The Tale of Genji, Volume 2
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Narrated by:
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Brian Nishii
About this listen
Murasaki Shikibu, born into the middle ranks of the aristocracy during the Heian period (794-1185 CE), wrote The Tale of Genji - widely considered the world’s first novel - during the early years of the 11th century. Expansive, compelling, and sophisticated in its representation of ethical concerns and aesthetic ideals, Murasaki’s tale came to occupy a central place in Japan’s remarkable history of artistic achievement and is now recognized as a masterpiece of world literature.
The Tale of Genji is presented here in a flowing new translation for contemporary listeners, who will discover in its depiction of the culture of the imperial court the rich complexity of human experience that simultaneously resonates with and challenges their own. Dennis Washburn embeds annotations for accessibility and clarity and renders the poetry into triplets to create prosodic analogues of the original.
©2015 Dennis Washburn (translation) (P)2019 Blackstone PublishingListeners also enjoyed...
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My fiancé brought me tea and scrambled eggs in bed that morning, and we snuggled together, talking about buying our rings, and about our perfect wedding next year. Then we headed into town. He held my hand and gazed at the ring I liked best, a smile spreading slowly over his face. Then a glass of bubbly to celebrate. I felt flushed, excited and ready for the rest of my life with the man I loved. We race to get on the train home. It screams to a halt and I run towards its open doors. Made it. I think he’s right behind me — but when I turn around, he’s gone.
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Disappointing plot
- By TerriSweeta on 12-04-24
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Mary Jane
- By: Amy Herzog
- Narrated by: Rachel McAdams, April Matthis, Brenda Wehle, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 16 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Academy Award nominee Rachel McAdams stars in Mary Jane, a poignant and intimate drama following a single mother’s journey caring for her chronically ill young son. Set in New York City, the play unfolds in two parts—Mary Jane's small Queens apartment and a pediatric hospital. With unflinching honesty and unexpected humor, we witness Mary Jane's tireless devotion, her interactions with medical professionals, and her struggle to maintain her sense of self.
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The storyline
- By Shanesha Duncan on 12-20-24
By: Amy Herzog
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Dead Med
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso, Scott Merriman
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When Heather McKinley dreamed of becoming a doctor, she imagined curing sick kids and sporting pink stethoscopes. She never anticipated the sleepless nights, grueling exams, and endless labs. And she certainly never knew that her medical school earned the nickname Dead Med thanks to the tragic history of students overdosing on illegal drugs. But Heather would never consider doing anything like that. That is, until her longtime boyfriend dumps her, she finds herself failing anatomy, and her world starts to crumble.
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Hmm
- By Morgan Meaux on 08-22-24
By: Freida McFadden
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The Rose Arbor
- A Novel
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
London: 1968. Liz Houghton is languishing as an obituary writer at a London newspaper when a young girl’s disappearance captivates the city. If Liz can break the story, it’s her way into the newsroom. She already has a scoop: Her best friend Marisa is a police officer who is assigned to the case. Liz follows Marisa to Dorset, where they make another disturbing discovery. Over two decades earlier, three girls disappeared while evacuating from London. One was found murdered in the woods near a train line. The other two were never seen again.
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Skip it.
- By 4Boxers!!!! on 12-14-24
By: Rhys Bowen
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The Answer Is No
- A Short Story
- By: Fredrik Backman, Elizabeth DeNoma - translator
- Narrated by: Stacy Gonzalez
- Length: 1 hr and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Lucas knows the perfect night entails just three things: video games, wine, and pad thai. Peanuts are a must! Other people? Not so much. Why complicate things when he’s happy alone? Then one day the apartment board, a vexing trio of authority, rings his doorbell. And Lucas’s solitude takes a startling hike. They demand to see his frying pan. Someone left one next to the recycling room overnight, and instead of removing the errant object, as Lucas suggests, they insist on finding the guilty party. But their plan backfires. Colossally.
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Narrator doesn’t get Backman’s satire or rhythm
- By joey1603 on 12-01-24
By: Fredrik Backman, and others
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Starship Troopers
- By: Robert A. Heinlein
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Johnnie Rico never really intended to join up—and definitely not the infantry. But now that he’s in the thick of it, trying to get through combat training harder than anything he could have imagined, he knows everyone in his unit is one bad move away from buying the farm in the interstellar war the Terran Federation is waging against the Arachnids. Because everyone in the Mobile Infantry fights. And if the training doesn’t kill you, the Bugs are more than ready to finish the job.
