Both of the Tale of Genji books have such beautiful covers. I feel tempted to bloat my 'to read' list even further.
'Bloat' would be the word if you choose an unabridged edition. Suematsu's abridged translation is readable and doesn't feel truncated, but just reading the opening of Washburn, I felt the language was more elegant. I'm looking forward to fitting the reading of it into a regular schedule. An insight into Japanese culture a thousand years ago, but also, we see how much like us these people were emotionally.
Yes, there’s no accounting for taste. I’m one of those weirdos who believe the movie is sometimes better than the book, and that the sequel is sometimes better than the original. My family has disowned me and my dog looks ashamed when I try to play with her!