The Bridge of Dreams: A Poetics of 'The Tale of Genji'

by Haruo Shirane

The Bridge of Dreams is a brilliant reading of The Tale of Genji that succeeds both as a sophisticated work of literary criticism and as an introduction this world masterpiece. Taking account of current literary theory and a long tradition of Japanese commentary, the author guides both the general reader and the specialist to a new appreciation of the structure and poetics of this complex and often seemingly baffling work. The Tale of Genji , written in the early eleventh century by a court lady, Murasaki Shikibu, is Japan's most outstanding work of prose fiction. Though bearing a striking resemblance to the modern psychological novel, the Genji was not conceived and written as a single work and then published and distributed to a mass audience as novels are today. Instead, it was issued in limited installments, sequence by sequence, to an extremely circumscribed, aristocratic audience. This study discusses the growth and evolution of the Genji and the manner in which recurrent concerns—political, social, and religious—are developed, subverted, and otherwise transformed as the work evolves from one stage to another. Throughout, the author analyzes the Genji in the context of those literary works and conventions that Murasaki explicitly or implicitly presupposed her contemporary audience to know, and reveals how the Genji works both within and against the larger literary and sociopolitical tradition. The book contains a color frontispiece by a seventeenth-century artist and eight pages of black-and-white illustrations from a twelfth-century scroll. Two appendixes present an analysis of biographical and textual problems and a detailed index of principal characters.

Genres: Japan, Nonfiction, Japanese Literature, Academic, Criticism

313 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1987

Reviews

[Chris Via]

An absolutely exemplary academic text!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This close reading of The Tale of Genji has been very valuable in getting to the roots of the amazing work which Shikubu produced. Having been enraptured by the Heien world of the Shining One i shall allow self tp be immersed in said world until such time as i retreat from this world of sorrow and suffering.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an accessible, clarifying guide that helped me appreciate Murasaki's hefty and often frustrating novel. At times, his critical sources seemed to better apply to modern western works. However, for the most part he offers clear and helpful historical, religious, and critical background. His discussion of how Mursaki interweaves and varies the themes that run through the book and his explanation of Buddhist beliefs were especially useful.

[Jhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy interesante. Explica muchas cosas de la estructura del libro y aclara los temas ( religiosos o no) tratados en la historia, que podrian no entenderse por ser una combinación de shintoismo y budismo.

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you read Tale of Genji and felt that you wanted more insight into the language and the world of Genji, this book is for you.