Genji Monogatari: Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

Genji Monogatari, credited to Murasaki Shikibu, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of Genji Monogatari by Murasaki Shikibu. (Translated by Suematsu Kencho.) Read in English by Lynne T Genji Monogatari, or The Tale of Genji, is a Japanese classic novel from the eleventh century. Supposedly commissioned by members of the Imperial Family, it tells the story of the son of the Emperor's favorite concubine and his role as a privileged boy and man, but not quite recognized as royal. He is placed in a loveless marriage, but continues a number of 'friendships' with the women of the court. This translation brings us the first seventeen chapters, and there is some dispute over the authorship of later (not included) chapters. The book gives us a fascinating insight into court life of the period. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

Recording facts

• Recording title: Genji Monogatari
• Author credits: Murasaki Shikibu
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 19
• Listed recording duration: 8:01:52

Catalogue topics

• Japan
• court life
• romance
• family
• exile
• bereavement
• emperor
• concubine

Track guide

1. 00 - Introduction by the Translator — 18:00
2. 01 - Kiri-Tsubo (The Chamber of Kiri) — 39:23
3. 02 - Hahaki-Gi (The Broom-Like Tree) Part 1 — 39:48
4. 03 - Hahaki-Gi (The Broom-Like Tree) Part 2 — 40:01
5. 04 - Wootz-Semi (Beautiful Cicada) — 14:51
6. 05 - Yugao (Evening Glory) — 1:01:33
7. 06 - Waka-Murasaki (Young Violet) — 55:14
8. 07 - Suyetsu-Hana (Saffron Flower) — 38:28
9. 08 - Momiji-Ga (Maple Fete) — 20:41
10. 09 - Hana-No-Yen (Flower Feast) — 8:53
11. 10 - Aoi (Hollyhock) — 22:10
12. 11 - Sakaki (Divine Tree) — 8:35
13. 12 - Hanachi-Sato (Villa of Falling Flowers) — 2:35
14. 13 - Suma (Exile at Suma) — 34:37
15. 14 - Akashi (Exile at Akashi) — 21:44
16. 15 - Myo-Tzkushi (The Beacon) — 14:05
17. 16 - Yomogi-Bu (Overgrown Mugwort) — 13:55
18. 17 - Sekiya (Barrier House) — 5:45
19. 18 - Ye-Awase (Competitive Show of Pictures) — 21:34

Listen to this recording

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Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.