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The Tale of Genji, Volume 1
- Narrated by: Brian Nishii
- Length: 35 hrs and 35 mins
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Publisher's summary
Murasaki Shikibu, born into the middle ranks of the aristocracy during the Heian period (794-1185 CE), wrote The Tale of Genji, widely considered the world's first novel, during the early years of the 11th century. Expansive, compelling, and sophisticated in its representation of ethical concerns and aesthetic ideals, Murasaki's tale came to occupy a central place in Japan's remarkable history of artistic achievement and is now recognized as a masterpiece of world literature.
The Tale of Genji is presented here in a flowing new translation for contemporary listeners, who will discover in its depiction of the culture of the imperial court the rich complexity of human experience that simultaneously resonates with and challenges their own. Washburn embeds annotations for accessibility and clarity and renders the poetry into triplets to create prosodic analogues of the original.
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- By: Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, Jull Costa Margaret - translator, Robin Patterson - translator
- Narrated by: Ramon De Ocampo
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Machado de Assis’ classic novel, the precursor of Latin American fiction, is finally rendered as a stunningly relevant work for 21st-century audiences. In eloquent, contemporary prose, Costa and Patterson breathe new life into the dynamic character of Brás Cubas and reveal the vivid, tempestuous Rio de Janeiro of his time. The recently deceased Cubas narrates his life story, admitting glibly: “I am not so much a writer who has died, as a dead man who has decided to write.”
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Incredible story from an incredible author
- By Anonymous User on 01-01-21
By: Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, and others
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A Woman of No Importance
- By: Oscar Wilde
- Narrated by: Miriam Margolyes, Samantha Mathis, Rosalind Ayres, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 34 mins
- Original Recording
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Devilishly attractive Lord Illingworth is notorious for his skill as a seducer. But he is still invited to all the "best" houses, while his female conquests must hide their shame in seclusion. In this devastating drawing-room comedy, Oscar Wilde uses his celebrated wit to expose English society's narrow view of everything from sexual mores to Americans.
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Pitch Perfect Performance
- By Cheryl on 08-26-12
By: Oscar Wilde
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Love and Friendship (aka 'Love and Freindship')
- By: Jane Austen
- Narrated by: Joanna Daniell
- Length: 3 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Jane Austen wrote Love and Friendship (originally spelled Love and Freindship [ sic]) when she was just 14 years old. The three notebooks that contain her early works, including this story, are currently on display at the Bodleian Library and the British Museum. Taking the form as letters written by the heroine to the daughter of her friend, this story resembles a fairy tale that lampoons the conventions of romantic stories at the time.
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Letter to make up a book
- By Jes_074 on 01-02-15
By: Jane Austen
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The Nine Cloud Dream
- By: Kim Man-jung, Heinz Insu Fenkl - translator
- Narrated by: David Shih
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Often considered the highest achievement in Korean fiction, The Nine Cloud Dream poses the question: Will the life we dream of truly make us happy? Written in 17th-century Korea, this classic novel's wondrous story begins when a young monk living on a sacred Lotus Peak in China succumbs to the temptation of eight fairy maidens. For doubting his master's Buddhist teachings, the monk is forced to endure a strange punishment: reincarnation as the most ideal of men.
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Nine Stars
- By MJ Harkins on 06-28-21
By: Kim Man-jung, and others
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The Lady in the Tower
- By: Jean Plaidy
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 16 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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One of history's most complex and alluring women, Anne Boleyn was irresistible to kings and commoners alike. Daughter of an ambitious country lord, Anne was sent to France to marry well and raise the family's fortunes. She soon surpassed even their greatest expectations when King Henry VIII swore he would put aside his loyal queen to make Anne his wife.
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Lady in the tower. I loved it.
- By Carole on 03-02-09
By: Jean Plaidy
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Anna Karenina
- By: Leo Tolstoy
- Narrated by: Maggie Gyllenhaal
- Length: 35 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Leo Tolstoy's classic story of doomed love is one of the most admired novels in world literature. Generations of readers have been enthralled by his magnificent heroine, the unhappily married Anna Karenina, and her tragic affair with dashing Count Vronsky.
