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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really interesting
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Am amazing work of fiction that offers an unparalleled look at court life in Heian era Japan. A difficult read but well worth it!
I tried. Really. But wow is this a tough read. Using titles as titles instead of names made it almost impossible to follow characters. And the soap opera aspects are astounding - the most ridiculous stories of nobles you can think of are nothing next to this. Anyway, I gave up shortly after Murasaki and Genji left the plot, and I don't feel guilty at all. In fact, I may "sell" my copy to Half- Price Books and feel no guilt at all.
reflective
slow-paced
Despite my big with Genji's character, there is no doubt that this is an amazing piece of work. The writing is beautiful, especially in it's descriptions of seasonal imagery. It was lovely to see women described as such unique individuals in a period where they had to sit behind screens and remain hidden. The range of emotion displayed by all the characters, including the female characters is great. Took an entire class on the novel, which helped me appreciate it far more than I would have reading on my own. Still have major issues with the character of Genji- who I see as a rapist, narcissist, and akin to a whiny child most of the time, especially when it comes to interacting with women.
slow-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
It's an important piece of history and more people should read it, but it's really slow and kind of boring.
It's a nice cultural read but it's not the most entertaining novel.
It is one of the oldest Japanese novels available so it deserves some adoration but I dont reccomend reading it if your not obsessed with Japan's cultural history.
It is one of the oldest Japanese novels available so it deserves some adoration but I dont reccomend reading it if your not obsessed with Japan's cultural history.
1200 pages of courting only to end in a cliffhanger. Fascinating look into the historical context of Japanese court life and the plight of women in particular. A real brick of a book though.