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The definitive version!
- By Kristopher G. Hesson on 10-03-24
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Home Is Where the Bodies Are
- By: Jeneva Rose
- Narrated by: January LaVoy, Cassandra Campbell, Brittany Pressley, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
After their mother passes, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate. Beth, the oldest, never left home. She stayed with her mom, caring for her until the very end. Nicole, the middle child, has been kept at arm’s length due to her ongoing battle with a serious drug addiction. Michael, the youngest, lives out of state and hasn’t been back to their small Wisconsin town since their father ran out on them seven years before.
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Perfect Audio.
- By Black Women Read Too on 05-19-24
By: Jeneva Rose
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The Art of War
- By: Sun Tzu
- Narrated by: Aidan Gillen
- Length: 1 hr and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
The 13 chapters of The Art of War, each devoted to one aspect of warfare, were compiled by the high-ranking Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun-Tzu. In spite of its battlefield specificity, The Art of War has found new life in the modern age, with leaders in fields as wide and far-reaching as world politics, human psychology, and corporate strategy finding valuable insight in its timeworn words.
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The actual book The Art of War, not a commentary
- By Nemo71 on 12-31-19
By: Sun Tzu
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Ghost Stories: Stephen Fry's Definitive Collection
- By: Stephen Fry, Washington Irving, M.R. James, and others
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, Halloween approaches. Come, brave listener, pull up a chair, and spend some time with master storyteller Stephen Fry as he tells us some of his favourite ghost stories of all time, in truly terrifying spatial audio. From the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow to the tortured spirits of M.R. James, from Edgar Allan Poe’s terrifying tale of a doppelganger to Charlotte Riddell’s Open Door that should definitely stay shut, join Stephen as he tells you some truly terrifying tales.
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Wonderful narration. Mediocre stories.
- By Michael Fuchs on 11-07-23
By: Stephen Fry, and others
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Brain Damage
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Megan Tusing
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
As Charly struggles to recover from her brain injury, she begins to realize that the events of that fateful night are trapped in the damaged right side of her brain. Now, she must put the jigsaw pieces together to discover the identity of the man who tried to kill her...before he finishes the job he started.
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Who Else Laughed, Cried, and Shuddered?
- By Jennifer Chichester on 09-16-22
By: Freida McFadden
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Murasaki Shikibu, born into the middle ranks of the aristocracy during the Heian period (794-1185 CE), wrote The Tale of Genji, widely considered the world's first novel, during the early years of the 11th century. Expansive, compelling, and sophisticated in its representation of ethical concerns and aesthetic ideals, Murasaki's tale came to occupy a central place in Japan's remarkable history of artistic achievement and is now recognized as a masterpiece of world literature.
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Tales of Genji
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Couldn't listen to an entire chapter
- By Jago on 01-02-19
By: Murasaki Shikibu, and others
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The Tale of Genji
- By: Lady Murasaki Shikibu
- Narrated by: Blaise Adams
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The Tale of Genji is an exquisitely crafted classic work of Japanese literature written in the 11th century. Some consider it to be the world's first novel, or the first modern or psychological novel. The narrative of 54 chapters is embellished by hundreds of little poems spread like a string of pearls through the prose. The story recounts the life of Hikaru Genji, the son of an ancient Japanese emperor and a concubine. Removed from the line of succession, Genji pursues a series of love affairs and a career as an imperial officer.
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great story
- By Cpw on 05-03-20
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The Water Margin
- Outlaws of the Marsh
- By: Shi Naian, J. H. Jackson - translator, Edwin Lowe - translator
- Narrated by: Jonathan Booth
- Length: 33 hrs and 41 mins
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Overall
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The Water Margin is one of the most popular classics of early Chinese literature. It tells the vigorous story of 108 characters who, falling foul of the established state authorities, are forced to become outlaws. They form a bandit community in Liangshan Marsh, becoming such a formidable force in their own right that they threaten the power of government itself.
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Exciting! Each story entwined with one another!
