The World's Literature in Europe discussion

PRE-READING The Tale of Genji

Any edition you want or have probably is fine. Unfamiliar with the several other translations, I can say that this translated edition provides reference matter, such as notes, character lists, illustrations, maps, and chronology. The narrative is mostly about Genji's life until the last chapters. Those continue with Genji's descendants.

A chapter a day should complete the novel within two months.

PRE-READING Introduction bits.

Modern translations from the Aobyōshi-bon line.

Narration utilizes various Distancing Devices--intermediaries, screens and blinds, nicknames not personal names-- to uphold manners/ranks. The nicknames might be a dwelling place, family role, official title, social tie.

The story's Narrator is a gentlewoman at court. She's telling the tale to her mistress.

PRE-READING

I feel anxious to find the 795 tanka/waka poems in 5-7-5-7-7 lines amid the prose. According to the Introduction, poetry was a "social necessity" in court life and was a heartfelt expression by contrast with the hierarchical social exchanges of the day. Ladies generally read poetry in Japanese phonetic characters unlike the men's composing and reading Chinese-character poetry.

Unlike poetry, prose was an entirely feminine activity because of its fantasy aspect. The Tale of Genji is also fantastical because it fictitious stories are "more beautiful than life".

PRE-READING

There's a lively, vibrant exploration of "The Tale of Genji"at Invitation to World Literature. The video portion mentions the Ishiyama-dera Temple, where Shikibu is said to have begun her novel.

Thank you for your intro material/thoughts. i have a two-volume set translated by Seidenstricker that i got from work. I left it in my office, though, and can't remember who the publisher is or what reference material is included. i am a little daunted by this book and might have to purchase my own copy because the clock is already ticking on my loan period. :/

Some readers prefer Seidensticker's translation. In the background materials, we come across, there might be comments about the different translations. An unabridged translation is about fifty-four chapters.

PRE-READING

Too busy for the whole Genji text? Unesco's abridged, fifty-four-chapter, illustrated text might be for you.
Chapter 1 "The Paulownia Court" five pages;
Chapter 2 "The Broom Tree" eight pages;
Chapter 3 "The Shell of the Locust" two pages.
The remaining fifty-one chapters are similarly shortened.

This is going to be a long read. I found translations by Seidensticker and Tyler in the libraries but the main issue may not be the type of translation but the loan period? Hmm, I'm a bit weary about ancient text from my experience reading the Pillow Book by Shonagon. Interesting ancient historical find but boring to read.

Motheaten,
I'm somewhat of a newbie to Japanese literature. Your experience is very important. I own the often-recommended Tyler edition, which Open Letters Monthly used in 2010 for its Summer of Genji. Today is the first day of our Genji reading, so I haven't yet formed an opinion about the tale's language.

Regarding the insufficient loan period for reading the book, that is a problem. Wikipedia's Tale of Genji mentions some public online editions. I tried the first one "The Oxford Text Archive" which didn't configure to my Apple. The second one of Seidensticker's translation doesn't need downloading and looks complete. The rest are Japanese texts. That Wikipedia external link lists some very interesting material.

Thank you for your insightful comment.

Thanks Asmah for the link on Summer of Genji. It says it's better to read the book bit by bit over a period of time so I'll consider buying my own copy.

Motheaten, Successively scrolling the Summer of Genji link to the very bottom takes you to their Jun 2 post. Later posts build up on top of that one.

AsmahH wrote: "Motheaten, Successively scrolling the Summer of Genji link to the very bottom takes you to their Jun 2 post. Later posts build up on top of that one."

Yes I see that. I've bookmarked the page. Since we'll be reading Genji it may be useful to read The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Ancient Japan as well. You have already marked it as to read, should be good.

Motheaten wrote: "...You have already marked it as to read, should be good..."

I encourage you to do so, Motheaten. Morris's book has stood the test of time and has appealed to general readers as well as to Genji readers.

PRE-READING

One of Jane Smiley's books, Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel, summarizes and critiques The Tale of Genji on pp 281-84. In advertising her book, the publisher printed that entire chapter.

AsmahH wrote: "PRE-READING

Too busy for the whole Genji text? Unesco's abridged, fifty-four-chapter, illustrated text might be for you.
Chapter 1 "The Paulownia Court" five pages;
Chapter 2 "The Broom Tree" ei..."

Thanks for this link. Not sure when I'll get to it but this is a great resource.

Sue,
The Tale of Genji isn't the easiest read. The UNESCO abridgment is also beautifully formatted.

Yes, I opened it up and read a couple of pages. If I'm to read it, this may be the way. I saved the Smiley chapter too after reading part of it. So much info.
Thanks for all you do Asmah.

