The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki Shikibu
Genre: Classic Fiction Setting: Heian Period, Japan Release: Before 1021
Why do you grieve so uselessly? Every uncertainty is the is the result of a certainty. There is nothing in this world really to be lamented.
Described as an 'epic' by Jorge Borges, The Tale of Genji is widely to be considered the first novel ever written and Lady Murasaki Shikibu's work is revered in Japan in a similar way to how the English-speaking world reveres Shakespeare. Of course, The Tale of Genji has the added interest of being written around 500 years before Shakespeare was born.
In and of itself, the novel is a piece of literary history and, given it's age, I was expecting a terribly difficult and abstract read. Surprisingly, no doubt due to the excellent translation by Kencho Suematsu, the book is very readable - far more so than Chaucer, for example.
Genji - a princely novel
The novel centres on the life of a prince, Genji, and looks at his rise, fall and rise in the aristocracy of the Heian dynasty. In particular, at his many loves and relationships. And whilst the novel is not at relatable to the average, non-royal, the themes are much as you would expect in more modern tales of the rich and powerful.
At the centre of the novel are beauty and ethics. The book is filled with stanzas that are used by the characters to introduce themselves or discuss issues. Some are wonderful to read and bring colour that is, at times, needed.
This book is probably not going to be your all-time favourite but for avid literature lovers - it is surely worth travelling back 1000 years to where the novel began.
BOOK REVIEW OF: The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki Shikibu. Published by Tuttle. Translation by Kencho Suematsu.