Litsy

Hotel living this week for a teaching workshop means a Zaxby‘s salad, instrumental Japanese music on Spotify, and my book for this rainy evening.

A lot happened in #Genji34. Some difficult aspects have been mentioned, but I was also intrigued by another event. The Kiritsubo Consort to the Heir Apparent (Akashi Lady‘s daughter) left the palace and went back to Genji‘s while pregnant and prefers to stay there after the birth of the Prince.

#Genji

JoScho I love a Zaxby‘s salad. 6y

saresmoore I think if I had a mother and a loving stepmother looking after my baby and me, I wouldn‘t want to leave, either! 6y

Daisey @JoScho I don‘t make it there often, but they are great! 6y

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Daisey @saresmoore I completely get the not wanting to leave, but I find the cases of the women leaving the palace to return “home” intriguing. So many of the things about the daily life of the women, including this combination of seclusion and moving from residence to residence, fascinate me. 6y

saresmoore Me, too! I try to weave an understanding about what daily (or monthly) life would have been like. Everything takes such a long time, like when Genji was considering going to visit somewhere and he and Murasaki continued discussing it for several days before he made a decision. Ooh, and the fact that the Third Princess could wear her nun‘s robes to be with her son at a ceremony, but not if it had been a daughter. 🤔 6y

Lindy Japanese music: what a lovely idea for total immersion in this world. 😊 6y

Daisey @Lindy It was! I found a playlist that included at least some songs using traditional instruments named in the book. 🎶 6y

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Lindy

The Tale of Genji | Murasaki Shikibu

…as usual she invited the other ladies to come, too, but they preferred to avoid merely following her, and all stayed home. No officiously large escort accompanied her quite modest train of 20 carriages, to which this simplicity gave a charm all its own. #Genji34

(Internet image: Artist Utagawa Toyokuni I, 1769–1825)

Lindy I can‘t tell if the author is making a joke here about the charming simplicity of 20 carriages. #GenjiExtravagance @Daisey @llwheeler @bianca @saresmoore @bookandcat @mhillis @SoniaC @batsy @KathyR @TheWordJar @Faibka @RachelO @CindyMyLifeIsLit @xicanti 6y

batsy 🤣 6y

Tanisha_A Oh man! 😂 6y

saresmoore Ha! I can‘t tell, either! 6y

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saresmoore

The Tale of Genji | Murasaki Shikibu

Ah, yes, nothing to soothe unrequited love like cleverly absconding with a sad, young princess‘s cat...and then composing a poem for it.

The aforementioned princess also happens to be married to his best friend‘s dad. 🤦‍♀️ I‘m just along for the ride, here, people.

#Genji #Genji35

TrishB I‘m enjoying all your comments on reading this 😁 6y

Tonton Love your sideways asides! 6y

batsy Oh my god, he absconds with the cat! I haven't had time to read today's one yet ? In the previous chapter it was all, "the soft fur and its scent reminds me of my beloved". Things really catscalated! (Sorry, bad puns are how I can get through some of these things these people do ?) 6y

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erzascarletbookgasm 😄 💛 6y

Lindy Tyler translation: …when it came to him going Meow! Meow! ever so sweetly. My, we are eager, aren‘t we!* Tyler footnote: The cat‘s meow apparently sounds to Kashiwagi like nen nen, ‘Let‘s go to bed, let‘s!‘ 6y

erzascarletbookgasm Haha! Bad puns but actually funny @batsy 6y

batsy @erzascarletbookgasm 😆😽 6y

Lindy Waley places this scene in the previous chapter: Kashiwagi posted himself near the window, where he sat gazing vacantly before him, his new friend soon stole gently to his side and mewed several times as though in the tenderest sympathy. Such advances on the part of a cat are rare indeed, and smiling, he recited to the animal the following verse: “I love and am not loved. But you, who nestle daily in my dear one‘s arms—what need have you to moan?” 6y

Lindy Is anyone else reading the Waley translation? I‘m going between Waley and Tyler, but I‘ve heard some chapters ahead are eliminated in Waley. Also, this cat scene is in #Genji34 instead of #Genji35. @Daisey @llwheeler @bianca @saresmoore @bookandcat @mhillis @SoniaC @batsy @KathyR @TheWordJar @Faibka @RachelO @CindyMyLifeIsLit @xicanti 6y

batsy @Lindy I'm only reading the Washburn but I did read somewhere that Waley took some liberties with the text and sort of took stuff out or moved things around. I'm trying to recall where I read it. 6y

saresmoore @batsy Never apologize for a pun. Puns are my only solace some days. 6y

saresmoore @Lindy First, I had to double check and make sure I had referenced and read the correct chapter! And regarding the amorous anthropomorphizing, I wish I was surprised or dismayed, but it seems to be par for the course. 6y

shawnmooney So excited to finally be starting this one in mid-March! 6y

saresmoore @shawnmooney I think I might have finished it by then...maybe. I hope you enjoy the experience and can‘t wait to hear (watch) your thoughts on it! ♥️ 6y