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Need to Disclose and Highlight Name of Translator
- By Charles B on 08-27-18
By: Leo Tolstoy
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Shirley
- By: Charlotte Brontë
- Narrated by: Anna Bentinck
- Length: 25 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Set in the industrialising England of the Napoleonic wars, a period of bad harvests, Luddite riots, and economic unrest, Shirley is the story of two contrasting heroines and the men they love. One is the shy Caroline Helstone, trapped in the oppressive atmosphere of a Yorkshire rectory, whose life represents the plight of single women in the 19th century. The other is the vivacious Shirley Keeldar, who inherits a local estate and whose wealth liberates her from convention.
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"As Romantic As Monday Morning"
- By Joseph R on 09-15-09
By: Charlotte Brontë
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Kokoro
- By: Natsume Soseki
- Narrated by: Matt Shea
- Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The subject of Kokoro, which can be translated as 'the heart of things' or as 'feeling,' is the delicate matter of the contrast between the meanings the various parties of a relationship attach to it. In the course of this exploration, Soseki brilliantly describes different levels of friendship, family relationships, and the devices by which men attempt to escape from their fundamental loneliness. The novel sustains throughout its length something approaching poetry, and it is rich in understanding and insight.
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The Heart Of Things, Relationships & Feelings
- By Sara on 04-27-15
By: Natsume Soseki
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Spring Snow
- By: Yukio Mishima
- Narrated by: Brian Nishii
- Length: 14 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Spring Snow is set in Tokyo in 1912, when the hermetic world of the ancient aristocracy is being breached for the first time by outsiders -- rich provincial families unburdened by tradition, whose money and vitality make them formidable contenders for social and political power. Among this rising new elite are the ambitious Matsugae, whose son has been raised in a family of the waning aristocracy, the elegant and attenuated Ayakura.
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An extraordinary work.......
- By Raj Saberwal on 05-29-14
By: Yukio Mishima
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Agnes Grey
- By: Anne Brontë
- Narrated by: Emilia Fox
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Having lost the family savings on risky investments, Richard Grey removes himself from family life and suffers a bout of depression. Feeling helpless and frustrated, his youngest daughter, Agnes, applies for a job as a governess to the children of a wealthy, upper-class, English family. Ecstatic at the thought that she has finally gained control and freedom over her own life, Agnes arrives at the Bloomfield mansion armed with confidence and purpose.
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Loved it
- By Kerry on 05-22-10
By: Anne Brontë
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Villette
- By: Charlotte Brontë
- Narrated by: Davina Porter
- Length: 22 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Hailed as Charlotte Brontë’s “finest novel” by Virginia Woolf, Villette is the timeless semi-autobiographical tale of Lucy Snowe. Left with no family and no money, Lucy goes against her own timid nature and travels to the small city of Villette, France, where she becomes a school teacher in Madame Beck’s school for girls. During her stay, she falls in love—twice—and discovers an independent, inner strength rarely seen in women of her time.
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The Divine Ms. Porter delivers as always
- By peachnmario on 03-17-15
By: Charlotte Brontë
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The Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon is a fascinating, detailed account of Japanese court life in the closing years of the 10th century. Written by a lady of the court at the height of Heian culture, this book enthrals with its lively gossip, witty observations and subtle impressions. Lady Shōnagon was an erstwhile rival of Lady Murasaki, whose novel, The Tale of Genji, fictionalized the elite world Lady Shōnagon so eloquently relates.
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Exquisite. Truly!
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Japanese culture has fascinated the West ever since the country’s doors opened up in the 1800s. In many ways, Japan has remained elusive, and people have travelled from all around the world to see for themselves how unique this nation remains. Another way of exploring this enigmatic culture is through its literature. The English language succeeds surprisingly well in revealing the Japanese sense of life.
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Brian Nishii breathes life into The Tale; bravo!
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Couldn't listen to an entire chapter
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The Water Margin is one of the most popular classics of early Chinese literature. It tells the vigorous story of 108 characters who, falling foul of the established state authorities, are forced to become outlaws. They form a bandit community in Liangshan Marsh, becoming such a formidable force in their own right that they threaten the power of government itself.