- By Kananai on 04-03-24
By: Shi Naian, and others
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The Gate
- By: Natsume Soseki, Pico Iyer - introduction, William F. Sibley - translator
- Narrated by: Cindy Kay
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A humble clerk and his loving wife scrape out a quiet existence on the margins of Tokyo. Resigned, following years of exile and misfortune, to the bitter consequences of having married without their families' consent, and unable to have children of their own, Sosuke and Oyone find the delicate equilibrium of their household upset by a new obligation to meet the educational expenses of Sosuke's brash younger brother. While an unlikely new friendship appears to offer a way out of this bind, it also soon threatens to dredge up a past that could once again force them to flee the capital.
By: Natsume Soseki, and others
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The Pillow Book
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The Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon is a fascinating, detailed account of Japanese court life in the closing years of the 10th century. Written by a lady of the court at the height of Heian culture, this book enthrals with its lively gossip, witty observations and subtle impressions. Lady Shōnagon was an erstwhile rival of Lady Murasaki, whose novel, The Tale of Genji, fictionalized the elite world Lady Shōnagon so eloquently relates.
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Exquisite. Truly!
- By Erick DuPree on 01-10-23
By: Sei Shōnagon
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The Tale of Genji, Volume 1
- By: Murasaki Shikibu, Dennis Washburn - translator
- Narrated by: Brian Nishii
- Length: 35 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Murasaki Shikibu, born into the middle ranks of the aristocracy during the Heian period (794-1185 CE), wrote The Tale of Genji, widely considered the world's first novel, during the early years of the 11th century. Expansive, compelling, and sophisticated in its representation of ethical concerns and aesthetic ideals, Murasaki's tale came to occupy a central place in Japan's remarkable history of artistic achievement and is now recognized as a masterpiece of world literature.
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Tales of Genji
- By Amazon Customer on 02-24-20
By: Murasaki Shikibu, and others
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The Tale of Genji
- By: Murasaki Shikibu, Suematsu Kencho - translator
- Narrated by: Elaine J. Sepani
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu wrote The Tale of Genji in the 11th century to entertain the other women in the court. It follows the romantic exploits of the title character, an emperor’s son, as he navigates life within aristocratic society and eventually outside of it. Praised for its psychological insight into the characters’ motivations, the book greatly influenced Japanese culture and is widely considered the world’s first novel. In 1882, Suematsu Kencho translated a condensed version of the text into English, allowing this classic tale to reach a wider audience.
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Couldn't listen to an entire chapter
- By Jago on 01-02-19
By: Murasaki Shikibu, and others
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The Tale of Genji
- By: Lady Murasaki Shikibu
- Narrated by: Blaise Adams
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
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The Tale of Genji is an exquisitely crafted classic work of Japanese literature written in the 11th century. Some consider it to be the world's first novel, or the first modern or psychological novel. The narrative of 54 chapters is embellished by hundreds of little poems spread like a string of pearls through the prose. The story recounts the life of Hikaru Genji, the son of an ancient Japanese emperor and a concubine. Removed from the line of succession, Genji pursues a series of love affairs and a career as an imperial officer.
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great story
- By Cpw on 05-03-20
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The Water Margin
- Outlaws of the Marsh
- By: Shi Naian, J. H. Jackson - translator, Edwin Lowe - translator
- Narrated by: Jonathan Booth
- Length: 33 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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The Water Margin is one of the most popular classics of early Chinese literature. It tells the vigorous story of 108 characters who, falling foul of the established state authorities, are forced to become outlaws. They form a bandit community in Liangshan Marsh, becoming such a formidable force in their own right that they threaten the power of government itself.
-
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Exciting! Each story entwined with one another!
- By Kananai on 04-03-24
By: Shi Naian, and others
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The Gate
- By: Natsume Soseki, Pico Iyer - introduction, William F. Sibley - translator
- Narrated by: Cindy Kay
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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A humble clerk and his loving wife scrape out a quiet existence on the margins of Tokyo. Resigned, following years of exile and misfortune, to the bitter consequences of having married without their families' consent, and unable to have children of their own, Sosuke and Oyone find the delicate equilibrium of their household upset by a new obligation to meet the educational expenses of Sosuke's brash younger brother. While an unlikely new friendship appears to offer a way out of this bind, it also soon threatens to dredge up a past that could once again force them to flee the capital.
