Rating: 
Summary: A Tale of Three Genjis
Review: A longtime admirer of Murasaki Shikibu's exceptional work, I fell in love with Genji first through Arthur Waley's translation, which made this admittedly exotic novel accessible to non-Japanese readers. Curious to know more about the Heian period and culture, I acquired Ivan Morris's tremendously helpful and readable "The World of the Shining Prince." Then I discovered Edward Seidensticker's superb rendering of "The Tale of Genji," and have read and re-read that version with deepening understanding and enjoyment. Seidensticker, while presumably adhering closer to the language of the original (which even modern Japanese find difficult to read), gave us a translation which is perfumed by the sensuous beauty of what must have been a truly refined and special time and place (albeit a very limited one).Now comes Royall Tyler's superb effort, which comes with myriad and very helpful details: each chapter starts with an explanation of the chapter title, how the section relates to previous chapters and the cast of characters. There are also generous appendices including a chronology of events in the novel and a glossary. Line drawings throughout the two volumes (also present in Seidensticker) provide helpful visual clues as to dress and architecture. Tyler's effort seems even closer to the original language, and thereby lies the problem. This version unnecessarily burdens the reader with ever-changing nomenclature. Since in the original characters are known by their rank-names, and Tyler (mostly) adheres to this usage, the reader is challenged to keep up with the changes. Put the book down for a day or two and you will feel quite lost for several minutes when you restart. As an aide, the translator does provide footnotes to clue you in, but this just makes things more awkward and tedious. For example, at the start of Chapter 43, "Red Plum Blossom" in Tyler's version: "There was in those days a gentleman known as the Inspector Grand Counselor, the late Chancellor's second son, hence the younger brother of the Intendant of the Watch (1)" This same sentence in Seidensticker reads: "Kobai, the oldest surviving son of the late To no Chujo, was now Lord Inspector." How much more to the point! To conclude, while Tyler's translation is awesome in its scholarship and abundant detail (including sources of the poetry), it is also much less readable. To my mind, the scholarship gets in the way of the story telling. I found myself longing for my Seidensticker at many turns as I went dutifully through the Tyler. Aside from providing a more continuous flow to the story, I also found that Seidensticker's translation of the many poems in the tale more comprehensible and lyrical. If you are new to this literary masterpiece, you will find the Waley translation the most accessible. If you get hooked on the work, you will probably want the other two. If you must have only one version, however, go with Seidensticker.
Rating: 
Summary: Everyone should read this book.
Review: Anyone who hasn't read Genji in some form is doing themselves a great disservice. If you can't read Japanese, grab the nearest translation. Some people will dicker over minor differences amongst translators, but I have read several and have yet to see any deviations that take away from the overarching story.
Rating:
Summary: Good but very long
Review: At first you think its "Memoirs of a Geisha", but this one has far too many details for that. Its court life in Japan with all its back stabbing rivalries. This book takes you back to a time when a woman was not seen and barely heard, yet they commanded men to cross oceans for just one possible look at their beauty. This long (very long) novel is interspersed with what may seem like a thousand little poems, and each one is a gem. I suggest you read this book if you are interested in: Japan, women's roles in Asian cultures, or if you just want a good read.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Introduction and the Best Value Around!
Review: I first found The Tale of Genji in a military library on Camp Humphreys in Korea. The volume was huge, and the plastic jacket was torn, yellowed, and taped. I had no idea what the book was about, only that it was 1000 and more pages. The translator was Arthur Waley. For three months I immersed myself in the tome until I almost refused to part with it. Later, I also read an abridged version translated by Seidensticker. This particular volume includes only the first novel of the series; there are actually six in the entire work. It is a dense 190-page introduction to the Heian period of Japanese culture, Buddhism, and Genji. But, this piece of the novel is the best introduction to the work as a whole, and I am grateful for it, although I also want to re-read the succeeding five novels again. If you do not have the time to read 1000 pages (although I heartily recommend it), this is the next best course of action. The theme of the book is karma, and , specifically, that bad intentions and actions will affect the lives of others in our own life and in the lives to come. Although the succeeding five novels show much more poignantly how an ancestor's actions hurt his children, in the first novel, Genji's actions affects those around him in a very direct way. The psychological descriptions of the main characters rival any modern work by Dostoevsky. The charm of the title characters distracts the reader from the suffering occuring around him, but Murasaki paints a hauntingly beautiful picture of 11th Century Japan. Waley's translation is fluid, but sometimes quaint and misguided. This volume may be the best value I have ever found, including discount books at second-hand stores and garage sales.
