I mean, there's a reason it's considered a kind of golden age. Golden age for the nobilit "One had a little fault in the colour combination at the wrist opening.
Golden age for the nobility in the Court, of course, since all that glory is built on the backs of years of peasant rice farmers But that quote is meaningful in the context of this group whose greatest worries involved sex, courtesy, and fashion.
There was barely any war, it, and the preceding Nara period, we essentially dark ages for most the rest of the world. Once the rest of toughened-rising-warrior-caste Japan realized they were being led by a handful of pampered socialites, there was literally no way for that era to maintain itself in the face it's own decadent self destruction.
Which is all to say, the culture, the attitude, the ideas and things of a golden age are the very things that sew it's own destruction. As a diary, I can't in fairness give this a star rating.
Who am I to judge the star worth of someone's experiences and thoughts? Anyway, I read this book a because oh my God a diary from years ago I just have to and b Murasaki, who wrote the first novel.
Though I didn't quite expect the elaborate detail on clothing and rituals, it was interesting to see what great importance these elements had at the time. While I was hoping for some more personal thoughts, what I got was surprisingly rela As a diary, I can't in fairness give this a star rating. While I was hoping for some more personal thoughts, what I got was surprisingly relatable and profound. I mean, a woman talking about how out of place she feels and how she wants to distance herself from despair, yet can't rid herself of it.
Amazing to think this work is over years old. It details the rituals and ceremonies at the imperial Japanese court surrounding the birth of a Royal Prince. Interesting from a historical perspective but not a particular engaging read. Dry in places. Jul 21, Robert Gebhardt added it Shelves: journals , japan.
I can't really leave a rating here. Not to mention there is an interesting not entirely flattering tidbit about Shikibu Izumi, who also wrote a diary, which I will hopefully be reading soon. Also, being the author of the Tale of Genji, it is quite insightful how she refers to a certain official as "No Genji". This might be some insight into her character development.
Jul 08, Marija S. The book has a nice, extensive introduction with notes about the cultural background, the author and style, also a guide for further reading, ground plan maps, etc. In a word, I cannot discern how extensive and detailed the footnotes are. Since the main text of the book is a classic just for the fact of its existence and circumstances of its origin, I will refrain The book has a nice, extensive introduction with notes about the cultural background, the author and style, also a guide for further reading, ground plan maps, etc.
Since the main text of the book is a classic just for the fact of its existence and circumstances of its origin, I will refrain from grading it.
Jan 02, Autumn rated it really liked it Shelves: my-reviewed-books , history-real-unreal. Lady Murasaki c. If memory serves me right, scholars theorize that her writing success brought her to court? Don't quote me. I might have that wrong. In this, her journal entries give readers a sense of what day to day court life was like, especially for women, during the Heian Period. Some days are very simple, most days actually, but I found it incredibly fascinating to connect to people that lived around a thousand years ago.
I expecte Lady Murasaki c. I expected court life to have a lot of formalities and stuffiness- and although there are correct ways of doing things for the time, I was surprised at the close casual friendships that existed between Royals for lack of a better word and the people that served them. There were even unexpected glimpses of humor between people of different classes. Robert Bowring, a Professor of Japanese at Cambridge translated this historical piece and also included an incredibly interesting introduction and background about the time period and people mentioned in Lady Murasaki journal.
He also includes more information on the author as well. It was a treat! I would like to pick up other things he has written because, what and how he writes is so absorbing but approachable. Aug 01, Paul rated it liked it. Which is a shame because it would have been a beautiful piece of history as a whole. Instead we are left to mere speculation for a lot of parts, including as to why the tone changes from a journal style to that of a letter written to an intimate.
All this means by the time you reach the diary itself, you are wondering just what it will contain, even after glimpses of it given as examples. In some cases, certainly for a casual reader, you would be forgiven for wondering if it was worth it. At the end of the two years covered by the diary, an important son has been born and festivities and ceremonies have been observed and documented, including details of the colours worn by the women at court and the roles played by different nobles and servents.
Jun 07, Liz rated it really liked it. Murasaki, I could listen all day to your seesawing between bitching about the other women at court and attacks of shame at your own spiteful pettiness. View 1 comment. Sep 02, Noah rated it really liked it Shelves: japan. Not as interesting as the Kagero Kikki oder the Pillow Book but those interested in 11th century Japan won't get around reading Murasaki's diary, if only for the prominence of the author.
However this edition non the less deserves plenty of stars because of the excellent annotations and the outstanding preface. A fantastic snapshot of the thoughts and feelings of a lady a millennium ago.
For those looking for a "diary" in the conventional sense, this book might be a slight disappointment. Murasaki Shikibu does not recount her everyday life and her inner world in the ordered way we are used to find in this genre.
This diary is more of a collection of her accounts of big events, with the occasional introspection. That's it. It's very short and a bit sketchy. You should only come to this book if you've already read the Genji monogatari or have a particular interest in Japanese hist For those looking for a "diary" in the conventional sense, this book might be a slight disappointment.
You should only come to this book if you've already read the Genji monogatari or have a particular interest in Japanese history. If you come from the Genji, you will find brief moments to treasure: Murasaki mentions the novel by name a couple of times and at some point even claims she has lost her interest in it, as if it were a failed work. Oh, artists, always so dramatic! In fact, all my favourite moments here are those flashes in between events.
When Murasaki is left alone with her thoughts she unleashes her bitterness, her cleverness, her loneliness. We get glimpses of the artist she was. All these moments are brief and leave the reader wanting more. The description of Japanese courtly life are good, of course, but let's not kid ourselves, that's not what we're here for. We care about Murasaki and this diary helps to make her a less shadowy figure, a human being with doubts and genius.
Dec 31, Lynn rated it liked it Shelves: classic-authors , books-in-translation , classics , kindle. At first I thought it was lovely as Murasaki included poems and descriptions of her surroundings. Still over time it dragged on. She wrote of the petty details of court life. She said she was not interested in such things, and over time I was not either.
It feels like you're floating two inches off the ground when reading Lady Murasaki's diary. May 29, Simon Stegall rated it liked it. I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as Bridge of Dreams , since this one is far less dreamy and delicate and more quotidian, but I guess Murasaki gets a pass for writing The Tale of Genji and generally being a genius.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one ». Readers also enjoyed. Product Description Product Details Derived from the journals of an empress's tutor and companion, this unique book offers rare glimpses of court life in eleventh-century Japan. Lady Murasaki recounts episodes of drama and intrigue among courtiers as well as the elaborate rituals related to the birth of a prince.
Her observations, expressed with great subtlety, offer penetrating and timeless insights into human nature.
Author Murasaki Shikibu. Release 01 October Subjects Fiction Literature. Search for a digital library with this title Search by city, ZIP code, or library name Learn more about precise location detection. View more libraries Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help. Mid-Columbia Libraries. Search Search Search Browse menu. Sign in. The Diary of Lady Murasaki.
Description Creators Details Derived from the journals of an empress's tutor and companion, this unique book offers rare glimpses of court life in eleventh-century Japan. Lady Murasaki recounts episodes of drama and intrigue among courtiers as well as the elaborate rituals related to the birth of a prince. Her observations, expressed with great subtlety, offer penetrating and timeless insights into human nature.
Murasaki Shikibu circa AD — served among the gifted poets and writers of the imperial court during the Heian period. She and other women of the era were instrumental in developing Japanese as a written language, and her masterpiece, The Tale of Genji , is regarded as the world's first novel.
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