By: Natsume Soseki, and others
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The Pillow Book
- By: Sei Shōnagon
- Narrated by: Georgina Sutton
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The Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon is a fascinating, detailed account of Japanese court life in the closing years of the 10th century. Written by a lady of the court at the height of Heian culture, this book enthrals with its lively gossip, witty observations and subtle impressions. Lady Shōnagon was an erstwhile rival of Lady Murasaki, whose novel, The Tale of Genji, fictionalized the elite world Lady Shōnagon so eloquently relates.
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Exquisite. Truly!
- By Erick DuPree on 01-10-23
By: Sei Shōnagon
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The Tale of Murasaki
- A Novel
- By: Liza Dalby
- Narrated by: Allison Hiroto
- Length: 17 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In the 11th century Murasaki Shikibu wrote the world’s first novel, The Tale of Genji, the most popular work in the history of Japanese literature. In The Tale of Murasaki, Liza Dalby has created a breathtaking fictionalized narrative of the life of this timeless poet - a lonely girl who becomes such a compelling storyteller that she is invited to regale the empress with her tales. The Tale of Murasaki is the story of an enchanting time and an exotic place.
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Great book, reader lacked emotion
- By Epiphany on 06-05-18
By: Liza Dalby
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The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P'ing Mei (Volume One: The Gathering)
- By: David Tod Roy - translator
- Narrated by: George Backman
- Length: 17 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In this first of a planned five-volume set, David Roy provides a complete and annotated translation of the famous Chin P'ing Mei, an anonymous sixteenth-century Chinese novel that focuses on the domestic life of Hsi-men Ch'ing, a corrupt, upwardly mobile merchant in a provincial town, who maintains a harem of six wives and concubines. This work, known primarily for its erotic realism, is also a landmark in the development of the narrative art form - not only from a specifically Chinese perspective but in a world-historical context.
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Excellent narration and rollicking story
- By Caroline on 11-21-14
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源氏物語 第一帖 桐壺
- By: 与謝野 晶子, 紫式部
- Narrated by: 岡崎 弥保
- Length: 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
「プレバト!!」で大人気の俳人 夏井いつき先生 推薦
『源氏物語』全五十四帖 与謝野晶子による現代語訳をすべて朗読し、
オーディオ化しました。
近代で最初に『源氏物語』を訳した与謝野晶子は、それぞれの帖の冒頭に、その 帖の内容をふまえた歌を一首詠んでいます。その晶子の歌もすべて収録しています。
第一帖 桐壺
光源氏 一~十二歳
主な登場人物 桐壺更衣、藤壺
紫のかがやく花と日の光
思ひあはざることわりもなし
時の帝桐壺は、それほど身分の高くない桐壺更衣を寵愛し、二人の間には輝くような美しい皇子が生まれた。しかし、桐壺更衣は他の女たちの嫉妬や嫌がらせを受け、また病気がちであったために三歳の皇子を残して病死してしまう。
その死を嘆き悲しむ帝であったが、亡き桐壺更衣の生き写しのような先帝の皇女藤壺が入内し、帝の寵愛を受けることとなる。そして、帝のもとで育てられてい た皇子は、亡き母によく似ているということで藤壺をことさらに慕うようになった。
その後、元服した皇子は臣下として源の姓を与えられ、左大臣家の娘葵の上と結婚する。彼はその光り輝くような姿の美しさから、いつしか光源氏と呼ばれるようになった。
By: 与謝野 晶子, and others
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The Long Discourses of the Buddha
- A Translation of the Dīgha Nikāya
- By: Bhikkhu Sujato
- Narrated by: Taradasa
- Length: 24 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Long Discourses of the Buddha (Dīgha Nikāya) is the first of the five Nikāyas (Collections) in the Sutta Pitaka and has its own particular character. Unlike the others which contain thousands of shorter discourses (suttas), it comprises just 34 but of much longer length - as the name indicates! This makes it in some ways a more focused collection of teachings of the Buddha and especially accessible in audio.
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Good in the beginning, good in the middle...
