or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
32 used & new from £4.81
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Tale of Genji (Penguin Classics)
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book

The Tale of Genji (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

by Murasaki Shikibu (Author), Royall Tyler (Translator) "In a certain reign (whose can it have been?) someone of no very great rank, among all His Majesty's Consorts and Intimates, enjoyed exceptional favor..." (more)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
RRP: £18.99
Price: £12.32 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £6.67 (35%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Wednesday, November 11? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
24 new from £11.37 8 used from £4.81

Frequently Bought Together

The Tale of Genji (Penguin Classics) + The Diary of Lady Murasaki (Penguin Classics) + The Pillow Book (Penguin Classics)
Price For All Three: £24.85

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Diary of Lady Murasaki (Penguin Classics)

The Diary of Lady Murasaki (Penguin Classics)

by Murasaki Shikibu
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £5.74
The Pillow Book (Penguin Classics)

The Pillow Book (Penguin Classics)

by Sei Shonagon
3.8 out of 5 stars (4)  £6.79
Snow Country

Snow Country

by Yasunari Kawabata
4.5 out of 5 stars (8)  £6.13
The "Tale of Genji": A Reader's Guide (Reader's Guide (Tuttle Publishing))

The "Tale of Genji": A Reader's Guide (Reader's Guide (Tuttle Publishing))

by William J. Puette
£12.50
The Emergence of Modern Japan: An Introductory History Since 1853

The Emergence of Modern Japan: An Introductory History Since 1853

by J. Hunter
4.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £25.99
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 1216 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Classics; Reprint edition (24 April 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 014243714X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0142437148
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.5 x 5.3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 60,424 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #2 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > S > Shikibu, Murasaki

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Product Description

The first complete new translation for 25 years of the acknowledged masterpiece of Japanese literature. Lady Murasaki's great 11th century novel is a beautifully crafted story of love, betrayal and death at the Imperial Court. At the core of this epic is Prince Genji, the son of an emperor, whose passionate character, love affairs and shifting political fortunes, offer an equisite glimpse of the golden age of Japan. Royal Tyler's superb new translation is scrupulously true to the Japanese original but appeals immeadiately to the modern reader. This edition also includes notes, glossaries, character lists and a chronology to enable the reader to appreciate the richness of this classic of world literature.


About the Author

Murasaki Shikibu (c. 970-1015) was a member of one of the most powerful dynasties in Japan and the author of a diary which reveals much about court life in Japan. Royall Tyler taught Japanese religion and literature at the Australian National University and has published widely on Japanese literature. He translated Japanese No Dramas for Penguin Classics.
Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
In a certain reign (whose can it have been?) someone of no very great rank, among all His Majesty's Consorts and Intimates, enjoyed exceptional favor. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(1)
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Tale of Genji (Penguin Classics)
73% buy the item featured on this page:
The Tale of Genji (Penguin Classics) 4.0 out of 5 stars (4)
£12.32
The Tale of Genji (Dover Thrift Editions)
13% buy
The Tale of Genji (Dover Thrift Editions) 5.0 out of 5 stars (8)
£2.50
The Pillow Book (Penguin Classics)
5% buy
The Pillow Book (Penguin Classics) 3.8 out of 5 stars (4)
£6.79
The Diary of Lady Murasaki (Penguin Classics)
4% buy
The Diary of Lady Murasaki (Penguin Classics) 5.0 out of 5 stars (2)
£5.74
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars ancient, and very impressive , 11 May 2008
By J. R. P. Wigman "Hans Wigman" (Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I recently bought this Japanese classic and if you know how many pages it encompasses, you will not be surprised that I haven't finished it yet - for it takes quite some time to read it, let alone take it all in, especially since the story is set and written in a remote past and is culturally unfamiliar.
And yet - I love it already. It's been described as the first psychological novel, and it's easy to see why. The characters in the book aren't always very recognisable for us in terms of morality or philosophy, but I find them all very human and likeable. The book is infused with 'thinking' (like discussions on relationships and one's position in life) and an important feature is poetry: the main character Genji receives and dispatches a lot of subtle poetry (2 lines at a time) that emphasises the loftiness and grandeur of the whole work.

As I know only this translation I'm not able to tell how much of the appeal of "Genji" for the modern reader can be attributed to the translator, but clearly he has done an excellent job: it is all very, very readable and the notes are all very informative and give insight into what would otherwise be obscure references and details. And I love the physical side of the book as well: it is hefty, the paper used is pleasing to touch, many japanese style drawings enliven and instruct the reader and the whole layout exudes a refinement that supports the contents.

In short: a magnificent book in many ways. And I'm sure that if you pick up this classic you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
30 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Best translation, 20 May 2003
By Andy Dingley "andy_dingley" (Bristol, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
The Tale of Genji is a deservedly famous classic, and doesn't need me to patronise it.
This is a better translation than Seidensticker's
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
10 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Greatest Book in Japan, 22 Jan 2005
I had thought that the Tale of Genji was just erotic romance before I came to Japan. But I made a mistake. What the tale of Genji tells us not only eroticism but also the meaning of life. If you don't know Buddhism and Shinto, you don't understand the essence of the novel. Sino-Japanese culture is also important because Murasaki Shikibu learned Sinology (Chibese classic literature).And the emperor-system is different from Western court. Now I think this classic is very difficult to appreciate. However,I like Genji Monogatari the best.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Bad printing quality
I bought already two copies of this book, one for me, one as a present. I think it's a shame that Penguin took such a high quality book, took so much pains with edition,... Read more
Published 16 days ago by Julia Gara Lecuona Allende

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject















i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.