About the tale itself, what more can I say that hasn't been said? I find this to be a remarkable piece of literature, a carefully crafted and wonderfully told tale of the height of the Heian era, the elegant golden age of Japan where aristocrats correspond in poetry and romances are hatched from a glimpse of a sleeve or the twang of the biwa. Tied strongly to the context of the times--the norms, values, and sensibilities are uniquely Heian--this tale is in many ways influenced by the Japanese take on Buddhism, specifically the focus on the transience of all things, although the intense focus on aesthetics and worldly beauty seems rather un-Buddhist in many ways. Yet, the tale is universal as well in its broader themes; that it is still widely read and enjoyed a thousand years after its composition in many cultures outside of Japan is a testament to this fact. That said, it is not a tale for everyone. Its length, its distance culturally from the modern Western heritage, its leisurely and sometimes slightly plodding plot--these will put off many. And yet, for the interested, attentive reader, this book is an immensely enjoyable read and also window into a unique and beautiful time and place in human history.
Regarding the translation, ultimately, all translations have their strengths and their weaknesses; all translators must make tradeoffs and decisions pretty much on a word-by-word basis on issues such as whether to maintain the letter of the text or the spirit of the text, when to remain truer to the source language and when to make concessions to the target language. As such, there is no such thing as a "best" translation, as this is ultimately a subjective decision. For this reason, I frequently agonize over which translation of a work to read, as which translation you read (especially the first time one encounters a work) will forever color your perceptions, emotions, and enjoyment relating to the work.
In the case of the Tale of Genji, however, the choice was not agonizing for me. Even though I count certain translations that take freedoms with the original text as favorites (e.g. FitzGerald's version of Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat is a guilty pleasure of mine), Waley's remarkable liberties with the text were a non-starter for me. This might be a particular bias for me, for as someone who can understand Japanese, I can compare Murasaki's original with Waley's version and see the differences whereas for other languages I cannot understand, I can remain blissfully ignorant of the differences between the translation and the source material. Seidensticker is much more faithful to the substance of the original than Waley, but in terms of style, whereas Murasaki's writing tends to be rather flowing, elegant, poetic, and indirect, Seidensticker's prose is characterized by relatively short, choppy sentences and characterized by a directness that, while more appropriate for English, is a bit jarring for those who can read the original text. Although Seidensticker's translation could be seen as less "cluttered" by footnotes, without such notes the frequent allusions to other works (be they poetry, historical works, or other fictional accounts) that Murasaki makes--instantly identifiable to Murasaki's contemporaries--are lost on the modern reader. Seidensticker has his followers, but I personally do not find him enjoyable.
In contrast, I found Tyler's translation to both remarkably faithful to the original and yet quite enjoyable in modern English. First of all, Tyler provides a thorough and interesting introduction to the work, which helps put the reader in the context in which it was written. Stylistically, Tyler's language matches the leisurely, flowing, and poetic style of Murasaki quite well. Consider that in the first three paragraphs of the text, the original contains 7 sentences. Tyler translates this in 6. Seidensticker uses a remarkable 15 sentences! Tyler is also much closer to the original in referring to most characters by their titles rather than by name. Even the person who is most commonly referred to by name, Genji, is called by a rather generic surname that is as much as or more reflective of his status in the nobility (the Minamoto "clan") rather than a "family name" in the modern sense of the word. This authenticity places demands on the reader that Seidensticker does not; for some this "burden" is more trouble than its worth (and to be honest, can make it difficult to get back into the book after an absence of any length), but personally in addition to this convention's faithfulness to the original I find this touch to create a level of intimacy that draws the reader into the novel, as an insider for whom names are no longer necessary. Tyler provides the titles and names used at each chapter start (as well as a brief introduction, which is frequently necessary because the chapters do not always flow chronologically) and occasionally provides footnotes where the title usage gets confusing (personally, there were a few places were I could have used more footnotes along those lines, but 98% of the time it is clear to the attentive reader who is being referred to).
Just as in Seidensticker's translation, there are many beautiful illustrations. Versions of this tale have been illustrated in Japan almost as long as the novel has been around, so this adds not only a nice aesthetic touch in keeping with Heian sensibilities but also faithfulness to the tradition of the tale. Tyler pays considerable attention to the poetry in the tale, which is ridiculously difficult to translate due to the many layers of word play and allusion to other works of poetry and literature that simply cannot be captured in modern English. Somewhat regrettably, many of Tyler's clever turns of phrase (such as exploiting the remarkable similarity in dual meaning of the modern English "pine" and the Japanese "matsu") will likely be lost on many who are not familiar with the Japanese language, but they are enjoyable for those who do understand what Tyler is up to (and can be enjoyed anyway by those who do not). Almost all poems have footnotes with additional information about the style, substance, and allusions present in the original poem.
In the end, Tyler's faithfulness to both the style and substance of Murasaki's original places demands on the reader; not all will enjoy the expectations he places on the reader with respect to such issues as titles versus names. As always with translations, kick the tires on a couple of options and find what works for you. However, for me personally, it is this faithfulness to an incredibly gifted writer and a lyrical and poetic tale that makes Tyler the translation of choice for me.
