The Tale of Genji: chapters 4-6

1/ The Tale of Genji is difficult, from many directions. 
Because in Heian-era court, it was considered inappropriately familiar and rude to use people’s given names (Murasaki Shikibu isn’t the author’s real name—Shikibu is her father’s court position, Murasaki a nickname), I picked up the novel knowing about the absence of names and the changing titles as the characters move up or down in their careers.  
What I didn’t know was that the titles would help identify the male characters, whereas with the female characters, there’s something else.
For example, see this line: 

“No, despite the passing months he could not forget how someone he still loved that had gone like dew from a twilight beauty, and those proud, fastidious ladies who always withheld themselves from him were so demanding that he yearned particularly for the one who had touched his heart by yielding to him utterly.” (Ch.6) 

I know that “a twilight beauty” refers to Yugao (Yugao isn’t a name but a nickname which means “twilight beauty”, or literally, “evening face”). I know that “those proud, fastidious ladies who always withheld themselves from him” are his first wife Aoi and Utsusemi (the cicada woman). But who is the one who yields to Genji utterly? Does it refer to the same one as in the first part of the sentence, i.e. Yugao, or someone else? Nokiba no Ogi (the reed woman)? 
Readers who complain that Henry James should spit it out instead of hinting about everything would have a great time with Murasaki Shikibu. 
The sentence quoted is the beginning of chapter 6. A few lines later: 

“Now and again he recalled that woman of the cicada shell with irritation. She of the reed, too, must have been surprised sometimes by a note from him, whenever a favorable breeze blew her way…” (ibid.)  

See what I mean? I know exactly who Murasaki Shikibu is talking about, but that is how she refers to her characters. 
In terms of characters, The Tale of Genji has the opposite problem to Anna Karenina or War and Peace. A Russian character typically has 3 names—a formal name with patronymic, a familiar name/ pet name, and a French name. For example, Natalya Ilyinichna Rostova is often known as Natasha, but sometimes other characters may refer to her as Natalie. To readers unfamiliar with Russian literature, the names may be difficult at the beginning, but once you’ve got a hang of the naming rules, it’s fine, and Tolstoy makes sure you remember the characters. 
The Tale of Genji demands a different approach. Murasaki Shikibu uses a single image to characterise her characters. Utsusemi for example leaves behind her gown whilst running away from Genji, like a cicada shedding its shell. Nokiba no Ogi, the one Genji finds when looking for Utsusemi, is associated with reed because he attaches some reed to his letter to her. Yugao is twilight beauty because she flirts with him by sending him a fan with yugao flowers, and because of the fateful night in chapter 4. And so on and so forth. 
Instead of having to remember a bunch of unfamiliar Japanese names, it’s perhaps easier to remember them as the cicada woman, the reed woman, the twilight beauty woman, the stepmom, the first wife, etc. It’s like me talking to my mom, or back then, my grandma, about my foreign friends and acquaintances whose names would slip their minds: the Swedish girl, the Danish girl, the French guy, the Christian psycho, etc. 
In fact, I imagine that this would be easier than remembering the characters in Dream of the Red Chamber, especially in a Western language such as English, because they have hard-to-remember names such as Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, Miaoyu, Jia Yuanchun, Jia Tanchun, Shi Xiangyun, Jia Yingchun, Jia Xichun, etc. If I read the Vietnamese translation, at least the names would be more like names and I would understand their meaning; in English, they’re just meaningless sounds. 
In a way, The Tale of Genji is probably easier than Dream of the Red Chamber. 

