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The Tale of Genji Paperback – July 12, 1978

by Murasaki Shikibu (Author), Edward G. Seidensticker (Translator)

245 ratings

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The Tale of Genji was written in the eleventh century by Murasaki Shikibu, a lady of the Heian court. It is universally recognized as the greatest masterpiece of Japanese prose narrative, perhaps the earliest true novel in the history of the world. Until now there has been no translation that is both complete and scrupulously faithful to the original text. Edward G. Seidensticker's masterly rendering was first published in two volumes in 1976 and immediately hailed as a classic of the translator's art. It is here presented in one unabridged volume, illustrated throughout by woodcuts taken from a 1650 Japanese edition of The Tale of Genji.

Editorial Reviews

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"Not only the world's first real novel, but one of its greatest."

-- Donald Keene, Columbia University"A. triumph of authenticity and readability."

-- Washington Post Book World

"[Seidensticker's] translation has the ring of authority."

-- The New York Times Book Review

From the Inside Flap

The Tale of Genji was written in the eleventh century by Murasaki Shikibu, a lady of the Heian court. It is universally recognized as the greatest masterpiece of Japanese prose narrative, perhaps the earliest true novel in the history of the world. Until now there has been no translation that is both complete and scrupulously faithful to the original text. Edward G. Seidensticker's masterly rendering was first published in two volumes in 1976 and immediately hailed as a classic of the translator's art. It is here presented in one unabridged volume, illustrated throughout by woodcuts taken from a 1650 Japanese edition of The Tale of Genji.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Knopf
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 12, 1978
Edition ‏ : ‎ First Paperback
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 1120 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0394735307
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394735306
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.03 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.13 x 1.95 x 9.09 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,561,064 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,978 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction
- #10,749 in Literary Fiction (Books)

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Customers find the book to be an amazing read and appreciate its historical significance as one of the oldest novels ever written. Moreover, the poetry translation receives positive feedback, with one customer noting the inclusion of hundreds of poems.

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15 customers mention "Readability"12 positive3 negative

Customers find the book amazing and outstanding in its own right, with one customer describing it as a priceless piece of classic literature.

"Love the book. There are countless references which it takes the time in footnotes to explain...." Read more

"...But that's just a guess. This is some heavy reading that I would recommend for people 18+, not for the reasons of "sexual" content but because of..." Read more

"...The poetry translation, most pervasive in this work, is outstanding in its own. I highly recommend it, in every sense." Read more

"Long and lyrical.This is a book that needs lots of time to read...." Read more

10 customers mention "Poetry translation"8 positive2 negative

Customers appreciate the poetry translation in the book, with one review noting the inclusion of hundreds of poems, while another mentions how it laces conversations with poetry in a mildly interesting way, and how it provides literary insight into a world long gone.

"...I like that it references each poem alluded to in the text to let the reader find the poem and read it him/her self...." Read more

"...happen pertaining to complicated character webs and it's written in a beautiful, poetic way that CAN and will leave the reader confused...." Read more

"...The poetry translation, most pervasive in this work, is outstanding in its own. I highly recommend it, in every sense." Read more

"...The poems, the paper used for the poems, the handwriting used in making the poem, having a branch of the correct plant tied in the right way to the..." Read more

9 customers mention "Historical accuracy"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the historical accuracy of the book, describing it as one of the oldest novels ever written and a great historical novel that crosses cultural barriers.

"And by a lady too. This 1000+ page novel is the oldest known surviving novel ever written...." Read more

"...I won't review it in that sense; it crossed the barrier of time and culture, criticizing its solidity seems way too postmodern...." Read more

"This is an ancient place; rarified by time and space...." Read more

"...There are several generation s peopling The Tale of Genji, but mostly one-story line...." Read more

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Brandon
Great Book, great binding
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2014
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Love the book. There are countless references which it takes the time in footnotes to explain. I felt that this book was well thought out and well translated. I like that it references each poem alluded to in the text to let the reader find the poem and read it him/her self. The binding was good quality, the dust cover is sturdy. The only complaint I have of this book is the tassel that it comes with of cotton and is not bound at the bottom, as a consequence it has started to unravel. I'll probably end up cutting it off since it will completely unravel before you've finished the book. Other than this, great read and good quality.

