Read Along: The Tale of Genji

That I was in the middle of the controversial Chapter 6 of The Satanic Verses barred me from starting The Tale of Genji, the latest read-along selection. I’m reading the Penguin Classics deluxe edition, translated by Royall Tyler. All references, quotes, and discussion of events henceforward would refer to this edition. I do notice there are abridged editions of this book.

From the editorial note:
Written in the eleventh century, this exquisite portrait of courtly life in medieval Japan is widely celebrated as the world’s first novel. Genji, the Shining Prince, is the son of an emperor. He is a passionate character whose tempestuous nature, family circumstances, love affairs, alliances, and shifting political fortunes form the core of this magnificent epic. Royall Tyler’s superior translation is detailed, poetic, and superbly true to the Japanese original while allowing the modern reader to appreciate it as a contemporary treasure. Supplemented with detailed notes, glossaries, character lists, and chronologies to help the reader navigate the multigenerational narrative, this comprehensive edition presents this ancient tale in the grand style that it deserves.

The Tale of Genji is divided into two separate stories. The first part of the story is about Prince Genji, the son of the emperor and a low ranking consort who dies due to her rivals’ jealousy. The second part of the story are the grandchildren of Genji and it takes place after Genji has died. At 1216 pages, the book is divided into 54 chapters, I plan to attempt 3 to 4 chapters a week. The first four chapters total about 80 pages. This easy pace hopefully will put us at the finishing line in early fall. Show a hand if you’re reading along!