Book blogging (mostly)
Books
The Tale of Genji
Jul 30th
If you’ve been reading this blog recently, you know that I’ve been reading (and enjoying) The Tale of Genji. I’ll do my best not to reiterate anything I’ve said already, but that shouldn’t be hard considering there are so many great things happening in this book.
First of all, the briefest of synopses. The Tale of Genji follows 4 generations of individuals in Japan’s Imperial court during the late 10th Century (which is also when it was originally written). Though Genji is the main character, he is not the only one we get to know in this epic tale.
Ultimately, though, it’s not what happens in The Tale of Genji that makes it so appealing (not to say that there isn’t a lot that happens. Here’s a quick rundown off the top of my head: sex, rape, death, cuckolding, spirit possession, exorcism, suicide, inclement weather, exile, love, jealousy, infidelity.) It is the characters, and the reality of their hopes, fears, joys, heartaches, desires, and transgressions that make Genji such a compelling work of fiction. Or, in Genji’s own words:
“Not that tales accurately describe any particular person, rather, the telling begins when all those things the teller longs to have pass on to future generations – whatever there is about the way people live their lives, for better or worse, that is a sight to see or a wonder to hear – overflows the teller’s heart” (461).
I think I have already given The Tale of Genji the highest recommendation that I can – I spent the last month reading, and enjoying, all 1120 pages. At no point did I even consider giving up, or reading something else instead. I never got bored, I never even motivated myself with another book (which I do all the time). In fact, the only frustration I did feel in the last month was frustration over not having more time to read. If you have the opportunity, you should definitely pick up The Tale of Genji. Between its individual style and unique place in history and literature, you won’t ever read anything else quite like it.
“How true it is that bitter experience yields fond memories!” (815).
For more information, see the full database entry on The Tale of Genji. Beware spoilers.
Tale of Genji – Update 3
Jul 27th
Yes, you are seeing that picture correctly – I finished reading The Tale of Genji over the weekend. I’ll do a final post, database entry, etc later in the week, but for now I just want to bask in the glory of finishing an epic book. Now I’m going to spend a week collecting my thoughts and trying to condense a months worth of reading in a few thousand words….
Done!
Quick aside – considering the numerous characters, titles, and interconnected relationships in The Tale of Genji, I’m also considering putting together a few tools to help anyone who wants to read it. More on that if I actually have the energy to compile the necessary data.
Tale of Genji – Update 2
Jul 21st
If you are at all familiar with the Summer of Genji reading schedule, you will probably notice that I’m a little ahead of where I’m supposed to be at this point:
940 down, 180 to go
There are two reasons for this. First of all, I really want to finish before going on vacation in the first week of August. Bringing a book this big onto a plane simply seems absurd. Second, though, is that the nature of this book begs for it to be read in huge chunks. There are so many characters, often identified only through generic, frequently changing titles, that if you stop reading for even a day, it’s easy to forget completely who you are reading about.
Plus, many of the best moments in the book consist of a subtle shift in the relationship between characters over the course of 50 or more pages. If you didn’t read it all at once, however, it is much harder to pick up on these shifts. I’ve noticed several times that the first 20 minutes I spend reading in the evening are slow, and at times dull. 30 minutes later, however, I don’t want to put the book down because some enthralling sub plot has begun to develop. Ultimately, I’ve found that my enjoyment for the book increases dramatically the more of it I can read in a single sitting.
It’s worth noting that this edition of the book (Royall Tyler’s translation) helps immensely in identify characters and their relationships through footnotes and appendices. I can’t imagine reading Genji without them!
Finnikin of the Rock
Jul 15th
We interrupt your regularly scheduled episode of “Talk About How Long The Tale of Genjii Is” to bring you this post on Finnikin of the Rock. (I actually finished this a few weeks ago, and just didn’t get around to writing about it.)
I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for a good story. The Hunger Games isn’t the most sophisticated piece of literature, but it was a lot of fun to read, and it does contain quality writing. A good story, however, isn’t enough to make me overlook major flaws in a novel.
You may not have seen this coming but, in spite of its promising plot, Finnikin of the Rock has far too many flaws for me to overlook. Finnikin, the son of the captain of the guard, is from Lumatere. Ten years ago, however, his homeland was cursed, and since then no one has been able to cross its boundaries, either in or out.