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Reviews with images
Gorgeous book.
If you are like me, you’re not here for book reviews. You’re here because you want to know about the format of the book and the translation and the shape the book comes in if it was purchased new or used.That’s why I’m writing this.Through Amazon Marketplace I found this used book rated at “Good” from beedees books.This came more as a “like new” or “very good”.On the description beedees lists the details of the condition of the book and not a passive advertisement of their website. The fact they took time to write out the condition of this book meant they care enough to send a great copy to their buyer. Those other sites don’t always send you what you think you bought. Usually they do and I’ve had excellent results but there have been a couple dudders.But I have to say that this was an EXCELLENT purchase. I saved $10, I rec’d a truly gorgeous book in the translation most highly recommended (Royall Tyler) and it took all of 3 days. I cannot tell you anything about the book other than it came highly recommended and we are going to read it in our book club. And I’d also recommend HPB (Emerald Diamond - etc all great) at Amazon Mktplace if you can’t find the edition or translation or publisher of the book you are looking for on Amazon itself.I am THRILLED with this book. And lastly, I thought I’d try to stay away from beveled edges because of other reviews but that’s ridiculous. They’re beautiful and not annoying to me like I thought they’d be. Go for the best translation and you’ll forget about the beveled edges (and yes to those who’ve said it was cut wrongly- it is on purpose. It’s to give the feel of older books).Happy Shopping New Year!
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2023
If you are like me, you’re not here for book reviews. You’re here because you want to know about the format of the book and the translation and the shape the book comes in if it was purchased new or used.
That’s why I’m writing this.
Through Amazon Marketplace I found this used book rated at “Good” from beedees books.
This came more as a “like new” or “very good”.
On the description beedees lists the details of the condition of the book and not a passive advertisement of their website. The fact they took time to write out the condition of this book meant they care enough to send a great copy to their buyer. Those other sites don’t always send you what you think you bought. Usually they do and I’ve had excellent results but there have been a couple dudders.
But I have to say that this was an EXCELLENT purchase. I saved $10, I rec’d a truly gorgeous book in the translation most highly recommended (Royall Tyler) and it took all of 3 days. I cannot tell you anything about the book other than it came highly recommended and we are going to read it in our book club. And I’d also recommend HPB (Emerald Diamond - etc all great) at Amazon Mktplace if you can’t find the edition or translation or publisher of the book you are looking for on Amazon itself.
I am THRILLED with this book. And lastly, I thought I’d try to stay away from beveled edges because of other reviews but that’s ridiculous. They’re beautiful and not annoying to me like I thought they’d be. Go for the best translation and you’ll forget about the beveled edges (and yes to those who’ve said it was cut wrongly- it is on purpose. It’s to give the feel of older books).
Happy Shopping New Year!
That’s why I’m writing this.
Through Amazon Marketplace I found this used book rated at “Good” from beedees books.
This came more as a “like new” or “very good”.
On the description beedees lists the details of the condition of the book and not a passive advertisement of their website. The fact they took time to write out the condition of this book meant they care enough to send a great copy to their buyer. Those other sites don’t always send you what you think you bought. Usually they do and I’ve had excellent results but there have been a couple dudders.
But I have to say that this was an EXCELLENT purchase. I saved $10, I rec’d a truly gorgeous book in the translation most highly recommended (Royall Tyler) and it took all of 3 days. I cannot tell you anything about the book other than it came highly recommended and we are going to read it in our book club. And I’d also recommend HPB (Emerald Diamond - etc all great) at Amazon Mktplace if you can’t find the edition or translation or publisher of the book you are looking for on Amazon itself.
I am THRILLED with this book. And lastly, I thought I’d try to stay away from beveled edges because of other reviews but that’s ridiculous. They’re beautiful and not annoying to me like I thought they’d be. Go for the best translation and you’ll forget about the beveled edges (and yes to those who’ve said it was cut wrongly- it is on purpose. It’s to give the feel of older books).
Happy Shopping New Year!
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2022
Top reviews from other countries
AI
Excelente libro
Reviewed in Mexico on March 9, 2024
AI
Reviewed in Mexico on March 9, 2024
Es la edición Penguin Deluxe de buen tamaño y con corte de hojas tipo deckle edge (no sé por qué aun hay gente despistada que piensa que es un error de imprenta: no lo es, es un acabado consciente y parte del diseño de la serie Penguin Deluxe).
Y para terminar la descripción del producto, esta edición tiene dimensiones más grandes que un Penguin Classics de tamaño regular (adjunto algunas fotos para comparación).
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tyrant lo blanc
I have no idea why I love this book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 14, 2024
Sayantan M.
Neat Delivery
Reviewed in India on August 5, 2023
Sayantan M.
Reviewed in India on August 5, 2023
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AC
Cento pagine mancanti nella stampa
Reviewed in Italy on July 16, 2023
AC
Reviewed in Italy on July 16, 2023
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