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5 people found this helpful

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Sarah
Oldest Novel Ever Written- yet still enticing to read
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2014
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And by a lady too.
This 1000+ page novel is the oldest known surviving novel ever written. It's about a troubled prince who is searching for the love of a mother by trying to love women both sexually and romantically. He ends up falling in love with his thirty something year old step mother who was his mother's cousin or sister (I can't remember) when he's like fifteen to fill the void of not having a mother. But a lot of things happen pertaining to complicated character webs and it's written in a beautiful, poetic way that CAN and will leave the reader confused. Especially involving the syntax of the novel. A lot of the love scenes, I've noticed, just stop and bounce to a completely different subject and I speculate it's because the author Shikibu didn't want to seem too entirely improper for her time. But that's just a guess. This is some heavy reading that I would recommend for people 18+, not for the reasons of "sexual" content but because of all the underlying meanings and little archetypes that could easily be missed by a less experienced reader and thus lose all purpose of plot. So as long as a you're a well-read individual, then go ahead and go crazy. It's a wonderful, inter-generational book that should be on every literature-lover's shelf.

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23 people found this helpful

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ArielM
Seidensticker: my respects to you
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2016
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People tend to say it a "boring novel" or "not much action involved". I won't review it in that sense; it crossed the barrier of time and culture, criticizing its solidity seems way too postmodern. The edition is excellent, I much prefer it to the newer, more scholarly edition of Penguin. The poetry translation, most pervasive in this work, is outstanding in its own. I highly recommend it, in every sense.

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15 people found this helpful

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anonatall
An Ordered World Awaits
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2013
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This is an ancient place; rarified by time and space. For us here, a microscopic view of the smallest of small worlds: the common thoughts of society and the consistency of its actions from kitchens to courts. Genji's life is a parallel Sidhartha. I want to try it again in Hard Copy.

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Phred
It is great literature because somebody says so
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2021
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Unless you are a student of things Japanese from 1000 years ago, there are a few reasons to read The Tale of Gengi. It has a legitimate claim to be the worlds first Novel and compared with say Don Quixote, it reads a lot more like what we would recognize as a novel. My version, Kindle edition, translated by Edward Seidensticker runs over 1300 pages and does not exactly end so much as it stops.

Authorship is credited to a Lady in Waiting, whose name is somewhat disputed and credit, with some reason is given to Lady Murasaki Shikibu from the 11 Century Hain period of Japan. My sense was that the authoress was writing to ladies of the court who kept her going rather like Shahrazad and like her she keeps adding to whatever she told them the last time. Lady Murasaki however stays with one family, mostly Genji, a son of one emperor, demoted to commoner to protect him from those promoting his legitimate older son, only to have Genji, sire the next Emperor, by cuckolding his dad. O yeah 400 characters later and there will be a lot of this kind of bedroom goings on.

Before getting back to the never-ending story. OK I digress from my digression. So far the book had me thinking, 1001 Nights, Homer (with no warfare), the many loves of Dobie Gillies, Barry Lyndon and something purpose built to enrage anyone with even a tad of feminist outlook.
Comeing back one digression, According to Wiki: It 9The original book) was made in "concertina" or orihon style: several sheets of paper pasted together and folded alternately in one direction then the other.” There is no original text, or agreed to be complete test in existence. There are several variations of various lengths about. There even remains some debate, and for obvious reasons if the 54 chapter version I just finished is the complete version. Of particular interest to me, is the almost casual treatment of the Imperial Court. If The Militarist/Nationalists were correct that the Emperor was a deity, he was most certainly not one in the year 1000. Throughout the book he is given some respect but I do not think cuckolding a deity is quite the kind of thing the militarists were looking to have the public accept.

Back to the novel. For almost to the page the first 2/3 of the books centers on the love life on Genji. He will seduce, take by force and generally have his way with a large number of women. His eventually preferred wife is a woman he takes, by force at her age, about 10. (The Lady is Murasaki daughter of Prince Hyobu, niece of Fujitsubo, and granddaughter of a former emperor; Genji's favorite lady) The novel is a tad delicate about him hot having her until she is an adult, but, 1 That is not the only way to read the text, 2. Age 10? Bottom line, being a woman of any level of upper class, having at least some looks, or other political value, meant participating in very elaborate seductions, and not all of them by your choice.

