Three Reasons To Read The Tale Of Genji by Lady Murasaki Shikibu

Eiyo dearies,

I just finished reading The Tale Of Genji (TTOG) by Lady Murasaki Shikibu last week. Now I would like to share with you guys my review of the novel.

The author for TTOG is Lady Murasaki Shikibu. She was the daughter of Tametoki of the Fujiwara clan.  Lady Murasaki was born in 978 A.D, in the Heian period of ancient Japan. According to her biography, Lady Murasaki possessed rare literary ability at a very young age.

Lady Murasaki's knowledge in literature and skill in writing was seen as an advantage during the Heian period. During the Heian period, ladies who could readily write verses were in demand at the imperial court. Lady Murasaki's knowledge in literature and skill in writing was scouted by Empress Akiko (Shoshi). Empress Akiko has a secret desire to learn the Chinese language, and for this reason, Lady Murasaki was recruited to become one of her court ladies.

The early death of her husband and her dissatisfaction with court life gave Lady Murasaki cause to turn to the truth of Buddhism and to watch the floating world about her with dispassionate yet observant eyes. In private, Lady Murasaki raised her fatherless daughter and wrote The Tale Of Genji. In the Japanese language, The Tale Of Genji is known as Genji Monogatari. TTOG is still one of the most popular classic literature of all time.

The whole story was set in ancient Japan. TTOG is a biographical novel and it tells the story of a half-blood prince named Hikaru Genji. Genji was the son of a Japanese Emperor named Emperor Kiritsubo and a low-ranking but beloved concubine called Kiritsubo Consort. 

Genji manifests what was to become an image if the ideal Heian period courtier. Genji was portrayed as gentle and passionate. He was also a master poet, dancer, musician, and painter. Genji embodied all the elegance and talent expected of an aristocratic courtier. Genji was a philanderer who lived for the quest of love.

TTOG follows Genji through his many loves and varied passions. There are also a little violence, action, human emotions, and beauties of nature described in this novel. 

Overall, I rate this novel 10/10. I enjoyed reading TTOG although it took me one month to finish this novel. TTOG is a novel for you to read and understand. So you must read this novel slowly to understand the story. Reading TTOG gives me knowledge about Japanese and Oriental history and culture. My mother recommends me to read TTOG. My mother said that my literature reading won't be complete without TTOG. Thank you Eomoni. I am grateful that you recommend me this novel.  I am also grateful that I've already read TTOG.

Now I would like to share with you guys three reasons to read TTOG. The three reasons are......

#1 Lady Murasaki's Writing Is An Asian Version Of Shakespeare

Before I decided to read TTOG, I researched the novel first. Most literature experts said that Lady Murasaki's writing style is an Asian version of Shakespeare. I simply agree with them. For those who love Shakespeare, I highly recommend you to read TTOG. Trust me, you will fall in love with Lady Murasaki's love language.

#2 The Japanese And Oriental Culture

Reading TTOG will also take you to ancient Japan. When I was reading TTOG, my mind and imagination traveled to ancient Japan. Lady Murasaki's writing makes it easy for me to imagine the whole setting of the story. I felt myself walking in the story and observing every scene. I also learn a lot about Japanese and Oriental culture from reading TTOG. To me, it was awesome. 

For those who are fascinated with Japanese and Oriental culture, I highly recommend you to read this novel. TTOG is the perfect novel for you to learn about Japanese and Oriental culture.

#3 It's One Of The Oldest Novels In The World

TTOG was written in the early 11th century. It is one of the oldest novels in the world. If you are a fan of classic/ancient literature, TTOG is a novel you must not miss. Like my mother said, "your literature reading won't be complete without The Tale Of Genji". If you wanna be knowledgable in literature, what are you waiting for? Go to your nearest bookstore now and grab TTOG.

Ok, so these are the three reasons to read TTOG. Btw, has anyone read TTOG? If yes, what is your opinion about the novel? Did you enjoy reading it?

Dearies, before I end this post, I would like to share with you two things. Earlier this month, I was featured on two of my fellow bloggers' blogs. I was interviewed by an Indian fellow blogger named Vanesh Mali (he is the founder of Techno Vans blog), and I was also listed by an American fellow blogger named Michael Long (The Military Traveler) as one of his top 10 favorite bloggers. Pls, feel free to read these two posts. The link is under each picture. Pls, feel free to click it ^_^

Fadima Mooneira On Techno Vans

Fadima Mooneira Is Listed As One of The Military Traveler's Top 10 Favorite Bloggers

That's all for now. Thank you for reading ^_^

XoXo,

Fadima Mooneira ^_^

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