- By Boguslaw on 05-28-21
By: Bhikkhu Sujato
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Clarissa, or The History of a Young Lady, Volume 1
- By: Samuel Richardson
- Narrated by: Samuel West, Lucy Scott, Roger May, and others
- Length: 33 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
A milestone in the history of the novel, Samuel Richardson’s epistolary and elaborate Clarissa follows the life of a chaste young woman desperate to protect her virtue. When beautiful Clarissa Harlowe is forced to marry the rich but repulsive Mr. Solmes, she refuses, much to her family’s chagrin. She escapes their persecution with the help of Mr. Lovelace, a dashing and seductive rake, but soon finds herself in a far worse dilemma. Terrifying and enlightening, Clarissa weaves a tapestry of narrative experimentation into a gripping morality tale of good versus evil.
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Gripping Novel & Performance
- By Harold on 07-29-18
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Kokoro
- By: Natsume Soseki
- Narrated by: Matt Shea
- Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The subject of Kokoro, which can be translated as 'the heart of things' or as 'feeling,' is the delicate matter of the contrast between the meanings the various parties of a relationship attach to it. In the course of this exploration, Soseki brilliantly describes different levels of friendship, family relationships, and the devices by which men attempt to escape from their fundamental loneliness. The novel sustains throughout its length something approaching poetry, and it is rich in understanding and insight.
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The Heart Of Things, Relationships & Feelings
- By Sara on 04-27-15
By: Natsume Soseki
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The Three Kingdoms
- By: Luo Guanzhong, Christine Sun
- Narrated by: Michelle Tate
- Length: 39 mins
- Abridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Three Kingdoms is one of the Chinese Noble Classics. The great empire of China is in turmoil. As the government becomes increasingly incompetent, warlords and nobles battle for power. In the north is the Kingdom of Wei, headed by cunning and manipulative Cao Cao. In the southeast is the Kingdom of Wu, ruled by masterful and charismatic Sun Quan. In the west is the Kingdom of Shu, commanded by kindhearted and humble Liu Bei.
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Too short
- By Steven Shaw on 09-02-15
By: Luo Guanzhong, and others
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In Praise of Shadows
- By: Junichiro Tanizaki
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 1 hr and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In Praise of Shadows is an eloquent tribute to the austere beauty of traditional Japanese aesthetics. Through architecture, ceramics, theatre, food, women, and even toilets, Tanizaki explains the essence of shadows and darkness, and how they are able to augment beauty. He laments the heavy electric lighting of the West and its introduction to Japan, and shows how the artificial, bright, and polished aesthetic of the West contrasts unfavorably with the moody and natural light of the East.
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How to listen
- By Anonymous User on 03-25-18
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The Japanese Classics Collection: Literature, Myths, Samurai Philosophy, Folk Tales and More
- The Tale of Genji, The Kojiki, Bushido: The Soul of Japan, The Book of Tea, and Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things
- By: Lady Murasaki Shikibu, Basil Hall Chamberlain, Inazo Nitobe, and others
- Narrated by: Blaise Adams
- Length: 18 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Japanese culture has fascinated the West ever since the country’s doors opened up in the 1800s. In many ways, Japan has remained elusive, and people have travelled from all around the world to see for themselves how unique this nation remains. Another way of exploring this enigmatic culture is through its literature. The English language succeeds surprisingly well in revealing the Japanese sense of life.
By: Lady Murasaki Shikibu, and others
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Monkey
- By: Wu Ch’êng-ên, Arthur Waley - translator
- Narrated by: Kenneth Williams
- Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Considered one of China's great classical novels, Wu Ch'êng-ên's Journey to the West was translated by Arthur Waley in abridged form as Monkey in 1942 and has delighted English readers ever since. It is a riveting adventure story about a priest's quest to obtain holy Buddhist scriptures for the Tang emperor; joining him on this rollicking journey: Sandy, Pigsy, and the mischievous monkey king, Sun Wukong, whose flying cloud and magic cudgel are never far from his infamous deeds.
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Great translation, but reader struggles distractingly with names
- By utsusemi on 01-24-16
By: Wu Ch’êng-ên, and others
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The Decameron
- By: Giovanni Boccaccio
- Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale, Gunnar Cauthery, Alison Pettitt, and others
- Length: 28 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Decameron is one of the greatest literary works of the Middle Ages. Ten young people have fled the terrible effects of the Black Death in Florence and, in an idyllic setting, tell a series of brilliant stories, by turns humorous, bawdy, tragic and provocative. This celebration of physical and sexual vitality is Boccaccio's answer to the sublime other-worldliness of Dante's Divine Comedy.
