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The Tale of Genji: The Authentic First Translation of the World's Earliest Novel
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The Tale of Genji: The Authentic First Translation of the World's Earliest Novel
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Written centuries before the time of Shakespeare and even Chaucer,
marks the birth of the noveland after more than a millennium, this seminal work continues to enchant readers throughout the world.
Lady Murasaki Shikibu and her tale's hero, Prince Genji, have had an unmatched influence on Japanese culture. Prince Genji manifests what was to become an image of the ideal Heian era courtier; gentle and passionate. Genji is also a master poet, dancer, musician and painter.
follows Prince Genji through his many loves and varied passions. This book has influenced not only generations of courtiers and samurai of the distant past, but artists and painters even in modern timesepisodes in the tale have been incorporated into the design of kimonos and handicrafts, and the four-line poems called
which dance throughout this work have earned it a place as a classic text in the study of poetry.
This version by Kencho Suematsu was the first-ever translation in English. Condensed, it's a quarter length of the unabridged text, making it perfect for readers with limited time.
"Not speaking is the wiser part,
And words are sometimes vain,
But to completely close the heart
In silence, gives me pain."
Prince Genji, in