Oh my goodness, I actually finished this! This is a super long book that doesn't really do anything to hide the fact that it's super long.

This is not to say I didn't enjoy it. I really loved the story but I was more impressed with the description of 11th century Japanese culture. It was really interesting, which why I could keep reading to the end of the book.

I did have some problems with the characters not being referred to by their actual names but by their title or occupation. The main reason this was so confusing was because their title/occupation would change throughout the chapters and the reader is somehow supposed to follow that. (my edition had a character summary at the beginning of each chapter telling you who was who, which was practically essential to understanding the book. I would have had real comprehension problems without it)

Another thing that tripped me up was the really subtle mentions of big plot points ie characters getting together, people dying etc. Like they would constantly talk about how they couldn't stop crying but then kinda brush over more important events. Honestly though, I got to a certain part of the book when I noticed just how often someone mentions crying that it actually became funny. Seriously though, they cry A LOT! So many wet sleeves from the waves of weeping they cannot stop. It gets ridiculous.

Overall I enjoyed this book but it is a serious commitment. I would recommend it solely on the cultural description and the poetry within the book. It's so fantastic that this book has survived and that it can still be enjoyed in the 21st century. ( )