Of the theme most often repeated, the single most used words are those about weeping, shedding or almost shedding tears, and wet sleeves (wet from tears). There is a vast almost of critical analysis of the kinds and colors of papers used to send note or esp poems, quality of penmanship and Poems, Hundreds of poems. Waiting poems, morning after poems, poems using specific blossoms and plants, grasses, pines in particular, and all requiring the reader to understand that each blossom plant and branch has its own meaning. Pines, I think are never mentioned except that they a tree believed to last like love for 1000 years.

A husband is supposed to pretty much accept that his wife will have lovers, and husbands are mostly blatant about having this or that entanglement. Men or women can get unfortunate reputations, but they never seem to be punished for them. Genji, will be, but nor for long. Women however may be driven to suicide, insanity or get them to a nunnery. This kind of reaction is sort of sympathetically understood, but, for example, the high-born lady can count on her ladies in waiting to encourage every half way presentable, or powerful would be lover.

The actual process of seduction is a highly manner stepwise operation. A titled woman could go her life never being naked. To be seen in profile, even by a male family member would be a scandal. And so, a susceptible male may be inflamed by no more that a sleeve hanging below a carriage door, conduct his entire campaign through cracks in doors, across many silken screens and have his conquest culminate by sharing a nap with a beloved swathed in many layers of clothes. For the record there is very little full nudity in esp period Japanese pornography. His success and her desirability could be furthered or held back by the quality of:
The poems, the paper used for the poems, the handwriting used in making the poem, having a branch of the correct plant tied in the right way to the poem which has to be folded the right way. All this and your perfume, better not suggest you are not of the city, but of the country. Men better look good in their various versions of court dress, formal and informal, traveling clothes and ceremonial attire.

And of course, everything has to be done and surrounded by materials at once, rare, of the highest workmanship, lavish and tasteful.

Not yet complex enough. All of the 400 characters have names, and live lives consistent with each other in terms of everyone aging and fortunes rising and falling. However, a character may be referred to by title, and the reference changing as their title changes, where they live and where they live in a common household. We have Genji’s first wife is named Aoi because she is known as the lady of the Aoi chapter, Minister of the Left; then Chancellor; Aoi’s father; and even by how referred to in a love poem, - the lady of the Locust Shell, or the lady of the North wing and so forth.

There are several generation s peopling The Tale of Genji, but mostly one-story line. How he came to see her, decide she was his great love object, the Ladies in waiting promote the affair, they trade poems, they love and leave, or she becomes part of one of his households and on to the next. There is much weeping at every stage. There are occasional major parties, festivals and, poetry or musical competitions. But as Lady Murasaki, the novel narrator might say the details are too many and I will not take your time relating all of them.

As a historic piece of literature, Tale of Genji is a major challenge, but hey it’s the first of its kind, Right? A a view into a highly sophisticated if effete culture it may be fascinating. To anyone seeking strong female leaders, there are a few, but for the rest women are highly literate, poetic vessels to be used.

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Jeff I.
Great.
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2013
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Another translated version of Genji. I think this is best to buy for those studying Genji. All 3 translators all have a different way of translating, so it may be best to get this, as the Japanese (both the Gendai and Koten) can be interpreted differently by the reader.

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3 people found this helpful

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David M. Emberling
Disappointing
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2019
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Maybe I'm missing something, but it seemed to be just the story of a guy chasing one woman after another. It made it seem like the upper classes of the day had nothing better to do. I found the habit of lacing conversations with poetry mildly interesting, but without a sophisticated knowledge of ancient Japanese poetry, it was mostly wasted on me. Also, the part where Genji kidnaps and rapes a young girl is pretty horrifying, and apparently didn't bother the author (she described the rape as "mildly unpleasant").

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8 people found this helpful

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avid reader
The tail of Genji
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2014
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Long and lyrical.This is a book that needs lots of time to read. One must like long and winding stories of intrigue and treachery mixed in with a plot that takes long time to develop. If you like stories of ancient China and the power struggles of the various dynasties positioning themselves for positions of power then this is the book for you.

