The Tale of Genji, Volume 1

Audiobook

English language

Published Nov. 12, 2019 by Black Stone Audio, Inc..

Audible ASIN:: B07SG14M1T

(1 review)

Murasaki Shikibu, born into the middle ranks of the aristocracy during the Heian period (794-1185 CE), wrote The Tale of Genji, widely considered the world's first novel, during the early years of the 11th century. Expansive, compelling, and sophisticated in its representation of ethical concerns and aesthetic ideals, Murasaki's tale came to occupy a central place in Japan's remarkable history of artistic achievement and is now recognized as a masterpiece of world literature.

The Tale of Genji is presented here in a flowing new translation for contemporary listeners, who will discover in its depiction of the culture of the imperial court the rich complexity of human experience that simultaneously resonates with and challenges their own. Washburn embeds annotations for accessibility and clarity and renders the poetry into triplets to create prosodic analogues of the original.

1 edition

astralstreeting reviewed The Tale of Genji, Volume 1 by Murasaki Shikibu (The Tale of Genji, #1)

Still figuring it out, lots to process...

4 stars

I somehow powered through this but will need to take a break before the second volume. I will likely read the essays in the Norton Critical edition and delve into other resources before continuing.

At some point, things expanded in scope and I had a hard time grasping the changes. There's politics and state management but we're also dealing with Genji's descendants. I have no idea what the rest of the tale has in store, even after peaking ahead.

I am not sure that the author worked entirely in a vacuum to create what many think is the world's first proper novel. However, I accept the possibility that the forms and techniques she was working with can't be neatly categorized. I suspect that the work has been adapted over time and through translation to make it more coherent to some identifiable literary standard. In the end, I doubt whether one …

I somehow powered through this but will need to take a break before the second volume. I will likely read the essays in the Norton Critical edition and delve into other resources before continuing.

At some point, things expanded in scope and I had a hard time grasping the changes. There's politics and state management but we're also dealing with Genji's descendants. I have no idea what the rest of the tale has in store, even after peaking ahead.

I am not sure that the author worked entirely in a vacuum to create what many think is the world's first proper novel. However, I accept the possibility that the forms and techniques she was working with can't be neatly categorized. I suspect that the work has been adapted over time and through translation to make it more coherent to some identifiable literary standard. In the end, I doubt whether one can view Genji as a protagonist. Instead, it may be a look at how the actions of a person who is an idealized representation of a court player, tragic flaws and all, affects the lives of those around him. Or if that isn't the case, it is a way for me to connect to the story.