The Tale of Genji in World Library Top 100 Books of All Time

Mar 10, 2021 Valerie rated it really liked it

Shelves: top-100

Ok. Dang. I'm not completely sure what to make of this.

In a lot of ways, this is a spectacular feat of literature. Really. Take that, Homer! Give up, Cervantes! Go home, Joyce!

But--holy crap--the subject matter.

--SPOILERS--
(view spoiler) Ok. Dang. I'm not completely sure what to make of this.

In a lot of ways, this is a spectacular feat of literature. Really. Take that, Homer! Give up, Cervantes! Go home, Joyce!

But--holy crap--the subject matter.

--SPOILERS--
(view spoiler)

Also, I suppose I'm bound to admit that this was SUPER long and SUPER repetitive. Maybe pretty much equal with Le Morte d'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table. Honestly, it was perfect for taking up two months of a semester of grad school for me, but in other points in my life, it would have been unbearable grueling.

PS- If you are a Westerner thinking about tackling this, I recommend watching Studio Ghibli's "The Tale of Princess Kaguya" (2013) to initiate you into quite a few of the court-life customs found in Tale of Genji. Also this ancient folktale of the Bamboo Princess is referenced in Genji more than once.

PS- I read (listened to) the Washburn translation, which was... clunky. But it was the only unabridged edition I could find in audiobook, so I just lived with it.

PS- I this is among the three longest audiobooks I have ever listened to, along with Infinite Jest and The Complete Essays. I did not listen to Montagne straight through, so it did not have the same effect, but Infinite Jest and Genji here lasted me many weeks. I sort of grew into them and when they were over I felt... empty inside, like I lost a friend. I LOVED Infinite Jest, but I was surprised that Genji grew on me through the weeks more than I had realized. ...more

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Nov 17, 2012 David Meijer rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, beyond-children

yes, i liked it, but to be honest, i would have liked the author to tell the story with less words. so many chapters are just variations on a theme, and with the weird naming-style (titles instead of names, very confusing stuff)one would gladly accept the authors hints that genji had a lot of intimate relations, without dedicating a chapter of sweet nothings to each and every one of them. the predominant feeling is not a literary one, since many associations are lost on the modern western reader ...more

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Apr 11, 2016 Lost Owl rated it liked it

Shelves: top-100

First attempt took me to page 277. Back for another try. 10/7/18

Maybe it gets better?

I know time and values have changed; after all, Muhammed married a 9 year old, and he is revered by millions as the ideal man! But even Genji's contemporaries seem a bit creeped out by his fascination with Murasaki.

Nearly to my previous mark, which I now think was a random slip of paper rather than a book mark. I simply don't remember reading this before. In places, it's like fanfic.

Started with Waley switched ...more

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