Murasaki Shikibu - The Tale of Genji and other works (7 books)

THE TALE OF GENJI (Genji Monogatari) is a classic work of Japanese literature written in the early 11th century by the noblewoman and lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973/978 - c. 1014/1031) . Over the past century, the book has gained worldwide acceptance as not only the world's first novel, but as one of the greatest works of literature of all time.

The work presents a unique depiction of the lifestyles of high courtiers during the Heian period: a unique society of ultrarefined and elegant aristocrats, whose indispensable accomplishments were skill in poetry, music, calligraphy, and courtship. Much of it is concerned with the loves of Prince Genji, "the Shining Prince," and the different women in his life, all of whom are exquisitely delineated. The main theme is the fragility of life, "the sorrow of human existence" (mono no aware, a term used over a thousand times in the book). Although it does not contain scenes of powerful action, it is permeated with a sensitivity to human emotions and to the beauties of nature hardly paralleled elsewhere.


The following books are in ePUB format:

* Diary of Lady Murasaki, The (Penguin Classics, 1996). Translated by Richard Bowring.

* A String of Flowers: Love Poems from "The Tale of Genji" (Stone Bridge, 2003). Translated by Jane Reichhold and Hatsue Kawamura.

* The Tale of Genji (Vintage, 1990). Abridged. Translated by Edward G. Seidensticker.

* The Tale of Genji (Tuttle, 1974). Abridged. Translated by Kencho Suematsu.

* The Tale of Genji (Penguin Classics, 2006). Translated by Royall Tyler.

* The Tale of Genji (Tuttle, 2010). Translated by Arthur Waley, with a foreword by Dennis Washburn.

* The Tale of Genji (Norton, 2015). Translated by Dennis Washburn.

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