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Not Up to the Usual Naxos Standard
- By John on 11-15-17
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Musashi
- By: Eiji Yoshikawa, Charles S. Terry - translator
- Narrated by: Brian Nishii
- Length: 53 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The classic samurai novel about the real exploits of the most famous swordsman. Miyamoto Musashi becomes a reluctant hero to a host of people whose lives he has touched and by whom he has been touched. Inevitably, he has to pit his skill against the naked blade of his greatest rival.
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Good Historical Novel
- By The Walking Dude on 08-11-19
By: Eiji Yoshikawa, and others
What listeners say about The Tale of Genji, Volume 2
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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Performance
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- Michelle
- 06-19-23
Surprised myself
I didn’t think I would really make it through both volumes, but glad I did. Learned a lot, enjoyed the narration and the narrative of the great Japanese classic.
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- Thomas
- 07-10-24
Excellent reading
If you want to immerse yourself in the courts of Heian Japan this recording of the Dennis Washburn translation of The Tale of Genji is the perfect vehicle. It is a marvelous story and very well narrated.
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- Janyce H. Imoto
- 11-01-24
Eloquently translated
I loved this rendition of the Tale of Genji. Refined and eloquent is the translation.
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- eric j rotzoll
- 07-17-24
a different world
it is amazing to think that this world in this story existed 1000 years ago.
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Performance
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- Amazon Customer
- 11-16-24
Second Time Around
Volume 2 is a far better story than Volume 1. This is one of those books that the more you listen, the more it grows on you. The generations after grandpa Genji are far more interesting, multifaceted characters. The poetry is either better inVol 2 or the ear is learning to decipher the meaning. I have listened to this multiple times. There definitely is something here worth listening to.
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- David Proctor
- 01-21-23
A lot of hours but worth it.
What a privilege to be able to admire and enjoy a work like this. Character development, storyline, descriptions are all exceptional, from such an unexpected source, a Japanese woman writer 1,000 years ago. And it may be having an academic translate this work preserves Shikibu's own sensibilities vs. filtering them. So happy I saw it through. You won't regret it.
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- M
- 12-29-20
Brian Nishii breathes life into The Tale; bravo!
So very satisfying are the first chapters of Bk 2 (before the Blank Chapter), as we see Genji's growth from self-centeredness and impulsivity to introspection, devotion to family, and pondering a spiritual path. Might Shikibu herself have been preoccupied with end of life concerns at this point, contributing to a sense of urgency to complete the development of each character and The Tale itself? Life can be so difficult to navigate for those with less privilege, especially when outrageous advantage is taken or threatened. For the women at court, discretion, circumspection and avoidance could be employed in order to stay safe. But how easily might one be tricked, cajoled by poetry or promises, or even betrayed by one's own trusted attendants, and if/when it happened, there would be no one to blame but oneself, one's own karma. To avoid social calamity, some of the women speak of jumping in the river (suicide) or cutting their hair (taking the veil). Might Shikibu even have longed for this herself, but the beautiful children of the court and the need to teach them (think of Genji's Murasaki who was a doting step-mother), or the demands of Shikibu's superiors at court for just one more story, or Shikibu's own worldly attachment to her characters' lives and development of The Tale, might these and other worldly demands have held her back? Might Shikibu have vowed to finish her work, in spite of illness or tiredness, or aging, until that day came when, quite suddenly, there was only just that final white page... In the last chapters (Audible ch. 42 ff) we see that the option of rejecting this world and turning spiritually inward (becoming a nun) is very much discouraged for all but very old women, almost a taboo for a young, beautiful, desirable woman to consider. There is really no escape for a woman at court except perhaps turning to the brush, if only to write poetry while pretending to practice calligraphy. But then, too, as Shikibu so often demonstrates, there's always a good story and good humor, which may be the best of all ways to cope, when things are destined by karma to be as they are; think for example of Genji as the older lover patiently rap, tap, tapping on the door of the screen while the women inside pretend to be asleep or the besotted young lover and his obsession with his beloved's little Chinese cat, not even a very pretty cat at that. Of all the marvelous characters of The Tale, my favorite is the gifted one, herself obscured behind the screen of her own creation, brush in hand and ink stone at the ready. If only I could pull back the screen to sneak just one little peek!
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