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Top notch Chinese classic
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Japanese Ghost Stories
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In this collection of classic ghost stories from Japan, beautiful princesses turn out to be frogs, paintings come alive, deadly spectral brides haunt the living and a samurai delivers the baby of a Shinto goddess with mystical help. Here are all the phantoms and ghouls of Japanese folklore: 'rokuro-kubi', whose heads separate from their bodies at night; 'jikininki', or flesh-eating goblins; and terrifying faceless 'mujina' who haunt lonely neighbourhoods.
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Japanese pronunciation a problem
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The Pillow Book: Series 1-11
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Lady Shonagon is an imperial courtesan, living at the court of the Japanese Emperor in the 10th century. When a series of disturbing thefts within the palace walls throws the court into confusion and unrest, Shonagon is appointed guide and assistant to Lieutenant Yukinari as he investigates. Together, Shonagon and Yukinari must solve the mysteries and escalating crimes that plague the Japanese court, and their romance blossoms in the tightly enclosed world behind the high palace walls. But soon Shonagon's lover, Tadanobu, becomes uncomfortable with how closely they are working together....
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British voices in an ancient Japanese story? Why??
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The Book of Yokai
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Drawing on years of research in Japan, Michael Dylan Foster unpacks the history and cultural context of yokai, tracing their roots, interpreting their meanings, and introducing people who have hunted them through the ages. In this delightful and accessible narrative, listeners will explore the roles played by these mysterious beings within Japanese culture and will also learn of their abundance and variety through detailed entries on more than 50 individual creatures.
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Pt 2 was delightful (+no cringey pronunciations!!)
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The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P'ing Mei (Volume One: The Gathering)
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In this first of a planned five-volume set, David Roy provides a complete and annotated translation of the famous Chin P'ing Mei, an anonymous sixteenth-century Chinese novel that focuses on the domestic life of Hsi-men Ch'ing, a corrupt, upwardly mobile merchant in a provincial town, who maintains a harem of six wives and concubines. This work, known primarily for its erotic realism, is also a landmark in the development of the narrative art form - not only from a specifically Chinese perspective but in a world-historical context.
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Excellent narration and rollicking story
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源氏物語 第一帖 桐壺
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
「プレバト!!」で大人気の俳人 夏井いつき先生 推薦
『源氏物語』全五十四帖 与謝野晶子による現代語訳をすべて朗読し、
オーディオ化しました。
近代で最初に『源氏物語』を訳した与謝野晶子は、それぞれの帖の冒頭に、その 帖の内容をふまえた歌を一首詠んでいます。その晶子の歌もすべて収録しています。
第一帖 桐壺
光源氏 一~十二歳
主な登場人物 桐壺更衣、藤壺
紫のかがやく花と日の光
思ひあはざることわりもなし
時の帝桐壺は、それほど身分の高くない桐壺更衣を寵愛し、二人の間には輝くような美しい皇子が生まれた。しかし、桐壺更衣は他の女たちの嫉妬や嫌がらせを受け、また病気がちであったために三歳の皇子を残して病死してしまう。
その死を嘆き悲しむ帝であったが、亡き桐壺更衣の生き写しのような先帝の皇女藤壺が入内し、帝の寵愛を受けることとなる。そして、帝のもとで育てられてい た皇子は、亡き母によく似ているということで藤壺をことさらに慕うようになった。
その後、元服した皇子は臣下として源の姓を与えられ、左大臣家の娘葵の上と結婚する。彼はその光り輝くような姿の美しさから、いつしか光源氏と呼ばれるようになった。
By: 与謝野 晶子, and others
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Japanese Mythology Collection
- Japanese Fairy Tales and Aino Folk-Tales (Annotated) with a Historical Introduction
- By: Iwaya Sazanami, Basil Hall Chamberlain
- Narrated by: Jim D. Johnston
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Discover fascinating ancient Japanese fairy tales as well as the folk tales of the Ainu/Aino. The first book in this collection, titled Japanese Fairy Tales, was written by Iwaya Sazanami and translated by Yei Theodora Ozaki, a 20th-century translator of Japanese short stories and fairy tales. The second book in this collection is a rare one that is not usually available in audio format: Aino Folk-Tales by Basil Chamberlain, one of the most prominent British Japanologists active in Japan during the latter half of the 19th century.
