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#genji47
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CindyMyLifeIsLit
The Tale of Genji | Shikibu Murasaki
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Okay, did anyone else have a problem with the older princess just abandoning her sister to a possible rapist? “She felt terrible for her sister, who was innocently sleeping away, and it broke her heart to imagine what would happen.” Are you kidding me?? As the older sister, shouldn‘t she take care of the younger? Wouldn‘t they both have been safer together? Surely Kaoru would have been hampered by the presence of the sister; ⬇️ #Genji #genji47

CindyMyLifeIsLit surely he wouldn‘t try to get it on with her right there! Or would he . . , ? 😜. I would think one reluctant partner would be all he could handle at a time. While the older princess is hiding outside, taking care of herself, it says that he didn‘t force himself on her, and spent the night talking. But then it says “he did not want to leave with his desires unsated.” So? Did he or didn‘t he? (edited) 6y
saresmoore Ugh, this was upsetting. I think he didn‘t, but staying the night in intimate talking was still a scandalous choice. I could be misremembering, though. 🤔 6y
SoniaC Yes just one of the many disturbing aspects of the story. I have come to believe that there was not a concept of rape at that time. The men were highly entitled. 6y
Daisey I was also really frustrated by the older sister‘s choices and wondered the same. It seemed to me that it would have been better for the sisters to stay together at this point. 6y
CindyMyLifeIsLit @SoniaC I agree that the men didn‘t really see it as rape. It seems to be just another step in the courtship process: first you woo her with gifts and poetry, and if that doesn‘t work, you sneak into her room and stake your claim! But the older Princess didn‘t even ATTEMPT to save her sister—that‘s what bothers me! She didn‘t want it to happen to herself, but she let it happen to her sister! 😡 6y
39 likes5 comments
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Lindy
The Tale of Genji | Murasaki Shikibu
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#Genji47 - I felt sympathy for all four of the main players in this chapter. Kaoru‘s supposed beauty does get tiresome, however: “After many days of tears his features had changed, although not for the worse, for they now had so fine a beauty and grace that His Highness, who deplored his own waywardness, saw that *he* would certainly lose his heart to him, if he himself were a woman.” 🙄 #genji
(Internet photo of a trefoil knot)

saresmoore I agree about Kaoru, though he is one of the few somewhat likable male characters. I‘m growing increasingly disgusted with Niou. His not-too-subtle hints at incest were too much. 6y
30 likes1 comment
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Lindy
The Tale of Genji | Murasaki Shikibu
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“On the way across they played ‘Magic of Wine,‘ after which they all respectfully disembarked …”
…all respect to the magic of 🍷… and meanwhile the grieving sisters …😭
“Their sleeves were never, never dry.”
#Genji46 #Genji #constrainedlivesofwomen

@Daisey @llwheeler @bianca @saresmoore @bookandcat @mhillis @SoniaC @batsy @KathyR @TheWordJar @Faibka @RachelO @CindyMyLifeIsLit @xicanti

saresmoore That is just how I pictured them punting across the river. 😀 This chapter was kind of a snooze fest for me, but I‘m getting a head start on tomorrow‘s chapter cuz it‘s a long one! 6y
Lindy @saresmoore Good idea about getting a head start. #Genji47 is 42 pages in the Tyler edition. 6y
batsy The part of me that loves Gothic tropes a little too much always tries to visualise the crumbling villas and whatnot that these rural-dwelling nobility live in. Also, I'm probably getting my chapters confused, but that bit about a messenger having to traverse "bandit country" to deliver messages from Niou to the princesses was really fun—I wish there was more on that than just a line ? 6y
Lindy @batsy Some adventures with bandits or pirates would be a nice change from parents fretting over good marriage matches for their daughters. 👍 6y
34 likes4 comments