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MUSTAFA H. NASHAT
The book came in good shape
Reviewed in Canada on March 6, 2021
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The book came in good shape

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ケン
大変に面白い！！
Reviewed in Japan on January 22, 2024
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丹念に読んでいっているー電子辞書で、英和大辞典３～４冊・広辞苑・旺文社古語辞典などを参照し乍ら読んでいる。源氏物語がこんなに面白いものとは！！　そのこでAmazonにお願いですが、Arthur WaleyのThe Tale of Genji、Dover Thrift Editions: Classic Novels, Part 2 ～ Part 6、もいつでもAmazonから購入できるようにご手配お願致します。many thanks.

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Paulo Leite
O livro tornou-se, e ainda é, uma espécie de Bíblia laica da cultura japonesa
Reviewed in Brazil on December 23, 2016
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Alguns críticos descrevem esta obra como o primeiro romance psicológico do mundo; outros colocam o livro entre os dos 12 melhores da literatura. As melhores traduções em inglês são de Arthur Waley e Edward G. Seidensticker. Reler Waley ao lado de Seidensticker, ou Dennis Washburn mais recentemente, é instrutivo. Genji é obra tão sutil e esplêndida que ficamos na expectativa de outras tantas versões. A narrativa romanesca de Murasaki, à medida que se desenrola, apresenta crescentes características do romance, exceto pelo fato de conter uma pletora desnorteante de protagonistas. São quase 50 personagens principais, e não é nada fácil manter em mente quem desposou quem, ou teve um relacionamento sexual, ou é o verdadeiro pai ou verdadeira filha de alguém. Genji príncipe imperial exilado e que se torna plebeu dentro do seu próprio território, é um personagem apaixonante, dotado de anseios perpétuos, mutáveis e impacientes quando frustrados. Não devemos entender Genji como um Dom Juan, embora o personagem manifeste o que Lorde Bryron chamava “mobilidade”. A própria Lady Murasaki, por intermédio do narrador, é, abertamente, mais do que simpática a Genji; trata-se de uma figura que irradia luz, e que deve se tornar imperador. Embora todos os personagem em “A História de Genji” sejam budistas e, portanto, prevenidos contra o desejo, quase todos são bastante suscetíveis, principalmente Genji. Este, que jamais será imperador, tem uma propensão especial para estabelecer ligações repentinas (e duradouras) com damas que não pertenciam à estirpe mais nobre. Assim, Genji encontra o grande relacionamento de sua vida na pessoa de uma menina de dez anos, por ele chamada Murasaki, a quem adota e educa. O nome da menina (assim como o da autora) refere-se à perfumada alfazema, e o relacionamento de Genji com a menina é escandaloso, desde o início. Lady Murasaki, mais de 900 anos antes de Freud, compreendia que todas as transferências eróticas são substituições de relacionamentos passados. Genji, sempre em busca de algo que não pode ser encontrado, recorre a outras amantes, ao mesmo tempo em que mantém Murasaki. Ela, por sua vez, possui consciência notável, recusa a submeter-se, e se volta para a devoção budista, como um meio de reencontrar a si mesma e à sua própria infância. Enfim, “A História de Genji” é especial para uma infinidade de homens e mulheres no Japão, dotados de sensibilidade estética. O anseio destrói Genji, bem como as mais dignas das mulheres que o cercam. E aí localiza-se o gênio de Murasaki e o esplendor do livro: um anseio que jamais há de ser satisfeito, um desejo que jamais será aplacado. Depois de ler Murasaki, o leitor experimentará, com relação ao amor e à paixão, sentimentos inteiramente novos.

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Michel Heller
Shortened but still enchanting
Reviewed in France on August 4, 2008
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This shortened version of one of the most beautiful novels written on this planet, is so well done that remains a jewel of poetry and sentiments.

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maire bourke unsatisfying
The best translation
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 15, 2013
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Don't bother with any other translation than Waley's. I tried one by a Japanese translator and it was awful. I first read this novel twenty years ago and liked it, now that I am older I love it. For anyone interested in Japanese culture this is the perfect holiday read.

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5.0 out of 5 stars The book came in good shape

5.0 out of 5 stars 大変に面白い！！

5.0 out of 5 stars O livro tornou-se, e ainda é, uma espécie de Bíblia laica da cultura japonesa

5.0 out of 5 stars Shortened but still enchanting

5.0 out of 5 stars The best translation

The book came in good shape

大変に面白い！！

O livro tornou-se, e ainda é, uma espécie de Bíblia laica da cultura japonesa

Shortened but still enchanting

The best translation