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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
The Tale of Genji heb ik gelezen voor een boekenclub die in voorbereiding op een reis naar Japan boeken uit verschillende literaire periodes leest. Dit boek komt uit de Heianperiode (794 tot 1185), een tijdperk waarin het Japanse keizerlijke hof zijn hoogtepunt had bereikt. Ook wordt dit verhaal gezien als de allereerste geschreven roman, erg vet!
Ik vond het erg interessant om de cultuur van het aristocratische Japan in deze periode te bestuderen. Evenals de manieren van entertainment, manier van kleden, het dagelijks leven en normen en waarden kwamen goed naar voren. Het boek is episodisch geschreven en daardoor zaten er soms wat tijdsprongen tussen de hoofdstukken. Daarnaast wordt er weinig gebruikt gemaakt van namen, maar wordt er meer gerefereerd naar personen middels hun rang of rol. Dit maakte het soms wel lastig om het verhaal te volgen.
Het verhaal gaat vooral over het liefdesleven van Genji, en hij is daar zeker actief in. Met meerdere buitenechtelijke (kwestieuze) relaties, was het vaak nodig om dit echt in de tijd te plaatsen. In de huidige periode zouden de meeste zaken namelijk echt niet kunnen.
Samenvattend vond ik dit boek een goede keuze voor de boekenclub en heb ik een goed inzicht kunnen krijgen van het hofleven in het oude Japan.
Ik vond het erg interessant om de cultuur van het aristocratische Japan in deze periode te bestuderen. Evenals de manieren van entertainment, manier van kleden, het dagelijks leven en normen en waarden kwamen goed naar voren. Het boek is episodisch geschreven en daardoor zaten er soms wat tijdsprongen tussen de hoofdstukken. Daarnaast wordt er weinig gebruikt gemaakt van namen, maar wordt er meer gerefereerd naar personen middels hun rang of rol. Dit maakte het soms wel lastig om het verhaal te volgen.
Het verhaal gaat vooral over het liefdesleven van Genji, en hij is daar zeker actief in. Met meerdere buitenechtelijke (kwestieuze) relaties, was het vaak nodig om dit echt in de tijd te plaatsen. In de huidige periode zouden de meeste zaken namelijk echt niet kunnen.
Samenvattend vond ik dit boek een goede keuze voor de boekenclub en heb ik een goed inzicht kunnen krijgen van het hofleven in het oude Japan.
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Look, the descriptions are very lush and I enjoyed it for ten or twenty page stretches at a time, but that was all I cared about and eventually I could no longer take all of the sex with children.
This was a read,the project of two months. Biblical in scope and textual difficulty. I can see where it could be consuming: despite the difficulty in a simple read-through there's something quite charming, and with commentaries and keeping notes on relationships and putting a lot of work in, it seems a lot could be unlocked. It really does end mid-sentence. The treatment of women is pretty much what one might expect even from a caricature of the tenth/eleventh century: polygamy's one thing, the casual rape and child marriage (non-platonic!) is another.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
[Read the Arthur Waley Translation]
An informative but not very enjoyable reading experience.
An informative but not very enjoyable reading experience.
WE DID IT we conquered the beast. INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO READ (the class was much needed). But very rewarding in the end I think! Murasaki Shikibu's accomplishment here is very impressive with limited models. Sprawling narrative that was still compelling, dare I say entertaining. Each episode was rich with intricacies and fragile emotions truly it was so shocking to me how sensitive these people were like those sleeves were dewy as hell. Filled with romance to the brim from what seems like every possible angle, every possible outcome. I developed a strange attachment to some of these characters like pure entertainment value was here no matter what the haters say like some of those women... Ukifune, Murasaki, Akashi you will always be famous. I have read some long books but I have never been more impressed by the scope of a story. I 100% do not remember all of it. Extremely inaccessible without some level of knowledge of Heian culture even to begin the book so beware. Also the POETRY I am not a poetry gal in the slightest but the poems were so beautiful + so intelligent. I dock this one star because I can't lie there are full stretches where we are like okay Genji what are we doing now and why do I gaf because I'm sensing that I don't BUT I think that's OK for what this tale is. SO MANY things to think about in this book I'm not even going to try to go into it. I am going to set a ten year clock for me to reread it again – I feel like I must and it will be even better on a second read but I don't know when I'll be ready to do that again. READ IT BUT ONLY IF YOU REALLY REALLY WANT TO.
I finally finished The Tale of Genji after three tries and several years.
The Tale of Genji is widely considered the first novel. It was written in the early 11th century and gives deep insight into the height of the Heian period in Japan. The tale follows Genji in his sexual and romantic exploits in and out of court life. At first, I thought this was just the tale of a chauvinistic playboy (which is is) but the story evolves as Genji ages and he becomes for a protector. After Genji's death, the story continues with his grandchildren and shows his influence, even after he is gone.
The story focuses on court life and the fleeting nature of happiness and beauty.
The Tale of Genji is widely considered the first novel. It was written in the early 11th century and gives deep insight into the height of the Heian period in Japan. The tale follows Genji in his sexual and romantic exploits in and out of court life. At first, I thought this was just the tale of a chauvinistic playboy (which is is) but the story evolves as Genji ages and he becomes for a protector. After Genji's death, the story continues with his grandchildren and shows his influence, even after he is gone.
The story focuses on court life and the fleeting nature of happiness and beauty.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced