The Tale of Genji [Hardcover]

Now comes Royall Tyler's superb effort, which comes with myriad and very helpful details: each chapter starts with an explanation of the chapter title, how the section relates to previous chapters and the cast of characters. There are also generous appendices including a chronology of events in the novel and a glossary. Line drawings throughout the two volumes (also present in Seidensticker) provide helpful visual clues as to dress and architecture. Tyler's effort seems even closer to the original language, and thereby lies the problem.

This version unnecessarily burdens the reader with ever-changing nomenclature. Since in the original characters are known by their rank-names, and Tyler (mostly) adheres to this usage, the reader is challenged to keep up with the changes. Put the book down for a day or two and you will feel quite lost for several minutes when you restart. As an aide, the translator does provide footnotes to clue you in, but this just makes things more awkward and tedious. For example, at the start of Chapter 43, "Red Plum Blossom" in Tyler's version: "There was in those days a gentleman known as the Inspector Grand Counselor, the late Chancellor's second son, hence the younger brother of the Intendant of the Watch (1)" This same sentence in Seidensticker reads: "Kobai, the oldest surviving son of the late To no Chujo, was now Lord Inspector." How much more to the point!

To conclude, while Tyler's translation is awesome in its scholarship and abundant detail (including sources of the poetry), it is also much less readable. To my mind, the scholarship gets in the way of the story telling. I found myself longing for my Seidensticker at many turns as I went dutifully through the Tyler. Aside from providing a more continuous flow to the story, I also found that Seidensticker's translation of the many poems in the tale more comprehensible and lyrical.

If you are new to this literary masterpiece, you will find the Waley translation the most accessible. If you get hooked on the work, you will probably want the other two. If you must have only one version, however, go with Seidensticker.

There are many reasons to acquire and read this newest translation of the "Genji," even if, and possibly particularly if, you already have the Seidensticker version. One is that the classical Japanese language of poetry and prose was so highly allusive. It had numerous layers of meaning, a phenomenon that has allowed and indeed led translators to render it with different emphases in mood and meaning. These layered meanings pose a particular challenge for the translator who seeks to find economical ways of rendering the Japanese into English while preserving the spirit of what the Heian-period reader would have taken from the original. This challenge Tyler has dealt with exceptional success.

Another significant reason for acquiring and carefully poring over Tyler's new rendering of "The Genji" is the array of aids that he provides for reading a novel of such length and complexity. Each chapter opens with a brief description of how it relates to earlier portions of the text as well as a list of the characters involved. The text is enhanced but not overburdened by footnotes which provide information on additional layers of meaning in certain phrases, references to earlier Japanese and Chinese literary works, and clarifications regarding the plot. The appendices also merit special praise: they provide a chronology for the events described, a glossary of general terms, schematic drawings of Heian-period buildings, a glossary of terms related to fabric colors and clothing styles, and definitions of court offices and titles. Finally, numerous black-and-white line drawings--in many cases not accessible elsewhere in English-language sources--are placed within the text, helping to explain the material culture of Heian court society. All told, Tyler's newest adventure in translating is a tour de force. It is a joy to read and is a resource that will enrich the studies of those thousands upon thousands of Westerners eager to learn about classical Japanese culture.

I purchased this copy in June 2001, and on the frontispiece it says 4th printing. There are so many printing errors in this book it mars what might otherwise have been a sublime reading experience. I will give you just one example: on page 113 a line reads:

"Then came Koremitsu's house, he would be called a lecher and a child theif [sic]."

Now this made no sense to me, either as a sentence or in the narrative context, so I consulted the abridged edition (which I also have). The line should have read:

"Then came Koremitsu's unsettling report. He must act. If he were to take her from her father's house, he would be called a lecher and a child thief."

That's a total of 14 words missing between "Koremitsu's" and "house".

This is the most serious error in the book, but there are many others, and I've only read 1/4th of the book so far. This Everyman Library edition, the publisher boasts, uses acid-free cream-wove paper with a sewn full cloth binding. It's a beautifully designed book. If only the publishers had given as much attention to the soul of this book as to its body, it might have been worth the price I paid for it.

Books should come with a warranty, really.