The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu.
March 11, 2015
This novel is written around the beginning of the 11th century in Japan and is probably the oldest novel ever. The most recent English translation runs over more than 1200 pages. Although its volume is the double of what I did limit myself, the book appealed to me because of the jump in time and geographical location compared with its predecessor (The Mahabharata, India, and 5th century BC). There was nothing on my list that would have prevented a return to the old continent (Europe).
Introduction
This is the story of a medieval Japanese noble who lost his mother at the age of three and developed a major Oedipus complex because of that. All his lovers (apart from one homosexual diversion and politically induced marriages) have to be lookalikes of his mother. As a young teenager he would seduce the concubine of his father (who chose her because she resembled so much his deceased favorite) and would father a child with her, who would later become the emperor Reizei.
12 March 2015
Summary
Although a polygamist and philander, Genji would dedicate himself mostly to Lady Murasaki, whom he abducted as a ten years old girl (again because she had a striking likeness to his deceased mother) to mold her into what was, into his opinion, a perfect woman and lover. She became possessed by a spirit in chapter 39, beset upon her by a jealous rival and died in chapter 40. After that Genji’s own light started to dim fast and soon after that he dies also.
The last ten chapters are about his son Kaoru (who’s biological father was one of Genji’s friends) and Nio no miya, the third prince born by the Empress Akashi (his daughter) and by so his grandson. It’s again more of the same; rivalries, jealousies, philandering and political marriages and concubines.
Comments
The more I’m getting acquainted with the world literature, the more analogies I discover; The Mahabharata could be a blueprint for The Iliad and its derivate The Metamorphoses by Ovid who was a source of inspiration for generations of Western artists and scientists. The biggest difference is that the big battle that the Iliad describes marks the fall of an empire while the battle that marks the end of the Mahabharata marks the foundation of an Empire. The characters of the Tale of Genji could have been substituted by members of whatever Royal Court in mediaeval Europe, with the only difference that the Christian tradition didn’t condone polygamy as a political instrument.
The Maharajagar 