JAPANESE LITERATURE.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 136, 10 June 1926, Page 2

JAPANESE LITERATURE.

A 10th CENTURY MASTERPIECE. Wonderful indeed is the panorama of oriental loveliness which the gifted authoress of * ‘ The Sacred Tree ’ ’ has painted with such exquisite delicacy. This novel is the second part of “The Tale of Genji, ” by Lady Murasaki, and it has been translated from the Japanese by Mr Arthur Waley. The casual reader may at first regard this notable work with some apathy, nay, with genuine shyness, for in theme and treatment it is so entirely different from the conventional type of novel. However, after a realisation of the real sentiment of the book has been effected, it must have a sure appeal to those who enjoy choice literary productions. The setting is excellent, and the characters are intriguing. The book was probably written during the ninth or tenth century, and the story deals with men, women and things of that period. In a few words it may be termed a story of life and manners in the highest society of ancient Japan, and the reader would be well advised to remember that fact, because there are certain painfully exciting scenes wherein the handsome Prince Genji and his many female admirers are made to perform in such a manner that the modern tales of free love seem by comparison altogether shallow, in fact, they seem unconvincing in the extreme. Indeed, Lady Murasaki does not in any way spare herself or her readers where affairs of the heart are concerned, and it is reasonable to suggest that had this story been written by a less gifted composer, it might have degenerated into a series of more or less painful narrations. But the conception of life in those apparently excessively romantic days was totally dif- | ferent to that of the present day. When one calmly considers this book, it seems remarkable how it grips, how it so completely charms. European literature has this common characteristic, namely, a certain incongruity, or irregularity of treatment. Authors endeavour to startle by introducing unexpected things, and by so doing they arrest the attention and keep the reader in a state of expectancy all the time, and the author who can do that for the longest period is frequently rewarded with that weird laurel commonly known as the “best seller.’’ This irregularity of treatment is not to be found in this novel: everything happens pust as one would expect it to happen, the sequence of events is entirely logical. Consequently, in order to compensate for those startling changes which make the writings of | the West so pop filar, there must be • something of great power to arrest our | attention, and that something is, to be found in the utter picturesqueness of scene an 1 character. Her treatment I of that universal thing called love is, for example, so very picturesque. Love * passages resolve themselves into nice i riddles. Lovers expressed themselves j in such a subtle manner that were a j similar method to be adopted to-day, it is doubtful if any real headway would be made at all. Consider this piece of extravagance. Genji is madly in love with his step-mother, by whom he has had a son whom the people think to bo the lawful heir to the throne. For some time lie has been unable to see his adorable one, who prospers under the name of Fujitsubo, so one fine day he Trends his pen with the greatest care and selects from his writing materials the prettiest piece of paper he can find. So elegant was this missive even in its outside appearance that on its arrival there was quite a stir among the ladies who were in attendance upon his loved one. The note read:—“l have for some while been in the last depths of depression.” Ami to this piece of information was added the following consoling piece of news—consoling from the lover’s point of view, vet quite disconcerting from a scientist’s—“ Why. think you, fell the rains of autumn yet faster than of yore? It was my tears that swelled them, my tears because we could not meet.” Judging by the epistles which these lovers wrote to one e.T other, they must have played havoc with the water ways of that great country whilst their little affaire was being carried on. Indeed, it would appear tnat for anyone to conduct a love intrigue to a successful issue it was absolutely necessary to possess the poetic gift.

It might be imagined that Murasaki is entertaining mainly because she wrote about a quaint civilisation which flourished many hundreds of years ago: but, stmngelcy enough, such is not the case. She has this characteristic in common with the novelist of the present, namely, a principal interest in the effect, which events have upon the minds of the characters rather than any vital interest in the events as such. For that reason she is in reality modern as far as the purely psychological treatment is concerned. Her exploitation of character is practised in a very restrained manner, but it is done in such a way that she produces the greatest effect with the least- possible display. Her instinct in this resnoct is it times so unerring that it is almost uncanny. A great capacity for originality is also abundantly manifest, and the beauty of her actual diction is almost classical in its intensity. She conveys the impression that the novel was written at leisure and with pleasure; there is nothing modernly erratic about it. It is built slowly, carefully and with much regard for those real things that always mi,lure. The narrative is invested with a sense • re ft! 5* v that is quite extraordinary. The modem novelist endeavours to achie -e lerditv bv making the characters indulge in eWcr pieces of small observation whi«*h are supposed to throw a certain light on those darker places of the elm rector make-up which otherwise would be unnoticed, and for that reason, maybe, make the character appear somewhat uninteresting. But not so with Murasaki; she achieves a far greater effect bv merely saving the most relevant things in the most efficacious order.