This text is the earliest novel we know about. It was completed in the early 11th century by Lady Murasaki, a noblewoman of the Emperor's court. She wrote it for fun, both for herself and to amuse her friends, and it's intriguing to think that this was the first time anyone wrote such a tale down in novel format. In fact, it is stunning. Of course fiction existed, in the form of myths, fairy tales, and sagas. But there really wasn't a genre in which the characters were inspired by everyday events, and could have been real people, except that they were made up.
(As an aside, I saw a couple of the original scrolls of "The Tale of Genji" at the Tokugawa Museum in Nagoya-- highly recommended).
I mention the translator-- Arthur Waley-- explicitly because the challenge of translating 11th-century Japanese into English is enormous. The translator must cross vast temporal and cultural gaps, and also must somehow deal with the book's nearly 800 waka poems. Waley's translation, done about 70 years ago, is the first, and thus became the "classic." The second translation was done by Seidensticker in 1976, and now a third, by Tyler, has just appeared.
Ironically, Waley's "classic" rendition takes the most liberties, as Waley preferred to obey the spirit of the text rather than the letter. He has applied some fairly liberal interpretation to "Genji," and it is generally agreed that he has made Murasaki's prose more flowery than it was in the original. Seidensticker's version is apparently much drier, or perhaps statelier. I haven't read it. I haven't read the new Tyler version either, which attempts to steer a more middle course in terms of prose, but apparently wrecks fairly large changes on the waka compared to the other two. Perhaps I'll do a comparison reading someday.
But anyway, is the tale good? Well, I guess so. It's the story of Prince Genji, loverboy of the Court, although barred from true power because he is an illegitimate son of the Emporer. He is fabulously beautiful, an amazing poet and dancer, passionate in all aspects of life, and adored by all. All except his wife, of course, with whom he can never quite communicate.
But that's OK-- most of the story is about his exploits and adventures with various other women. He's at that age when young men need to spead their seed, and who can blame him? Boys will be boys. Genji does have the unusual quality of never forgetting anyone he has a relationship with, so he is not quite the typical sower of wild oats.
Probably the most interesting aspects of "The Tale of Genji" arise around the edges of the plot. Through the descriptions and characterizations, the reader gets a feel for noble life at that time in Japan. It resembles the sunset days of nobility in Europe, actually-- sort of aimless drifting, form without function, and rituals that no one really understands or believes in anymore.
The poetry is also very interesting. Waka are 31-syllable poems (5-7-5-7-7) which were used to convey messages between people. (Note that the haiku (5-7-5) is in fact derived from the first three lines of the waka). The indirect language of poetry was an excellent way to express feelings in the characteristically reserved Japanese society. In fact, it persisted well beyond the Heian period in which "Genji" takes place. Skill in writing and interpreting poetry were also marks of intellectual and spiritual fortitude.
The structure of "Genji" itself is also worth noting. Lady Murasaki employs some strange literary devices. One of her favorite tricks is to refer to characters that she hasn't introduced yet, or to give them new names that you only figure out later. Also, some of the timing is odd. Events in one chapter are simultaneous and interwoven with those of the previous chapter, and in another case, there is a jump of several years between chapters. But hey, when you're writing the first novel, there aren't any rules.
I'll give "The Tale of Genji" a weak +, mainly for historical interest. The plot, characterization, and themes are nothing special. But the glimpse into 11th-century Japanese life and the fact that this is considered the first novel make it intriguing enough to read.
Copyright © Kim Allen 2001
