by Murasaki Shikibu, Arthur Waley
66. THE TALE OF GENJI, BY MURASAKI SHIKIBURecommended to me by Michele Ruedin, on Goodreads, although she did tell me she hadn’t read it herself.This is supposed to be the first “true” or “modern” novel in existence. I’m not sure what “true” or “modern” are supposed to mean in this context, but I ga...
This is a work I've often seen named as the first novel, as well as a work that the introduction claims greatly influenced and embodies the Japanese culture--and this by a women writer. Not many undeniably great classics, especially this old, can claim female authorship, and this one was written aro...
I think at some point in time I do want to read all of The Tale of Genji. But for now: life is too short. I recognise the historical significance of the work. However, the translation and style make for a tedious read (and I simply don't have the willpower to keep going for another 1000+ pages).And ...
Some people here are commenting that the book is extremely misogynist. The book is misogynist but the book was written in early eleventh century Japan, so of course it is misogynist. I don't really know what people were expecting. Books tend to reflect most to all of the values of the culture of ...
I loved the first two thirds of this book, but then it all seemed to get a bit tedious after that.