THE TALE OF GENJI, VOLUME 1

At a bit more than 35 hours, this audio version of the thousand-year-old Japanese classic goes only as far as Genji's retirement from public life, Chapters 1-33 of 56. A useful introduction provides context for imperial court life, making Prince Genji's many courtships more comprehensible to the contemporary listener. Much of the audiobook consists of those romances, without the kind of plot we might expect in a novel today. The translation, however, sometimes slips into an oddly colloquial tone, and while Nishii's Japanese pronunciation is impeccable, there are noticeable errors in his English. Still, his performance is clear, and it brings listeners into a fascinating way of life in which aesthetics are all-important and a mastery of poetry is one of the requirements of political advancement. D.M.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2020]