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1MaureenRoy
Lady Murasaki's The Tale of Genji dates back to either the 10th or 11th centuries in Japan. It may be the world's oldest novel that is still widely recognized as a masterpiece. Since a roadmap is key to my understanding of this work, however, my favorite version is Royall Taylor's annotated 2-volume 2001 Viking hardcover edition.
Why the pricey edition? Many characters share the same names! That far back in antiquity, the use of shared names apparently was a common literary device. Further, Taylor's annotations explain most of the cultural norms and assumptions of that remote era; this is most helpful to today's readers.
Why the pricey edition? Many characters share the same names! That far back in antiquity, the use of shared names apparently was a common literary device. Further, Taylor's annotations explain most of the cultural norms and assumptions of that remote era; this is most helpful to today's readers.
2razzamajazz
Look at Amazon, online. There is a paperback edition of Royall Taylor's for used volumes (boxed).You have to check further on the details of this edition.
3amysisson
I have a boxed set of two volumes for this novel. I've always been too intimidated to read it. This scares me even more -- characters with the same names?! I have enough trouble when there are too many characters with different names!
4razzamajazz
"more characters with the same names"
"too many characters with different names"
Do not be " turned off" by these.
Make notes in a small note book.
1,Write down the name of characters as they are mentioned in the novel with a brief description of the character( who is he/she to the protagonist, his/her role in the book and etc..
2.Do this chapter by chapter. In this way, you can follow the characters' roles in the novel (such as in a movie).
3.The novels.War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, In Rememberance of Things Past by Marcel Proust;The Golden Lotus by Hsiao-hsiao-sheng,Chinese erotica are all very difficult novels to follow because they are too many characters. These are just few examples.
Try this. It will help us to enjoy and "follow" the novel in tandem.
"too many characters with different names"
Do not be " turned off" by these.
Make notes in a small note book.
1,Write down the name of characters as they are mentioned in the novel with a brief description of the character( who is he/she to the protagonist, his/her role in the book and etc..
2.Do this chapter by chapter. In this way, you can follow the characters' roles in the novel (such as in a movie).
3.The novels.War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, In Rememberance of Things Past by Marcel Proust;The Golden Lotus by Hsiao-hsiao-sheng,Chinese erotica are all very difficult novels to follow because they are too many characters. These are just few examples.
Try this. It will help us to enjoy and "follow" the novel in tandem.
5timspalding
I took early Japanese history in college and names were an issue. Names in western languages "mean" something to me. They divide into parts--I don't need to really memorize every letter of Democritus and Demosthenes, because I recognize they're composed of units. But I had to dig deep on Japanese names, which had no such clusters for me.
6razzamajazz
How to address Japanese names,
to know and "understand" while reading Japanese novels -English translated.
http:// www.japan-guide.com/e/e2271.html
to know and "understand" while reading Japanese novels -English translated.
http:// www.japan-guide.com/e/e2271.html
7lilisin
The issue with Tale of Genji is that the characters are changing rank which is the main reason why their name changes. Which isn't that uncommon in English.
Kate Middleton, upon marriage, became Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge so now depending on the person, she can be referred to as Kate, or Catherine, or Duchess, or Mrs. Prince William.
Then if she becomes queen, she'll have a new title.
So if we were reading a book about her, her name would be changing throughout the book. To non-British people who aren't used to monarchies, this might be confusing to them.
Thus, don't try to think of Tale of Genji as anything different. It's just a change of name due to a change of rank. They don't tend to go back and forth. Once the new name comes, that is all that is used. The only possibly difficult thing is that there might be several characters changing names at once but you'll get used to it.
And as razzamajazz suggested, you can always keep track of names with a sheet of paper.
Kate Middleton, upon marriage, became Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge so now depending on the person, she can be referred to as Kate, or Catherine, or Duchess, or Mrs. Prince William.
Then if she becomes queen, she'll have a new title.
So if we were reading a book about her, her name would be changing throughout the book. To non-British people who aren't used to monarchies, this might be confusing to them.
Thus, don't try to think of Tale of Genji as anything different. It's just a change of name due to a change of rank. They don't tend to go back and forth. Once the new name comes, that is all that is used. The only possibly difficult thing is that there might be several characters changing names at once but you'll get used to it.
And as razzamajazz suggested, you can always keep track of names with a sheet of paper.
9MaureenRoy
In my first reading of the novel, I was shocked at the amount of time and leisure these people had! It truly was a different era.
Then, during this last year, I have been helping set up our sustainable home in Northern California, and have most enjoyed the slowing down of my life, really. No cellphone reception (we have a landline), no TV, just a little FM radio reception, dial-up internet ... and it's all good. Each time I'm there for awhile (after I decompress), I find myself taking time to savor the experiences there.
If you need further encouragement to read The Tale of Genji, here's a teaser:
"Rich seaweed tresses of the unplumbed ocean depths, a thousand fathoms long, you are mine and mine alone to watch daily as you grow”.
People don't talk like that anymore, but they still think like that, that is, when they slow down enough to notice such things.
Then, during this last year, I have been helping set up our sustainable home in Northern California, and have most enjoyed the slowing down of my life, really. No cellphone reception (we have a landline), no TV, just a little FM radio reception, dial-up internet ... and it's all good. Each time I'm there for awhile (after I decompress), I find myself taking time to savor the experiences there.
If you need further encouragement to read The Tale of Genji, here's a teaser:
"Rich seaweed tresses of the unplumbed ocean depths, a thousand fathoms long, you are mine and mine alone to watch daily as you grow”.
People don't talk like that anymore, but they still think like that, that is, when they slow down enough to notice such things.
10dcozy
In my first readings of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy I found Russian names, with their patronymics, daunting and did resort to notes in the front covers of my paperback editions.
11Caco_Velho
For some people Richard Bowring's Murasaki Shikibu: The Tale of Genji might be helpful. It is a brief student guide published by Cambridge Univ. Press. Also would recommend The Bridge of Dreams: A Poetics of 'The Tale of Genji' by Haruo Shirane.
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