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The reader...:(
- By Sara Penn on 02-24-24
By: Iwaya Sazanami, and others
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Kusamakura [Grass Pillow]
- By: Natsume Soseki, Meredith McKinney - translator
- Narrated by: Kotaro Watanabe, Elizabeth Jasicki
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Natsume Soseki's Kusamakura - meaning “grass pillow” - follows its nameless young artist-narrator on a meandering walking tour of the mountains. At the inn at a hot-spring resort, he has a series of mysterious encounters with Nami, the lovely young daughter of the establishment. Nami, or "beauty", is the center of this elegant novel, the still point around which the artist moves and the enigmatic subject of Soseki's word painting.
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This beautiful novel deserves a better narration
- By Fishlamb on 11-07-23
By: Natsume Soseki, and others
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Kokoro
- By: Natsume Soseki
- Narrated by: Matt Shea
- Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The subject of Kokoro, which can be translated as 'the heart of things' or as 'feeling,' is the delicate matter of the contrast between the meanings the various parties of a relationship attach to it. In the course of this exploration, Soseki brilliantly describes different levels of friendship, family relationships, and the devices by which men attempt to escape from their fundamental loneliness. The novel sustains throughout its length something approaching poetry, and it is rich in understanding and insight.
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The Heart Of Things, Relationships & Feelings
- By Sara on 04-27-15
By: Natsume Soseki
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Dream of the Red Chamber
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Overall
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Performance
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The Dream of the Red Chamber (also known as The Story of the Stone) is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of China, and considered the greatest of them all. Almost 40 main characters and some 500 minor characters tell the fortunes of the Chia family; the book details mainly the life of Chia Pao-yü, the heir apparent, who is described as very intelligent, but also as carefree and self-indulging. The already wealthy Chia family rises to new heights when Pao-yü's elder sister becomes an imperial consort.
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A very difficult listen
- By Amazon Customer on 05-17-23
By: Cao Xueqin
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Emperor of Japan
- Meiji and His World, 1852-1912
- By: Donald Keene
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 38 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Little has been written about the strangely obscured figure of Meiji himself, the first Japanese emperor ever to meet a European. But now, Donald Keene sifts the available evidence to present a rich portrait not only of Meiji but also of rapid and sometimes violent change during this pivotal period in Japan's history. Emperor of Japan conveys in sparkling prose the complexity of the man and offers an unrivaled portrait of Japan in a period of unique interest.
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Great book. Terrible narration.
- By Ken Snyder on 07-05-23
By: Donald Keene
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The Chrysanthemum and the Sword
- Patterns of Japanese Culture
- By: Ruth Benedict
- Narrated by: Cindy Kay
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Essential for anyone interested in Japanese culture, this unsurpassed masterwork opens an intriguing window on Japan. The World War II-era study by the cultural anthropologist Ruth Benedict paints an illuminating contrast between the people of Japan and those of the United States. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword is a revealing look at how and why our societies differ, making it the perfect introduction to Japanese history and customs.
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Fascinating Even If A Little Dated
- By Than on 12-07-22
By: Ruth Benedict
What listeners say about The Tale of Genji, Volume 1
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Brandt Chandler
- 07-26-23
Artistic? yes, but that’s it
The insight it gives is interesting and let’s you understand what the old Japan government was like, but this felt very much like a bad day time soap opera.
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- dassan
- 02-20-24
Fascinating Story
This is the fascinating story of a handsome son of the Japanese emperor falling in love with many beautiful and talented women and treating them with respect but also pushing women into intimacy (really sexually assaulting them) and acting in an arrogant way and cheating on his true love. I thought this would be boring but was surprised at how engaging it was throughout the book.
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- Michael
- 06-03-20
Reflecting dew, frozen across ages, fall warmly from my cheeks....
This work is so true today as it was then, a thousand years ago. This Is another reminder that our emotions and passions remain unchanged.