Rating: 
Summary: bland
Review: I know this book is like a thousand plus years old, so I'll hold my other comments aside. But I believe if you don't know anything about the Japanese language or culture and aren't interested in reading about a Man pursuing countless womans and how tos. I suggest reading something else. It was troublesome to follow the book with the needed footnotes at the bottom. I know some parts are supposed to sound beautiful, but again, coming from a non-Japanese knowledge point of view it made no sense. The book seemed historical, but I could Not get it because of you-know-why.
Rating:
Summary: The Tale of Genji
Review: I love The Tale of Genji, but this edition has its flaws. The hardcover is easily stained, and the black center easily rubs off and gets everywhere, not to mention it makes the book look incredibly beat up. (if you think the paperback is a solution, don't. A paperback of this size shouldn't even be touched.) I've only had mine for a year and it already looks like I've owned it for twenty. It isn't like I trashed it either - I always take very good care of my books. I'm rather ambivalent about the quality of the translation. On the one hand, having read Waley's translation, Seidenstickers seems to be the one that is truer to Murasaki's original - he adds no extra language to what she was trying to say - however I have come across a few sentences that are obviously faulted, as they make absolutely no sense. Being very few in number, it hardly presents a problem, but never the less, it can cause some minor confusion. Now, the story itself. The Tale of Genji is over 1000 years old. I must say it is simply fascinating just to own a copy of a piece of history. The Tale of Genji is incredibly captivating and haunting, beautiful and at times difficult to follow - but that makes it all the more enjoyable. You almost have to study it if you wish to fully understand it - and I'm a scholarly type, so I at least find that enjoyable. All I would really say in warning is that you should have at least a bit of an understanding of Japanese and ancient Japanese culture - because the behavior of the characters, particularly the men, might rub the average westerner the wrong way. The poor durability of the cover and the few sentence flawes forced me to take off a star. At least the sentences don't make any real difference, or it would be horrid. I myself plan to own all the translations of the Tale of Genji, so this is a must. And even if you are not, it is not a bad buy at all. Just make sure you take extra, extra care of it. :)
Rating:
Summary: A Sexy Tale of Heian Times
Review: I loved this book! Although at times I found the explict descriptions of the sexual act a bit overboard, I eventually found that it contributed quite nicely to the overall feel of the book. Genji rocks and Murasaki is a hot sexy babe!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I was hesitant to start reading "The Tale of Genji" because it seemed so long and ponderous and serious. It seemed like the kind of novel you read because you should, not because it's fun. That wasn't the case at all! The book is a little obscure, a little hard to read, but it keeps me up reading it at night. The world it evokes is distant, exotic, and poetic. I haven't read the other translations, but I will say that for me it wasn't hard to keep track of who was who, despite the lack of personal names, and I'm glad that this translation stuck close to the original in that respect.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I was hesitant to start reading "The Tale of Genji" because it seemed so long and ponderous and serious. It seemed like the kind of novel you read because you should, not because it's fun. That wasn't the case at all! The book is a little obscure, a little hard to read, but it keeps me up reading it at night. The world it evokes is distant, exotic, and poetic. I haven't read the other translations, but I will say that for me it wasn't hard to keep track of who was who, despite the lack of personal names, and I'm glad that this translation stuck close to the original in that respect.
Rating:
Summary: Is this the greatest novel of all time?
Review: If you are reading this it is probably because you have enjoyed Liza Dalby's "Tale of Murasaki" and are wondering if you can handle something of this size. Or perhaps you are already familiar with the scintillating Waley or Seidensticker translations (also worth acquiring and reading) and curious as to why Tyler has even bothered to produce another one. In fact, even in Japan there have been several recent attempts to render the obscure language of the Heian Court into modern Japanese. Junichiro Tanizaki, for example, managed the feat twice. With such a precedent Tyler therefore, perhaps, needs no justification. Anyway, what you need to know is that the new translation surpasses Seidensticker's in being faithful to the poetic economy of Murasaki's prose (though "economy" here still leaves room for some marvellously glutinous, clause-laden sentences) and even succeeds in maintaining the shifting identities of the characters (which change when they receive promotion within the court) without leaving the reader lost. There are also some wonderful and irreverent moments, such as when Tyler has the libidinous Genji complain "I'm not out for hanky panky; all I want to do is sit for a while on her creaky veranda." But the main thing is that this translation is utterly absorbing, wonderfully readable, and as difficult to put down as many a bestselling novel I have come across. It will guarantee around two months of enjoyment to those who like a good psychological story and therefore represents excellent value, even in hardback. For me personally it is simply the best novel I have read and I recommend this translation without any reservations.
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