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saresmoore

The Tale of Genji | Murasaki Shikibu

Yesterday‘s chapter (#Genji34) was painful to me—long, confusing in characters & their relationships, and upsetting in the subject matter. Today‘s is just as long, so I have to buck up for it! At this point, I just hope Genji will die soon because he is the worst. But then I‘ll certainly have to read all about his lavish funeral & the myriad wet sleeves produced by grief... 😝 Ah, well, trying to focus on the poetry and symbolism.

#Genji #Genji35

TheWordJar, xicanti, dylanisreading, Daisey, rockpools, Faibka, Lindy, SoniaC, mhillis, bookandcat, llwheeler, batsy, KathyR, CindyMyLifeIsLit

Lindy Pssst. Chapter 42. Get your sleeves ready. 😉 6y

Lindy I thought chapter 33 would never end. The babies being born made for a nice change of topic, however. Am I correct that Yugiri wouldn‘t let his father Genji see his grandson? I feel too lazy to go back and reread that section. 6y

batsy Oof, this chapter! I hate how I always fall for the paternal "Can you please care for my daughter as I'm getting older and am ill" and think to myself, "That's nice" but "caring for daughter" always translates to a man of rank marrying a 13-year-old girl and consummating the marriage in an elaborate ceremony of whatever. Ugh. (Sorry for the rant!) 6y

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saresmoore @Lindy You are correct in that. Genji‘s son seems to be his antithesis in many ways. I can‘t say I blame him for withholding his grandchildren from their radiant, philandering grandpa! 6y

saresmoore @batsy I KNOW, RIGHT?! I had to stop after that and come back to it. Too much. Also, she‘s his niece?! Which is just... Too. Much. I can‘t even make sentences about it. 6y

Lindy @batsy @saresmoore I felt stupid for believing “take care of her” meant something compassionate, and also horrified when I realized she had become another of Genji‘s wives. ☹️ Another shocker: the new princess bride‘s calligraphy is shitty, so Genji only sleeps with her for propriety‘s sake. 6y

batsy That's exactly how I felt, guys! @Lindy @saresmoore And Lindy I thought of you about the calligraphy thing, when he goes back to Oborozukiyo and her calligraphy "had achieved full maturity and was even more accomplished than in the past", so much so that Genji reading it "could hardly stand it" ? 6y

SoniaC I couldn‘t agree more with all of you. 6y

Lindy @batsy We could get crude here and talk about Genji‘s sleeves getting wet from something other than tears when he reads sexy calligraphy … but we won‘t. 6y

batsy @Lindy 😂😝😭 6y

saresmoore @Lindy 😅 6y

shawnmooney @Lindy OMG we‘ve been spending too much cyber time together – I am corrupting you! 😂😂 6y

Lindy @shawnmooney Hahaha! I had forgotten about that comment. 💦 6y

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xicanti

The Tale of Genji | Murasaki Shikibu

Now for the rest of #Genji34 and some CBC tea in my amazing new mug! It's by Coast Salish artist Simone Diamond, and the moment I saw it at McNally Robinson I knew I had to get it with the last of an ancient gc. I always struggle to spend bookstore gift cards in a timely fashion because I keep so few books after I've read them, so it felt good to splash out on something I'll use regularly and treasure. The little card shows the interior design.

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xicanti

The Tale of Genji | Murasaki Shikibu

Soup + #Genji34. I really thought I'd have to read this massive chapter over two days (and just when I finally caught up with the group!), but I'm less than ten pages from the end. Whew.

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Daisey

The Tale of Genji | Murasaki Shikibu

Starting #Genji34 after lunch today but not sure I will finish it until later this evening. It is a long chapter and that is a long character list, including what appear to be some new characters.

#Genji #ReadandEat

saresmoore This chapter is BRUTAL. So many incestuous relationships to keep track of and then...Genji‘s marriage to his 13-year-old niece...I can barely stomach it. 6y

Daisey @saresmoore Real world responsibilities kept me from finishing the chapter yet, but I got far enough to see this marriage. I keep sharing that I'm reading this book with people, but then I'm at a complete loss as how to describe this crazy mix of beautiful writing with truly unpleasant, and I agree brutal, relationships. The readalong is the only thing making it work, so I can't get too far behind! 6y

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