2/ Let’s look at this passage: 

“Meanwhile, after successfully overcoming the reserve of the great lady on Rokujo, he had changed and taken most unfortunately to treating her like any other woman. One wonders why there lived on in him nothing of the reckless passion that had possessed him when he first began courting her…” (Ch.4) 

What is Murasaki Shikibu talking about? The chapter so far has been about Genji visiting his wet nurse (Koremitsu’s mom) and trying to find out who lives nearby and flirts with him (it later turns out to be Yugao), then all of a sudden Murasaki Shikibu slips into the narrative a new woman without proper introduction, as though she’s already known to the readers. 
I had to go back. This is the first line of the chapter: 

“In the days when Genji was calling secretly at Rokujo, he decided to visit his old nurse, the Dazaifu Deputy’s wife, on the way there, since she was seriously ill and had become a nun. Her house was on Gojo.” (ibid.) 

Royall Tyler (the translator) is extremely helpful in creating a character list at the beginning of each chapter, but it is confusing nevertheless. Who is this woman? Why does the narrator talk about her as though she’s already known? Did we lose a chapter? Or does Murasaki Shikibu deliberately create the effect of the narrator as one of the women at court, telling the true story of Genji—Genji sees the Rokujo woman secretly, therefore the telling of the affair is also secretive? 
Let’s look at another passage: 

“Princess Fujitsubo was not well and had withdrawn from the palace. Genji felt deep sympathy for His Majesty, whose anxious distress was evident, but he also anticipated feverishly now, at last, a chance for himself [...] How Omyobu brought off their meeting is impossible to say, but to poor Genji even these stolen moments with her seemed quite unreal. To Her Highness the memory of that last, most unfortunate incident was a source of enduring suffering, and she had resolved that nothing of the kind should happen ever again, yet despite her obvious consternation she remained thoughtful and kind, even while she continued to resist him with a profound dignity so far beyond the reach of any other woman that Genji could not help wondering in anguish why it was never possible to find in her the slightest flaw.” (Ch.5) 

His Majesty is the emperor, Genji’s father. Princess Fujitsubo (Her Highness) is the concubine he got after Genji’s mother’s death. Omyobu is something like a servant. 
Genji has been fantasising about his stepmom since chapter 1, and this is when he gets involved with her for the first time, whilst eyeing her niece Murasaki, a 10-year-old (yeah, I know). The problem is that “that last, most unfortunate incident” has never been mentioned in the narrative—I have no idea what it’s about.  

3/ Those of you who haven’t read The Tale of Genji must be wondering, what then is the appeal of such a difficult book? 
The book is getting better and better. 
In chapter 2, Genji and some other male characters discuss their ideas of the ideal woman. As Genji flirts around, looks for his ideal woman, and tries to bang anything that moves, Murasaki Shikibu depicts different types of women, and the characters are distinct. His wife Aoi is distant and cold, whereas the cicada woman plays hard to get. Yugao is gentle and fragile, but flirts with Genji and plays games with him (as he hides his identity, she doesn’t reveal her name), whereas the reed woman is innocent, accepting, and undemanding. The red-nosed woman (Suetsumuhana) also appears shy and inexperienced, but unlike the reed woman, she is dull and unattractive, lacking wit, personality, as well as taste, and she never knows what to say. 
Murasaki Shikibu seems to have sympathy for all of her characters. 
The greatest challenge of The Tale of Genji, I think, is how to evaluate and judge Genji’s actions. We cannot impose modern standards on an 11th century Japanese novel, but at the same time, just because the morals were different in the Heian era doesn’t mean that we should accept everything Genji does, without questioning. Nor should we think that Murasaki Shikibu must always uncritically approve of Genji’s actions.  
For example, before picking up the book, I read about Genji’s interest in a 10-year-old girl (Murasaki) when he’s 17, and expected it to be described as something ordinary. After all, he got married at the age of 12. On the contrary, it is clear that Genji’s fixation on her, in chapter 5, is seen by other characters as odd, unusual, even shocking, and the abduction is seen as a bad thing. 
It is difficult to know Murasaki Shikibu’s attitudes, as she stays invisible, and we know nothing from her diary. But we may know how other characters view Genji’s actions, and it is not always favourable. 
At this point it is too early for me to hazard any guess about Murasaki Shikibu’s feelings about Genji, so I’m going to stop, but it is interesting to think about it.