The Tale of Genji the Annoyingly Perfect...

[msfledermaus]

So far I've gotten about fifty pages into the Tale of Genji. What have I learned so far? Well, that Genji is apparently perfect. Really perfect. Definitely much more perfect than you or me. So perfect that he's kind of annoying. He also has Austin Powers-like powers with the ladies, even though he just kind of barges into their chambers after spying on them for a while. (Kinda cuts into the perfect thing, methinks, but I'm not the one writing on Japanese court life nearly a thousand years ago...) Anyway, so far it's amusing with the occasional "Ohh!" of outrage from Yours Truly. I may have to do my own synopsis as I go along, just for your entertainment. It's educational, after all, right? Right?...

This sort of thing combined with yummy sushi last night and a nice walk around my happy little island makes me ready to face the rest of the week. Or more ready than I was before, anyway...

Comments

[sirreal13.livejournal.com]

I guess there was no stigma to being a perfect stalker 1000 years ago... Have a good week, {{{M}}}

[msfledermaus.livejournal.com]

I'm so tempted to do my own version of the Tale of Genji Cliff notes...if I did it in bits and pieces as I go, would it be dull or cool? It wouldn't be hard to make it funny, it's already got some bits that are ripe for giggles...

[http://users.livejournal.com/_contingent_/]

So, it's a little less that way than it looks like, but most of the things he's doing that count as courting behavior in Heian Japan aren't all that recognizable today. I almost tried to make you take a commentary that covers some of that, but it's also full of tons of other stuff I was less sure would interest you. Had I thought about it, I would have loaned you the Ten Thousand Leaves, which is a poetry collection much of which is contemporary with the Tale of Genji. It offers a bunch of other insights into the issue, but is much much more fun than a modern academic exegesis.

Gengi!

[pbsage.livejournal.com]

OMG! i haven't thought about that book in years. I can't even remember if I ever finished it, it was next to my bed for years and years. I think the daughter offed with it sometime in her teen years.

I think I will look for it in the boxes of books buried in the studio.

[msfledermaus.livejournal.com]

I figured some of the sneaking around and whatnot was supposed to be romantic somehow. But you're right; I'm a little rough on my understanding of Heian courting behavior. (I have been reading about the Edo period courtesans, though...whoo boy!) I wouldn't mind reading more poetry from the era...it's so frustrating to walk around those galleries and see all this fabulous poetry in the artwork that I can't read word one of. (There's the occasional translation here or there, but not nearly enough.)

I'm just so grateful you loaned me the books. I already read through PaperMage, and I really enjoyed it. I think I may have a line on my own copy of Genji too, so I can give yours back fairly quickly.

Re: Gengi!

[msfledermaus.livejournal.com]

It's kind of fun. Very soapy-opera-y stuff...I'm having a good time with it so far...