JLit 4

THE DIARY OF MURASAKI SHIKIBU

Isn't it goofy how people will say that it's bad to talk about people and they don't want to be known as a gossip, but then they go and do it anyways?

It must've been difficult to be a bright girl back in the day. not just in Japan; in fact, it was probably worse elsewhere. It'd be really tragic t have to pretend not to know how to read. Kind of cool to be Her Majesty's secret tutor though!

THE SARASHINA DIARY

Depressing! This one doesn't make court life sound so great. It's so bizarre that they carry out this courtship thing over YEARS. "In the next year one tranquil evening..." BLAH! I can't imagine waiting around like that, especially when it all came to nothing. I'm more the kind of person to sneak out and see him wehther we really have a moment or not.

POETRY IN CHINESE

Lots of gratefulness in these. I'm not really sure what to say. I liked "The Small Hills" but the middle dragged... "Washing my hair" was sad and funny at the same time.

RYOUJIN HISHOU

DANCE DANCE MR. SNAIL!!! (Yez.) I suppose "he that bade me trust him, but did not come" was a lover? Also: It's pretty cute that that fellow wants to be a "clinging vine." It's possible today to interpret "clinging" badly though, so no one would say that anymore. Maybe "climbing..." I wish I could thik of something of more scholarly interest to write, but really I just derive enjoyment from the fact that this guy is threatening the snail. Dance or die, slowpoke! Mwa hahaha!! V_V

THE LADY WHO LOVED INSECTS

"No second chapter exists." WOE! This is definitely my favorite out of everything so far. SHE IS SO COOL. I wonder if the character is based ona real girl. I love that she quips about the snake's reincarnation.

Also: I could totally imagine a merchandise line. Notebooks, t-shirts, pins, backpacks, mousepads...you know, everything. A spider hanging from a finger, lizard on her shoulder, caterpillar in her other hand...what could we put on her head? I dunno. It would probably be updated too. School girl uniform in dark colors maybe. It totally fits in with all the other anti-pop stuff.