Like I said, this is definitely a promising story. Unfortunately, between a lack of consistency in the geography of the world, and flat, boring characters there isn’t much else to like about this book.
Speaking of boring characters, why can’t any of them communicate like normal human beings? Why do they always have to jump to conclusions, and flee from each other at the slightest (assumed) offense? The School Library Journal review on Amazon.com calls Finnikin and Evanjalin’s relationship “intensely emotional”. I think a better description is “annoyingly unrealistic” or “frustratingly devoid of reason”. It’s not a good sign when even The Tale of Genji, in which characters purposefully obfuscate their language by speaking in ancient Chinese poetry, has more open communication.
Suffice it to say, I don’t recommend Finnikin of the Rock. If you could consider the plot apart from the characters, no doubt you would be able to find some moments to enjoy, but those pesky characters just keep getting in the way.
Full Database entry on Finnikin of the Rock. Beware spoilers.
First Line: Tale of Genji
Jul 9th
Let’s jump right into it:
“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” (1).
This immediately reminded me of the opening line for Don Quixote, another lengthy, historic tale. Just as Cervantes’s claim that he can’t remember quite where in La Mancha Don Quixote was from is brimming with irony, Genji’s introduction strikes me as slightly ironic as well. It may not be immediately evident (unless you consider just how long the book is), but Genji is rife with details about ancient Japanese court lifestyle. Considering that, there must be some intentional humor in the narrator’s claim that she can’t quite remember whose reign it was.
Yet, at the same time, we must also consider the fact that this is a female author telling us about the behavior of an Emperor in somewhat unflattering terms. Periodically throughout the book the narrator will address the reader directly, making claims about how it would not be appropriate of someone of her rank to reveal too much about what happened between these more noble characters. This could simply be the first example of the narrator revealing her own rank and status relative to those she is speaking of.
I think it is also worth considering that, to the original audience of this book, it was painfully obvious who she was referring to. In that case, this slightly sarcastic “whose can it have been?” interjection is not quite so subtle or deferential at all. She may be treading somewhat softly, but only because she knows her audience doesn’t need the truth to be stated explicitly, just as all the poetic allusions that follow would have been evident to them as well.
Or, perhaps I’m just reading too much into this, and the narrator is simply attempting to establish from the beginning that, while this work may seem to be real it is, in fact, a fiction. Her original audience may have immediately known who she was referring to, but by slipping this uncertainty in she is effectively telling them “Any similarities to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.”
Either way, I think it’s safe to say that I think this is a captivating introduction to the Tale of Genji.
Tale of Genji – Update 1
Jul 6th
I feel like I’ve been reading The Tale of Genji nonstop since I started last weekend. Even so, though, I’ve still hardly made a dent in this massive book:
364 down, 756 to go
Don’t get me wrong, though, it’s really quite enjoyable. As the characters were being introduced in the first few chapters it felt more like a collection of isolated short stories, but at this point things are coming together in a much more cohesive manner. Additionally, the discussions happening over at the Summer of Genji blog are entertaining and informative. To make things even more interesting, the translator of this edition of the book (Royall Tyler) has joined in on the conversation. I’d post more, but I need to get back to reading if I’m going to finish this book any time soon.
Oh, on a completely unrelated tangent, I implemented a new comment security feature to help prevent all the spam I’ve been getting recently. If for some reason you are unable to successfully post a comment, please send me an email at scott [at] somesmart [dot] com.
Cringe Worthy Covers: Ender’s Game
Jun 30th
Nathan’s recent rant has inspired me to start a new semi-regular feature on the blog. It won’t be “every Wednesday”, but I’ll try to do it about once a week. Depending, of course, on how frequently I can find good examples of bad book covers. The idea here is simple – even the best books can have the most terrible cover art, and any publisher who commits such a crime deserves to be ridiculed.
Let’s start things off with one of my all-time favorite novels: Ender’s Game. I was originally planning on elaborating more on the various covers, but I realized that’s unnecessary. These are going to be awful, and you don’t need me to convince you of that fact. So here we go.
Good idea:
Bad Idea:
Way to go publisher! You made cover art so bad I can’t even find this edition of the book for sale on Amazon. High five!
