Next up: The Tale of Genji

Posted on February 25th, 2008 in Tale of Genji by benmc

Since we’re in the middle of what could be our last winter storm tonight, I’m in the mood to stay up and start another big book. By happy coincidence, my next “literary mountain” arrived in the mail this week — The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu.

At 1120 pages (plus maps, diagrams, family trees and a glossary), it’s another thumper.

Why Genji? I first heard about it from East Asian Lit classmates when I was taking a graduate class on Story of the Stone, a massive Chinese novel. They raved about Genji and often compared the poetry to that of Story of the Stone. Then I read an essay by Michael Dirda about how Genji carried him, a seasoned Washington Post book reviewer, away to another world, another dimension. It sounded extraordinary but daunting.

Written in Japan in the 11th century, The Tale of Genji is reputed to be the oldest novel in world literature. Does anyone know if there’s debate on that point? I suppose it depends on your definition of the word novel.

Anyway, I’ve heard it’s incredibly insightful about human relationships, whether the author is describing intense longing for intimacy or a casual social encounters — so I’m curious to see how quickly the story takes hold.

The translation I’m reading is by Royall Tyler, first published in 2001. I’ve heard of two other translations, by Waley and Seidensticker, but I chose this one because the reviewers on Amazon suggested that although it may not be the best read in English, it provides the reference material (maps, diagrams, and so forth) and a fairly accurate translation that I think I’ll need to get through it.

Wish me luck. And if you’ve got any tips or encouragement about Genji, please feel free to share them.

The end of War & Peace

Posted on February 14th, 2008 in War & Peace by benmc

So this morning on the train ride in, I finally did it — I finished War & Peace. [Applause]

And although the book goes out with more of a whimper than a bang (the second epilogue is not exactly riveting), I have no regrets.

It’s been a very busy month, and although there wasn’t much time for reading, I found my thoughts returning to War & Peace over and over. Tolstoy had his finger on the pulse when it came to describing conflict at its most intense — what can be more intense than war? — but he also showed a tenderness in the later scenes that was surprising.

So when I’ve been frustrated by bureaucracy at work, I took solace. Hey, it’s not as bad as serving in the Russian army! And when I read the closing scenes where the main characters settle back into the nest and attempt to get “back to normal,” I saw glimpses of the things I love about being at home after a long trip.

Of course, Tolstoy needed an editor — his ramblings on the philosophy of history kept me from finishing for at least a week. Yet the parts that shine are worth the effort.

I’m glad it’s done.

Let’s see… what next?