The translation and performance must be compared to the spender of Genji himself. No matter how many times we are reminded of Genji’s magnificence so too does this performance hold us in the fold time, bringing the story to life.
I cannot say enough to compliment this work.
One suggestion. Read the authors introduction after, not before. It may colour your expectations and I felt opened with apologetic comments about the customs of the time that should be well understood by most discerning listeners today.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Anthony
- 11-24-19
Masterful Performance by Brian Nishii
I’ve listened to many other of Brian Nishii’s recordings of Japanese literature, and this is his best yet. The perfect choice for Genji, which it’s nice to finally see in unabridged audiobook. I will definitely purchase part 2 and hope to see more Japanese lit in audiobook with Nishii. The Washburn translation also works especially well in this format.
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23 people found this helpful
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- MargaRose
- 12-29-20
A splendid reading of a sublime translation.
Especially appreciated are the poems, the descriptions of pre-Anthropocene nature and seasons, and the various characters' excited anticipation of predictable seasonal change. Shikibu probes human nature and relationships with insight, playfulness, and compassion. The Tale, ostensibly about Genji, is mostly about women and most likely originally for women and their daughters. I love that Shikibu's characters express delight at, even preference for, birth of a daughter, lavishing loving attention, praise and careful training on their daughters. Life in the women's quarter is devoted to artistic perfection, beauty behind the fan, and the sublime entertainments of Koto, brush work, and poetry, but Shikibu pulls back the screen to reveal the women's vulnerability, their fear, confusion and sorrow when unwanted attention threatens or an outrage is perpetrated. Shikibu shines a little candle on this dynamic of sexual power and privilege, so tenacious, still not yet overcome even in the present age. But Shikibu's Genji, perhaps surprisingly so for her first readers, was a special man among all those other callow fellows, because he at least had some self-insight and possessed an earnest desire to make amends, vowing to never abandon any of his conquests. It would seem that, however varied the cultural context, still universal are our human foibles and follies, and so love for Shikibu's work and the characters she created endures.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-20-23
Fascinating. Often more relatable than you’d expect (Genji himself notwithstanding - he’s a d—-k).
Woof. Some of the aspects of ancient Japanese culture are challenging. But the author provides a wry, seemingly knowing perspective on this extremely(!) hierarchical strata of society. Though the woman narrator is constrained by the conventions of her world, she is clearly sleeved out and put out by many of the same things we are. Texts like this belie the popular claims of certain “western” “intellectuals” that women’s basic self-awareness and concern for their second-class status is a new and uncommon phenomenon.
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- Desiderate72
- 07-13-20
I may not agree with but I couldn’t stop listening
I had to keep reminding myself that I was reading a Tale and that this was from a different time when women were regarded as second class citizens. We all make mistakes as humans but what’s admirable about the characters in this novel is how they each fought their own desires to make things right like Fujitsubo. While on the other hand, you have the virtuousity of Tamakazura. As a woman of the current times, with the freedom we now possess, we may not think of these things anymore or take these for consideration. Such a splendid read! I love the performance of the narrator. I just used another credit for Volume Two.
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5 people found this helpful
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- David Proctor
- 11-03-22
Beautiful book
We’ll worth the time. Gorgeously written, translated and read. I never got tired of listening
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-24-20
Tales of Genji
Genji is described as perfect, but he is not. Generally, the story is tedious and primarily of historical significance, but it does provide insight into aspects of Japanese culture as to the importance of status and appearance. Beauty and birth are more important than good behavior. If you are discreet and of high status, bad behavior is ignored. Sentimentality is profound (tears flow constantly). Despite this, there are details of geography and seasons that are wonderful. I enjoyed the poetry the most. Occasionally, the author is quite humorous. I plan to trudge through volume two and hope to hear from other listeners.
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26 people found this helpful
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- JK
- 05-09-21
LONG, BUT WELL WORTH READING.
This book was mentioned in Great Courses: “ History of World Literature “ by professor Grand L. Voth .
I listened to volumes one and two.
There are many characters and that can be challenging when listening to a book.
You can find a list of names when you research the Internet.
Brian Nishii is the right narrator. Thank you,JK
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8 people found this helpful