Where I finally read that book--and like it

The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I've been meaning to read this for many years and kept putting it off because it doesn't sound all that good--and it's super long.

Well, turns out, it is pretty good. Still long, but more entertaining than I expected, and very instructive.

Set in 10th Century Japan, in and around the court, it's primarily the story of aristocrats and their love affairs. Some aspects of the novel are uniquely Japanese, but I was shocked how much their lives resembled 18th or 19th Century British aristocrats (at least those in novels). It's not just the wealth; it's the way they pursue marriages, the way they spend their leisure time, the way they are hyper-vigilant about reputation, and the way they expect well-bred men and women to be accomplished in art and music and literature. Differences abound, of course, but the similarity was driven home to me when the women were reading romances and having to defend it from those who believed that was foolish. (I'm thinking of both Don Quixote and Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey, in addition to many others.) It just seemed so modern...

The plot is like other classical novels--it wanders and takes in many characters, crossing generations and families, without any single conflict unifying it. In spite of this, it is quite readable and comprehensible, and it is often engaging and fun. The first chapter and the start of part 5 (which began with the odd and completely unexpected "Genji was dead...") can be difficult. Many characters are introduced or brought to the fore, and the complex connections between them can be almost overwhelming to sort out and keep straight. Besides a characters list at the start of each section, there are many helps online, and that is how I got through them. Once you get a little bit in, the going gets easier.

The mores of the time, or at least how the author presents them, are a little upsetting. High status men could get away with almost anything, it seems. Catching a wife or consort or mistress was a little like capture the flag. If Genji or Niou or Yugiri could manage to get behind a woman's curtains or screens, the woman was pretty much his. He'd spend the night and send around a poem the next day and some gifts and then she'd move into his house or some fancy place and belong to him. They were rewarded for persistence and daring and audacity, apologizing at times, but then getting things the way they wanted. Poor Kaoru was despised by many because he didn't push and didn't take advantage; he (view spoiler)[drove one woman to starve herself to death and another, her step-sister, into attempting to drown herself and then becoming a nun. (hide spoiler)] If he had been more assertive--refusing to take no for an answer--things would have turned out different.

In 2020, that all seems very wrong, especially in a novel written by a woman. But it's pointless to judge people so long gone by the standards of the present.

I love the poetry found literally through the novel. Almost every page has a few lines or allusions to old poetry. The edition I had did a good job of explaining the allusions.

Overall, I found it engaging and think it is a useful read for anyone curious about Japanese culture or history. I learned a great deal, and it has led me toward other topics of interest.

So--recommended.

For some readers.



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