The Tale of Genji
Written text from the earliest illustrated handscroll (12th century)
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| Author | Murasaki Shikibu |
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| Original title | Genji monogatari |
| Translator | Suematsu Kenchō, Arthur Waley, Edward G. Seidensticker, Helen McCullough, Royall Tyler, Dennis Washburn |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Early Middle Japanese |
| Genre | Monogatari |
| Published | Before 1021 |
| Media type | manuscript |
| 895.63 M93 | |
The Tale of Genji (源氏物語 Genji monogatari?) is a classic work of Japanese literature written by the noblewoman and lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu in the early years of the 11th century, around the peak of the Heian period. It is sometimes called the world's first novel, the first modern novel, the first psychological novel or the first novel still to be considered a classic. Notably, the work also illustrates a unique depiction of the lifestyles of high courtiers during the Heian period. While regarded as a masterpiece, its precise classification and influence in both the Western and Eastern canons has been a matter of debate.
The Tale of Genji may have been written chapter by chapter in installments, as Murasaki delivered the tale to aristocratic women (the ). It has many elements found in a modern novel: a central character and a very large number of major and minor characters, well-developed characterization of all the major players, a sequence of events covering the central character's lifetime and beyond. The work does not make use of a plot; instead, events happen and characters simply grow older. One remarkable feature of the Genji, and of Murasaki's skill, is its internal consistency, despite a dramatis personæ of some four hundred characters. For instance, all characters age in step and the family and feudal relationships maintain general consistency.
One complication for readers and translators of the Genji is that almost none of the characters in the original text are given explicit names. The characters are instead referred to by their function or role (e.g. Minister of the Left), an honorific (e.g. His Excellency), or their relation to other characters (e.g. Heir Apparent), which changes as the novel progresses. This lack of names stems from Heian-era court manners that would have made it unacceptably familiar and blunt to freely mention a person's given name. Modern readers and translators have used various nicknames to keep track of the many characters.
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