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A graceful, lucid translation of the worlds first, and one of its greatest, novels.Alan Tansman, University of California, Berkeley
Murasaki Shikibu, born into the middle ranks of the aristocracy during the Heian period (7941185 CE), wrote The Tale of Genjiwidely considered the worlds first novelduring the early years of the eleventh century. Expansive, compelling, and sophisticated in its representation of ethical concerns and aesthetic ideals, Murasakis tale came to occupy a central place in Japans remarkable history of artistic achievement and is now recognized as a masterpiece of world literature.
The Tale of Genji is presented here in a flowing new translation for contemporary readers, who will discover in its depiction of the culture of the imperial court the rich complexity of human experience that simultaneously resonates with and challenges their own. Washburn sets off interior monologues with italics for fluid reading, embeds some annotations for accessibility and clarity, and renders the poetry into triplets to create prosodic analogues of the original.