Like Sue, I appreciate all the research you do Asmah, they help a lot. You're one of the most resourceful moderators I've seen. No pressure though, just like to thank you for your effort.

Sue and Motheaten, It's my pleasure to read along with you. Thanks for your friendship and cooperation.

I'll be reading Seidensticker's version.

I'm saving Tales of the Genji for the future. Too many reading commitments right now.

Motheaten wrote: "I'll be reading Seidensticker's version."

We can compare notes (just kidding) when somebody reads the Waley edition :)

Sue wrote: "I'm saving Tales of the Genji for the future. Too many reading commitments right now."

I know how that is--a rising tide onto the reading shore to which we must adapt but nonetheless bringing with it a lot of curiously interesting material.

I love how you say this Asmah. So Poetic. And so true.

Thks, Sue--the hypnotic lilting of waves of 5-7-5-7-7 tanka poetry.

I just looked at your profile....we both have huge to read lists. It's fun and enlightening following what you read and discuss.

And what is tanka poetry?

Tanka is the modern word for Waka. In the Heian period of "The Tale of Genji", it's the court poetry in thirty-one syllables.

http://www.tankaonline.com/About%20Ta...

Asmah, you continue to amaze me with the breadth of your knowledge.

Sue wrote: "Asmah, you continue to amaze me with the breadth of your knowledge."

I'm suspicious of her.

Sue wrote: "Asmah, you continue to amaze me with the breadth of your knowledge."

Thank you, Sue.

Question: Which is more important for literature?

Artistic/Literary Imagination or Experience/Reality

Motheaten wrote: "I'm suspicious of her."

A resource for "The Tale of Genji"--the entire Chapter 12 in the Google Preview of Seeds in the Heart: Japanese Literature from Earliest Times to the Late Sixteenth Century.

AsmahH wrote: "Motheaten wrote: "I'm suspicious of her."

A resource for "The Tale of Genji"--the entire Chapter 12 in the Google Preview of Seeds in the Heart: Japanese Literature from Earliest Times to the Late..."

Ok, thanks for the info.

You're welcome, Motheaten. Enjoy.

AsmahH wrote: "Sue wrote: "Asmah, you continue to amaze me with the breadth of your knowledge."

Thank you, Sue.

Question: Which is more important for literature?Artistic/Literary Imagination or Experience/Reality"

I don't think I could separate them since they all play off each other.

Tosa Mitsunobu's chapter illustrations of The Tale of Genji.

I notice the particular attention paid to the choice of paper in verse writing. Paper had a major role in court custom:

"Since political power was rooted in marriage politics, fine manners at court were central to political advancement. The political elite, limited to a few thousand people, was extremely conscious both of birth rank and of the fine points of etiquette and aesthetics.
Elegant poetry and letter writing, for example, were essential to social and political success. Paper was an important part of this courtier culture. Courtiers sought not only to match their poetry to the season and the emotional mood, but to find an appropriate style and color of calligraphy paper or paper fan on which to write their verse. Courtiers sought exotic papers with flowers and fabrics mixed with the pulp, as well as, scented papers. Courtiers prided themselves on their ability to discern fine distinctions in the style of paper, subtle differences in hue, and an appropriate harmony with the verse itself.
Paper was also important to the ritual and protocols of the imperial court: washi was used
in the hats of imperial courtiers and specific papers were needed for different court
ceremonies."

http://ipst.gatech.edu/amp/education/...

From your comment and from the history of Japanese paper making (above), I recall Genji's considering the paper as well as the poem to express his sentiments. Tanka poems were the medium of social exchange when a screen, curtain, or lattice separated male and female speakers. The era was also one of peace, hence called Heian, and of arts and culture. Besides the examples of poems, the Genji novel depicts scenes of characters skillfully playing sō no koto and biwa. Genji is acknowledged to write feeling poems and to play music and sing songs exceedingly well.

Asma wrote: "From your comment and from the history of Japanese paper making (above), I recall Genji's considering the paper as well as the poem to express his sentiments. Tanka poems were the medium of social ..."

It's a shame that the koto is very uncommon nowadays. I remember a koto in my ex-piano teacher's house some years ago, back in SG. I couldn't say for sure the number of strings it had but I didn't think it was always a white elephant; there was a practice file with several sheet music for it. It's good to know this traditional instrument is still being learned in asia.

Kusakabe Kimbei's photo of shamisen, left, and koto, right.

A koto generally has thirteen strings; another kind, a bass koto, has seventeen strings. There is sheet music notation for each kind of koto. There are other variations of the koto as well.