The Ise Stories: Ise monogatari

I got this because I wanted to read what's continually referred to as one of the classics of Japanese literature. So now I've read it, and ...For the general reader (like me): it's a collection of poems with explanatory narratives, most extremely short, set out in 125 episodes with some charming 17th-century illustrations (black-and-white). It's a brief, yet interesting insight into aristocratic life and culture in 9th-century Japan, seen through the window of a single man's friendships and romantic adventures. However, a lot of the time I felt I was only just grasping the meaning of the poems and the accompanying narrative. Which leads me on to ...For the specialist: there's a concise introduction, including a brief history of commentary on the stories; the text of the poems in transliterated Japanese; a bibliography; an index of the poems by first line in English and Japanese; and a standard index. There's also a commentary after each poem which sums up the various major interpretations of each episode and explains some of the choices the translators made.Mostow and Tyler's prose is very accessible, and even a non-specialist like me can find some help in their commentary. Overall, I'm pleased to have read The Ise Stories and foresee myself dipping into it again and again. However, I suggest you would get more out of this book if you have read  The Tale of Genji: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)  or  The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Ancient Japan (Kodansha Globe) .

Not only does Royall Tyler translate the classic Japanese text Ise Monogatari, but he also brings together centuries of commentary on each episode. Each episode is a short narrative followed by a poem. My only complaint, and it is a significant one, is that I don't enjoy the translated poems. I feel the focus is on the syllabic count 5-7-5-7-7 rather than the meaning. It is hard for me to focus on the meaning rather than the superfluous words. Otherwise, the translation is well researched and enjoyable. I really enjoy the collected commentary.

Thought Tyler could do no wrong I see what he was up to, but for me it doesn't work! English is English. It isn't anything else. Stein understood this.

While the previous translation of several decades ago is very valuable, translator Professor Mostrow is very skillful, as well as contributions by Royall Tyler.

Good stuff.

A really nicely produced translation of a classic of Japanese literature. The is a sequence of about 150 vignettes roughly following a man's life. Many of the vignettes poems are assembled from other anthologies though many are attributed to a single individual. Each vignette consists of a short, sometimes 1 sentence, narrative followed by a poem or poems. Some vignettes contain additional narrative. The poetry is highly allusive and the translations appear to embody some choices about the meaning of the poetry. Each vignette is accompanied by some commentary. The commentary tradition for this work dates back centuries and the commentary sections summarize major points of view on each vignette-poem. The poetry reflects the complex ethos and politics of the Heian court. A great deal of the poetry is devoted to sexual escapades. Modern readers will be impressed with the rather predatory attitudes towards women. Very nicely illustrated with reproductions of prints illustrating the actions of vignettes.