-known book called Miss One Thousand Spring Blossoms. I guess both of these authors really did their homework when it came to research because their settings and characters bore out the cultural norms established in this first of all books. Of course, there is the exquisite Japanese courtesy, those impeccable manners that never fail. Being that this book is set one thousand years ago, there is a healthy dose of misogyny, but at the same time, these Japanese women have a lot more freedom and autonomy than their European counterparts. The idea that women indulge in sexual affairs is accepted and being caught is not the end of their social lives. They are allowed to own property. Their attitude toward sex is much more prosaic than those of Europeans; they seem to feel that whatever floats your boat is fine with them--it's just sex. And of course, being Japanese, there is a lot of poetry--a LOT. This is a part of their customs and rituals, one of the primary means of communication. A person's ability to compose a beautiful poem, the calligraphy used to write it, the choice of type and color of paper--all have significance and merit thought and effort.

This book is a long slog, but it was definitely worth it. The level of sophistication of the writing is astonishing. You have to be ready to commit some serious time to it, but it won't be time wasted.

3.5 *

The fact that this has survived from the eleventh century is mind boggling. Although the tale revolves almost entirely around the romantic escapades of Genji, who,born to an Emperor of the Heian period and his concubine and raised as a commoner, becomes one of the most respected noblemen at the Court, it is also a chronicle of life in Japan at the time.
The original author is believed to have served at the Court and had an opportunity to observe the goings on very closely. The translation, which must have been a monumental task, does place the tale in a more modern light by the very act of rendering it in a different language! So many references are probably very intrinsically Japanese.

It throws light on culture, festivals, the traditions of communicating in verse and the art of calligraphy practiced which were all quite interesting. The importance of art in all its forms in the everyday lives of the people is very clear. The poetry and the writing of it in particular are very much focused on. The type and colour of the paper used, the way the characters have been formed by the brush and even the pressure applied while setting them down were all considered important in interpreting them. The material and colour of the robes worn and gifted were also of great significance in terms of giving respect and recognising rank. Since this tale is set around the workings of the Emperor's Court,it throws light on appointments and rankings and official workings there as well as all the political machinations that went on.

Genji himself has nothing much to recommend him, however, and the narrative strays into a lot of uncomfortable areas even if not viewed with modern sensibilities in mind. Women were viewed as a means to an end and have been portrayed as can be expected for the time. Given the sobriquet of Radiant Prince, Genji, much like the men of the period it would seem from this narrative, engages in numerous affairs with many women, some of whom welcome his amour and some who are persuaded or cajoled into accepting his advances. He is however shown as a person who is politically astute and continues to provide for all the women he associates with even as he advances in his own career and gets those close to him into good positions.

It was strangely compelling to read, given the fact that it's believed to be the world's first ever novel.

amazing novel still

The Tale of Genji is one of the hallmarks of classic Japanese literature - the equivalent to, say, the Canterbury Tales or the Divine Comedy or Dox Quixote - from which thousands of pieces of art, pottery and writings have been inspired. It is a sweeping bildungsroman about a Japanese prince in the 10th/11th century Heian court in Kyoto. Well, ex-prince because the emperor had to strip him of his title for political reasons. The tale has over 400 characters and is a true masterpiece of style and description. In the translation I read, each chapter has a beautiful haiku before the narrative and the translation just drips off the page with limpid, gorgeous text. I read this during my honeymoon and despite its occasional melancholic tone, it was one of the most challenging and yet beautiful things I ever read. I can only imagine what beauty must be in store for those lucky enough to be able to read it in the original Japanese.

One of the greatest books ever written. A good respite from the fake news and twitter bullshit that is clogging the airwaves...

Scrisă la începutul secolului al XI-lea de către Murasaki Shikibu, Povestea lui Genji a fost pe drept considerată una dintre cele mai importante creații ale literaturii universale. Cartea prezintă într-un mod fragmentar povestea vieții prințului Genji, supranumit Strălucitorul (Hikaru), și a numeroaselor sale povești de dragoste. Redactată în perioada Heian, acțiunea este plasată câțiva ani mai devreme și, cu toate că majoritatea personajelor sunt rod al ficțiunii, anumite întâmplări povestite fac aluzie la evenimente istorice.
continuare

This book is face punchingly bad.

perché mi è piaciuto così tanto? perché leggere tutte quelle descrizioni di vesti, di riti, di cerimoniali, di colori dell'autunno e di giardini in primavera, mi dava un senso di calma.
e chissenefrega se fra tutte quelle dame e ministri e imperatori ho perso il filo di chi era chi già al secondo capitolo, non era questo l'importante - almeno per me.