The Tale of Genji / Heian literature thread

[Anonymous No.20683711]

can we please have a thread about this enduring work of literature? What did you guys think of it? Who were your favourite characters? Any other works of heian literature you enjoy?

[Anonymous No.20683714]

>>20683711
pretty wild when it was written
and that it was written by a woman
and that it skated by harold bloom lol
sei shonagon ftw desu senpai

[Anonymous No.20684204]

Man its been two years since i tried reading it
I got up to like chapter 10 or so, shortly after Aoi died. It wasn't bad but man it's daunting long and /lit/ never wants to talk about it except to mention that it's written by a woman, so there isn't much incentive knowing I won't have anyone to talk about it with
It's also a little hard to visualize, which takes away some enjoyment, its just such a vastly different lifestyle and world. The clothes, speaking to each through attendants all the time, or speaking to each other through screens in what seems to be closest of contact YET somehow having sex all the time, having attendants constantly be around you but also somehow not be there sometimes but it isn't clear on when those times are...
It was confusing, my brain did not know how to visualize it

[Anonymous No.20684236]

>>20683711
I greatly enjoy the Heian period and wanted to know more about the history to better enjoy the literature. The Cambridge History of Japan Vol. 2 is all I've got. Is there a more recent book on the topic or is this the best one?

[Anonymous No.20685089]

>>20683714
>sei shonagon ftw desu senpai
Her pillow book is such entertaining reading, especially her little lists

>>20684204
The Royall Tyler version was quote helpful in that regard with it's illustrated (that or just search for the Heian era on pinterest). I do see your points though

>>20684236
Can't help you there, there's not a whole lot written about the Heian era. Crashurse and Linfamy on youtube has some helpful videos though

[Anonymous No.20685110]

I love how Murasaki has such a bitchy rivalry with Sei Shonagon. Guess some things never change.

[Anonymous No.20685119]

>>20684236
Donald Keene wrote a huge fuckoff multivolume history of japanese literature IIRC, you should check that out.

[Anonymous No.20685126]

>>20684236
Ivan Morris' "The World of the Shining Prince" is the indispensible companion to Genji.

[Anonymous No.20685139]

>>20685126
Oh yeah, what this guy said. I don't know why I forgot about it.

[Anonymous No.20685146]

>>20684204
>/lit/ never wants to talk about it except to mention that it's written by a woman, so there isn't much incentive knowing I won't have anyone to talk about it with
Is a spoiler.
> I got up to like chapter 10 or so, shortly after Aoi died.
Isn't. You're a retard.

[Anonymous No.20685191]

>>20685119
Oh yeah, I forgot all about that. I always wanted to read that. Thanks for reminding me.

[Anonymous No.20685215]

>>20685146
lol I guess so

[Anonymous No.20685580]

>>20683711
Loved it. The melancholy, glittering Genji trots around delivering poetic missives and bedding Geisha thots. Sei Shonagin's PillowBook is one of my favorites both of this period and in general.

[Anonymous No.20685590]

>>20683711

I haven't read it BUT I have something interesting and worthwhile to say about it. A few years ago, the local museum had an exhibit of Japanese art with a focus on the Genji story. The object which I found most interesting was a twelve-panel folding screen, with each panel containing small (comic) panels, each one depicting an important scene from each of the novel's 54 chapters.

I wanted to better appreciate this art object, and so I hastily worked up a synopsis of the novel's chapters based on what the internet could tell me. I then brought the list back to the display and compared and contrasted. Reading each "one-panel comic" from right to left, most panels were obscure (figures in interiors), but certain items were unmistakable, and in the correct numerical order, confirming my approach. The two which I knew for sure were Genji's ghost dad appearing in his room and telling him what to to next, corresponding to an early chapter where he moves and starts building his anime harem. The other one which was unmistakable was the famous boat ride toward the end, where he (or his kid?) abducts the object of his desire and rows her across a moonlit body of water.

A frequent theme in the exhibit was depiction of a "happy" early chapter, in which Genji has a fresh dance-off against his rival and frenemy, while all the other partiers/courtly types look on.

[Anonymous No.20685631]

tfw no Rokujou-no-Miyasudokoro gf

[Anonymous No.20686030]

>>20685146
>nonono you can't spoil the plot of 1000 year old book nobody but gooks gives a fuck about

[Anonymous No.20686487]

>>20685590
Jealous!

>>20685631
I like how her ghost keeps reappearing to torment Genji, those scenes are genuinely spooky.
For me it's Murasaki no Ue and Princess Asagao, I like how they see through and stand up against Genji's manwhore bullshit

[Anonymous No.20686522]

Enjoy spoilers:
Gandalf the Numenor rides an ent and bombs eru iluvatars with bombadils. Meanwhile, Isildur on a raft made of entwives sails to Erebor during the war between morgoth bauglirs and mountain sarumans. After that, he rescued Mûmakil from imprisonment there, who has a shire on his ass. Mûmakil is a fallen arnorian maia. Isildurs rides on him to assist Gandalf the Numenor in leading the legions of uruk-hobbits and mountain sarumans.

[Anonymous No.20686528]

>>20686487
Have you read Royall Tyler's book of essays "The Disaster of the Third Princess"? Has a very convincing argument that the whole development of the Ukifune saga comes about because of Suzaku's posthumous grudge against Genji's children.

[Anonymous No.20686601]

>>20686528
I have not, I didn't think about that... But I'll look it up now, thank you anon!

[Anonymous No.20687075]

>>20683711
I'm sorry, I love the Tale of Genji so much and I always wanted to make a thread about it but now that there is a thread I really can't think of very much to say.

What do people think of the various Genji translations? Personally I have a soft spot for Waley even though he took some liberties and his first few chapters are rough. Tyler is very good. Seidensticker and Washburn I haven't read yet.

[Anonymous No.20687124]

>>20687075
>I'm sorry, I love the Tale of Genji so much and I always wanted to make a thread about it but now that there is a thread I really can't think of very much to say.
Don't worry, there's not many fellow ToG readers to feed off of on /lit/ or just the english internet haha

What do people think of the various Genji translations? Personally I have a soft spot for Waley even though he took some liberties and his first few chapters are rough. Tyler is very good. Seidensticker and Washburn I haven't read yet.
I've only read the Tyler and Seidensticker translations and both has their pros and cons. The Tyler version is more accuate and complete but at the cost that it can be sort of confusing to the modern reader, the notes and illustrations (penguins deluxe edition) did help a lot though. The Seidensticker translation is much easier to read and follow, but perhaps at the expense of the accuracy of the original. Either way I enjoyed both a lot and one helped me undertand the other better.

[Anonymous No.20687460]

I plan on reading it but I am learning Japanese and have been reading through Meji era classics first. I will probably read a more modernized version in Jap since classic Japanese is so different.