The Tale of Genji

By: Murasaki Shikibu, Suematsu Kencho - translator

Narrated by: Elaine J. Sepani

Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu wrote The Tale of Genji in the 11th century to entertain the other women in the court. It follows the romantic exploits of the title character, an emperor’s son, as he navigates life within aristocratic society and eventually outside of it. Praised for its psychological insight into the characters’ motivations, the book greatly influenced Japanese culture and is widely considered the world’s first novel. In 1882, Suematsu Kencho translated a condensed version of the text into English, allowing this classic tale to reach a wider audience.

Public Domain (P)2018 Woodkeep Audio

Needs work

The narrator is not great at reading the story. Sentences run together where it should be broken up when spoken out loud so the listener can actually follow along. Because this is translated, more care should have been taken. It is truly difficult to follow. Disappointing. I do not recommend this recording.

Poorly Translated

The translation is lazy, requiring listeners with an understanding of both Japanese and heian court etiquette. This is an awful book.

Mistakes in narration distract and detract from the story

It was difficult to enjoy this audiobook due to the many mispronounced words (e.g. awry, dowager, draughtsman, etc.) and misread words (e.g. condescension read as condensation, etc.)

Couldn't listen to an entire chapter

I can't really review the story due to the narrator. The inflection and tone used are almost entirely monotonous and rendered the few Japanese words I know unintelligible. The rhythm of her sentences was so strange (think MS Sam) that even straightforward sentences became difficult to understand.

Tough narration

I had a hard time with the narrator. She spoke very quickly and without much inflection. Made it hard to understand sometimes.