The Tale of Genji
The Tale of Genji, written by the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu in the early eleventh century, is widely considered the world's first true novel and one of the foundational works of Japanese literature. Set in the rarefied imperial court of the Heian era, it follows Hikaru Genji, the dazzlingly handsome son of an emperor by a low-ranking concubine, whose status as a non-heir places him at the edge of court politics even as his beauty, talent, and refinement place him at the center of its obsessions. Across more than a thousand pages, Murasaki traces Genji's loves, his political maneuvering, his exiles and returns, and finally the lives of those who come after him, in particular his nominal son Kaoru, whose own muted, rainier romances close out the book. The novel is sometimes treated as a long account of seduction, but Murasaki's real subjects are the slipperiness of social standing, the cruelty of how the court treated women, the dignity of suffering, and the Buddhist sense that everything beautiful is also passing. In Edward Seidensticker's and Royall Tyler's celebrated English translations, the book has reached generations of readers who recognize, across a thousand years, a remarkably modern psychological intelligence.
What you might want to know about The Tale of Genji
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Across fifty-four chapters of Heian court life, lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu follows Hikaru Genji, the demoted son of the emperor and his low-ranking favorite consort. From his early loves through his political exile to Suma and his quiet later years, the novel tracks Genji and his court women.
Many scholars consider The Tale of Genji (early 11th century) the world's first psychological novel. Written by Murasaki Shikibu, a lady at the Heian-era Japanese court, it predates European novels by centuries.
Royall Tyler's 2001 translation is widely considered the most rigorous English version. Edward Seidensticker's 1976 translation is more accessible to general readers. Arthur Waley's earlier translation (1925-1933) is freely available but takes significant liberties.
The Tale of Genji was written by Murasaki Shikibu, published in 2007 by Blackstone Pub.
The Tale of Genji is 224 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Tale of Genji takes most readers 3 to 5 hours to finish.
The Tale of Genji is a standalone novel by Murasaki Shikibu, not part of a series.
The Tale of Genji is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