Summer of Genji
Jun 28th
I’ve had a copy of The Tale of Genji on my bookshelf for several years now. It’s status as the world’s first novel (though that term may be a tad anachronistic) intrigued me, but it’s size and scope (1120 pages/11th Century Japan) was intimidating. Last week, however, I discovered the Summer of Genji – a group of readers who will be spending between now and August 30 reading and discussing The Tale of Genji. With this discovery, I’ve decided it’s finally time to get started on this massive epic.
Why am I making such a big deal out of this? Well, for starters, it’s a great idea to read a book like this online because, honestly, how else are you ever going to get a group of people together who are willing to read it? Plus, the whole Summer of Genji project is still in its infancy, and so there’s time for you to join in as well.
Second, it’s a massive book, which may result in a reduction in the number of blog posts, or at least an increase in the number of posts that aren’t actually about books I’ve finished reading. I will be reading other books at the same time, once I catch up to the Genji schedule, but the number of books I finish will inevitably be reduced.
Finally, it gives me an excuse to start a new series of posts where I show a picture of how far I am through this massive book. Here’s my progress after several hours of reading yesterday:
54 down, 1066 to go.
The Well at the World’s End Volume II
Jun 22nd
Considering 
The Well at the World’s End was split into two volumes arbitrarily, it’s not worth reiterating what I said in my post on Volume I. No time passes between the volumes, and the quest for the Well picks up right where it left off. What is worth mentioning, however, is how great the book continues to be.
Without the surprise of the language, or the need to grow accustomed to it, I had a great time reading Volume II. Unfortunately, there’s really no good way for me to explain what exactly I liked so much without spoiling specific moments. Of course the experience of reading it would still be great, even if you knew everything that happens, but that’s no reason to spoil such a great tale.
If, as I hope is the case, I’ve convinced you that you should read this book, but you don’t have a friend or family member you can borrow it from, I have some great news. You can actually download The Well at the World’s End for free thanks to Project Gutenberg. You can even put it onto your iPhone, iPad, Kindle or any other eReader that will accept ePub files. You officially have no excuse not to read this book.
Just in case there is any doubt, allow me to state my opinion clearly: I recommend this book. It’s a great adventure and the medieval language helps make it feel like an ancient story from a long lost age. I honestly have no complaints. Considering you can grab a copy for free online, there’s no reason to not at least give this one a try.
“Alas!” she said, “and had I lain in thine arms an hundred times, or an hundred times an hundred, should not the world be barren to me, wert thou gone from it, and that could never more be? ” (53)
Full database entry on The Well at the World’s End Volume II. Beware spoilers.
Goose Girl (Audio)
Jun 21st
Goose Girl is not the type of book that would normally catch my eye. However, after reading Christy’s review of the sequel I figured it would be worth requesting from the library and listening to it when I got the chance. I had it for a few weeks and, honestly, I didn’t have a plan to start it anytime soon until I saw Erin’s claim that Shannon Hale “has not written a bad book”.
Convoluted story of why I started reading it aside, I’m really glad that I did. Goose Girl seems pretty straight forward at first – a crowned princess of a small kingdom is, unbeknownst to her, about to be sent off to marry the prince of a distant kingdom. As the story progressed, though, I was consistently impressed both with the number of times the plot surprised me and with how well-realized the world and characters were.
True, I’ve only read one book by Shannon Hale now, but I can see why Erin would say she hasn’t written a bad book. In addition to a consistent, deep world full of entertaining characters, Goose Girl is also filled with some beautiful writing. Even the first line (“She was born Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildinree, and she did not open her eyes for three days”) has a sense of weight and meaning that I find appealing.
My only real complaint was with the audio production. Instead of having a single narrator, this book had a full cast. I don’t mind this on principal, but with so many actors participating, it’s inevitable that some of the performances will not be as good as others. Ultimately, instead of enhancing the experience, the unevenness of the performances just made me wish the main narrator (who was excellent) had been responsible for everything.
I recommend this book without reservation. Don’t let the title (and in some cases the unfortunate covers) convince you that this is a book only for girls. Anyone who is willing to read a fairy tale based fantasy will be able to appreciate Hale’s quality story telling.
