The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu: A Reader's Guide [Paperback]

William J. Puette (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing (February 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804818797
• ISBN-13: 978-0804818797
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,661,275 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ESSENTIAL READING, July 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu: A Reader's Guide (Paperback)

A god-send "map" of sorts through the galaxy of characters and events in Murasaki Shikibu's "The Tale of Genji." I only wish Puette had continued with detailed reviews after Chapter 9. Otherwise, an exellent guide to a wonderful, absorbing novel.

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars helpful, January 8, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu: A Reader's Guide (Paperback)

This book was writen as a companion to two earlier translations. However it serves well to provide background and chapter summaries for the Royall Tyler translation which has just become available.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Buy this with Tyler's translation, November 11, 2010

By 

World Lit professor (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tale of Genji: A Reader's Guide (Tuttle Classics) (Paperback)

There IS "a detailed, modern English edition of The Tale of Genji." Royall Tyler's 2001 translation is heavily annotated and filled with illustrations of the Heian world and its artifacts mentioned throughout the novel. It is FAR superior in its translation as well to Waley's fast and loose 1935 translation and Seidensticker's workmanlike but less inspired 1976 translation. Anyone wanting to read and/or understand Genji should definitely read Tyler's translation.

I can't tell from this page if Dr. Puette has updated his book to include Tyler's translation, if so I'd certainly repurchase it and likely raise my rating to five stars; I only have the original 1983 edition. Still, even in conjunction with Tyler's Genji, Tuttle's book is a fantastic resource for readers, be their intentions academic or otherwise.