The Tale of Genji, Part 2 (Complete Works of Japanese Literature, edited by Natsuki Ikezawa, Vol. 5)

Fate takes a sudden turn when the Third Princess marries the glorious Hikaru Genji. This masterpiece depicts love, suffering, and the karma of adultery!

You could even say that The Tale of Genji exists for this middle volume, "Wakana (Vol. 1 and Vol. 2)." - Ikezawa Natsuki

The complexity and realism of the portrayal of emotions, and the skillfulness of the metaphors, left me gasping many times. And then I realized: this author's writing is exceptionally vivid when he writes about negative emotions, weakness, uncertainty, and sadness. --Mitsuyo Kakuta

Annotation by Katsumi Fujiwara Commentary by Natsuki Ikezawa Monthly Report by Kaori Ekuni Akiko Baba Obi Photo by Yurie Nagashima

Table of Contents Tamakazura: The Princess Left Behind by Her Beloved Hatsune: A Young Princess' Message of the New Year to Her Mother Kocho: The Men Fascinated by Tamakazura's Princess Hotaru: A Profile Revealed by the Light of a Firefly Tokonatsu: An Unbelievable Princess Appears Kagaribi: A Father and Daughter Unlike Any Other Nowaki: The Son, Yugiri, Learns His Father on a Stormy Day Miyuki: The Minister of the Interior Learns the Truth About Nadeshiko Fujibakama Princess Tamakazura's troubled future. Makibashira: An unexpected conclusion. Umegae: The fragrance of the ladies celebrating the formal dressing ceremony. Fujinouraba: Yugiri, the fruition of a long-held love. Wakana: Upper: The Third Princess's marriage and the priest's will. Wakana: Lower: Conflicting feelings. Kashiwagi: The birth of a boy carrying a secret. Yokobue: Kashiwagi's will, which appears in a dream of his best friend. Suzumushi: The true intentions of Empress Akikonochumiya, who lives with Emperor Reizei. Yugiri: The forceful tactics of a man unaccustomed to love. Minori: Like the disappearance of dew. Illusion. Prince Hikaru is Sinking into Sadness

[Features of Kakuta's Translation] - While faithful to the original, the translation is easy to read and emotionally engaging. - By adding subject lines and largely eliminating honorific language in the narrative, even the details are easy to understand. - Modern, crisp, and lively dialogue. - The author's and third-party voices (in the sōshibun) are captivatingly translated and inserted. - Quotations from waka and Chinese poetry are almost entirely supplemented and introduced.