Puette's Guide to the Tale of Genji is a very good introduction to the literature and the culture of the time period. It is, though, rather thin, and it serves almost as a preliminary introduction. Puette's insights into Heian (and Japanese) religion and political culture, and the notes he has on each chapter, are really good, but I wish he went a little deeper. I still feel that I need help with understanding many different parts of the Tale, most especially Genji's character. Any good guide should direct you back to the text and onward to deeper discussions of the piece, but this one leaves a little too much to be desired.

It's important to note that this is not the story of the Tale of Genji. It is a "reader's guide," which means it's for those who have already read the Tale of Genji or who want help understanding the story. It's a highly readable "Cliff's Notes" play-by-play of the scenes. It also compares the mechanics of the Waley and Seidensticker translations since these two well-known translations differ in content and naming conventions, so those who want to go into deeper study, such as reading literary criticism on the Tale, will find this book helpful to clear up disparities in personal names, chapter titles and scenes. Another use of the book would be for those who have read the abridged Seidensticker version (1976) and don't want to read the full 6-volume Waley edition (1933) but still want to know how the story ends. This will fill you in on the missed scenes from an abridged version. Also helpful are the Appendices in the back that show an overall map of Japan and the locations of scenes in the Tale, an overall map of Heian Kyō, and a map of the Imperial Palace grounds showing where the courtiers lived, such as Kokiden, Seiryōden, etc.

I'm in the middle of my first reading of Genji. Often I find I note the details but am not sure I quite know what is going on. I see the trees but am not sure of the forest. This brief book is an immense help.

My friend suggested I get this and then sent me hers. It was useful when I got lost in certain chapters (43 and 44 I’m looking at you) and I do think the context helped (though I found it more useful afterwards, honestly, esp the chapter by chapter recap). I didn’t have access to either translation this mentioned, so it was also interesting to learn about the variances in these two “standard” ones.