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Product Description
Book Description
Written in the eleventh century, this exquisite portrait of courtly life in medieval Japan is widely celebrated as the world’s first novel. Genji, the Shining Prince, is the son of an emperor. He is a passionate character whose tempestuous nature, family circumstances, love affairs, alliances, and shifting political fortunes form the core of this magnificent epic. Royall Tyler’s superior translation is detailed, poetic, and superbly true to the Japanese original while allowing the modern reader to appreciate it as a contemporary treasure. Supplemented with detailed notes, glossaries, character lists, and chronologies to help the reader navigate the multigenerational narrative, this comprehensive edition presents this ancient tale in the grand style that it deserves.
About the Author
Murasaki Shikibu, born in 978, was a member of Japan's Fujiwara clan, which ruled behind the scenes during the Heian Period by providing the brides and courtesans of all the emperors. Lady Murasaki's rare literary talent, particularly her skill as a poet, secured her a place in the court of Empress Akiko. After the death of her husband, she cloistered herself to study Buddhism, raise her daughter, and write the world's first novel Genji Monogatari, the tale of the shining Prince Genji.
Royall Tyler was born in London, England, and grew up in Massachusetts, England, Washington D.C., and Paris. He has a B.A. in Far Eastern Languages from Harvard, and an M.A. in Japanese History and Ph. D. in Japanese literature from Columbia University. He has taught Japanese language and culture at, among other places, Ohio State University, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Oslo, in Norway. Beginning in 1990, he taught at the Australian National University, in Canberra, from which he retired at the end of 2000. He will spend the American academic year 2001-02 as a Visiting Professor at Harvard.
Royall Tyler and his wife Susan live in a rammed earth house on 100 acres in the bush about seventy miles from Canberra, where they breed alpacas as a hobby.
Royall Tyler’s previous works include Japanese Noh Dramas, a selection and translation of Noh plays published by Penguin; Japanese Tales and French Folktales, anthologies published by Pantheon; and The Miracles of the Kasuga Deity, a study of a medieval Japanese cult published by Columbia University Press.
In a certain reign (whose can it have been?) someone of no very great rank, among all His Majesty's Consorts and Intimates, enjoyed exceptional favor. Read the first page
Concordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Warm Thoughts in Winter's Chill,
By David Waterman "SugawaraNoMichizane" (Canada/Korea/Japan(itvaries)) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Tale of Genji: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) (Paperback)
This is my favorite translation of The Tale of Genji. I feel though, that I must clarify my opinion on that, for it varies, depending on what kind of reader you are.If you are a casual reader who wants to read this book simply out of interest, or a desire to build upon your stockpiled erudition, or you're an anime nerd who wants to learn more of Japan than just Gundam Wing, then this is NOT the translation for you. Read the Seidensticker translation. If you love Japanese literature, or just literature in general, then read this one. If you don't mind spending a bit of extra time to comprehend everything, then read this one. The difference between the two is this: the Seidensticker translation is very easy to understand and actually calls each character by their respective names. Each sentence tends to be very simple, as in "Genji was sad. He went to the shrine at Izu. There he met the Priestess."(not a quote) As for the Royall translation, he writes more poetically, so to capture the feeling of the text, but he also calls each character by their proffesional title, rather than their name, which changes depending on promotions or demotions, which occurs often. For example, Genji will be called the Grand Counselor in one chapter, and then called the Palace Minister in the next. Fortunately, Royall offers us a little 'Dramatis Personae' at the beginning of each chapter so as long as we read that before starting each new chapter, everything should be alright. So, in summation, this is the best Genji translation as far as beauty in prose goes, but it's harder to understand.
5.0 out of 5 stars
All things must pass.,
By
This review is from: The Tale of Genji: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) (Paperback)
The thousand-year-old TALE OF GENJI unfolds slowly over the course of more than a thousand pages, requiring patience on the part of a modern reader. The author, Murasaki Shikibu, was a lady of the Heian Court of Japan, and her poetic story paints a memorable portrait not only of the "vanished world" (p. xi) of medieval Japan, but of the impermanence of all life. "In this fleeting world where no dewdrop can linger in the autumn wind, why imagine us to be unlike the bending grasses" (p. 759)? Through Royall Tyler's excellent translation, Shikibu's characters remain as relevant as ever in all their worldly passions.THE TALE OF GENJI is actually two stories in one. Roughly the first 800 pages follow the life of "the Shining Prince" Genji, the son of Emperor Kiritsubo no Mikado and a low-ranking Intimate, Kiritsubo no Koi. The Emperor marries another woman (Fujitsubo), who closely resembles Genji's mother. Genji falls in love with the Empress, and they produce a son. While their impossible love affair is central to the novel, Genji has many other lovers, and many of his affairs end with unfortunate consequences. Ultimately, Genji discovers the love of his life in Fujitsubo's niece, Muraski, whom he eventually marries. Both characters die unexpectedly two thirds the way through Shikibu's novel, at which point the tale turns to Genji's grandchildren for the remaining 300 pages or so. Despite the fact that the TALE progresses at a gentler pace than modern novels, and despite the fact that digressions, parallel plots, and shifting viewpoints are common to Shikibu's TALE, THE TALE OF GENJI is nevertheless a real pleasure to read for its sustained ability to reveal what it means to live an impermanent existence with rather heroic passions. G. Merritt
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Study Volume,
By Jadepearl "geezer geek" (Wandering, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Tale of Genji: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) (Paperback)
The strength of this translation is the introductory information that provides necessary background of both the text and the world that Genji inhabits. Much more than either the Waley and the Seidensticker versions and the footnotes are copious as well. Which makes this translation good for students and classroom study. I would still recommend Ivan Morris' book, _The World of the Shining Prince_ as supplemental information about Heian Japan but Tyler has provided a very good start with his work including very useful genealogical charts.The illustrations are generous and found throughout the book. Seidensticker had larger illustrations but slightyly less of them whereas Tyler has opted for smaller. One of the flaws of this particular version is the fact that the illustrations are not done as well as the Seidensticker 2 volume set or even the one volume Knopf version. This flaw I place more due to the publisher who has not printed the text as cleanly e.g., ink blots and slight blurring of illustrations and incomplete pressing, as I would have expected. This flaw is found in the more expensive 2 volume hard back set as well. Another thing to consider in the paperback version is the the binding is not the best and will not stand to brutal backpack/book bag wear. The more useful study volume is definitely Tyler's with his chronology, geneaology charts, informative introduction, footnotes, clothing and color background, offices and titles, and summary of poetic allusions. It is a very good addition to the collection but do give a swing through both the Waley and the Seidensticker translations as well. Waley for the beautiful language (missing various chapeters) and the Seidensticker (obsessively correct). The rare 19th century partial translation done at Oxford by a Japanese student is a moot issue though interesting for the collection.
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