Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #54759 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04-24
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 1216 pages

Synopsis
This is the first complete new translation for 25 years of the acknowledged masterpiece of Japanese literature. Lady Murasaki's great 11th century novel is a beautifully crafted story of love, betrayal and death at the Imperial Court. At the core of this epic is Prince Genji, the son of an emperor, whose passionate character, love affairs and shifting political fortunes, offer an exquisite glimpse of the golden age of Japan. Royal Tyler's superb new translation is scrupulously true to the Japanese original but appeals immediately to the modern reader. This edition also includes notes, glossaries, character lists and a chronology to enable the reader to appreciate the richness of this classic of world literature.

Customer Reviews

ancient, and very impressive
I recently bought this Japanese classic and if you know how many pages it encompasses, you will not be surprised that I haven't finished it yet - for it takes quite some time to read it, let alone take it all in, especially since the story is set and written in a remote past and is culturally unfamiliar.
And yet - I love it already. It's been described as the first psychological novel, and it's easy to see why. The characters in the book aren't always very recognisable for us in terms of morality or philosophy, but I find them all very human and likeable. The book is infused with 'thinking' (like discussions on relationships and one's position in life) and an important feature is poetry: the main character Genji receives and dispatches a lot of subtle poetry (2 lines at a time) that emphasises the loftiness and grandeur of the whole work.

As I know only this translation I'm not able to tell how much of the appeal of "Genji" for the modern reader can be attributed to the translator, but clearly he has done an excellent job: it is all very, very readable and the notes are all very informative and give insight into what would otherwise be obscure references and details. And I love the physical side of the book as well: it is hefty, the paper used is pleasing to touch, many japanese style drawings enliven and instruct the reader and the whole layout exudes a refinement that supports the contents.

In short: a magnificent book in many ways. And I'm sure that if you pick up this classic you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The Greatest Book in Japan
I had thought that the Tale of Genji was just erotic romance before I came to Japan. But I made a mistake. What the tale of Genji tells us not only eroticism but also the meaning of life. If you don't know Buddhism and Shinto, you don't understand the essence of the novel. Sino-Japanese culture is also important because Murasaki Shikibu learned Sinology (Chibese classic literature).And the emperor-system is different from Western court. Now I think this classic is very difficult to appreciate. However,I like Genji Monogatari the best.

Best translation
The Tale of Genji is a deservedly famous classic, and doesn't need me to patronise it.
This is a better translation than Seidensticker's