The Tale of Genji (Volumes 1 and 2)

Author: Murasaki Shikibu (Japan)
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The Tale of Genji is a long narrative prose work from the middle Heian period of Japan, representing the most iconic classical novel in Japanese literature and also one of the earliest long novels in the world. It centers on court life, depicting the social realities of the early and middle Heian period. There are numerous controversies surrounding the author of The Tale of Genji, Murasaki Shikibu, the time of its composition, its structure, and the motivations behind its creation. The exact time of The Tale of Genji's composition remains undetermined, with estimates placing it in the first half of 1010 during the Kanbun era. The currently circulated version of The Tale of Genji consists of fifty-four chapters (or monogatari), but records such as The Imperial House of Genji, The Mirror, and The Anonymous Grass mention sixty chapters, though their contents are unknown. Scholars like Fujiwara no Teika, Minamoto no Katsuyori and his father Minamoto no Toshiyori, among others,. The titles of the chapters also vary. Since Chapter 41, Cloud Concealment (Kunishiki), only has a title and no content, some editions omit it, while splitting Chapter 48, New Vegetables (Shinkusa), into two chapters. Most Japanese scholars believe that The Tale of Genji can be broadly divided into three parts: the first part extends to Chapter 33, Tendril of Wisteria (Sumire no Hasuha), the second part spans from Chapter 34, New Vegetables (Shinkusa), to Chapter 41, Cloud Concealment (Kunishiki), and the third part begins from Chapter 42, Prince Genji of the Ministry of Incense (Kokubunshi no Kuni no Miya), and continues to the end. The first two parts center on Hikaru Genji, while the third part focuses on Kaoru, Katsura, and Utsuro. The setting shifts to Uji in the third part. The time span of The Tale of Genji covers four emperors and over seventy years. The Tale of Genji holds a prestigious position in both Japanese literary history and world literary history, earning high praise from all researchers and establishing an unshakable reputation. In 1964, UNESCO selected Murasaki Shikibu as one of the "Five Great Figures of the World."