Lady Murasaki Shikibu

Considered today to be a classic of Japanese literature, Lady Murasaki Shikibu's groundbreaking novel, The Tale of Genji, is a story of a young man in search of love in the time of Heian aristocracy. In the immediate aftermath of his mother's death, Genji-the love child of Emperor Kiritsubo and his favorite concubine-is stripped of his birthright and royalty to avoid political scandal. Nevertheless remaining close to the Emperor's heart, Genji is nicknamed "Shining Prince," and grows into an unusually handsome, talented and intelligent boy, granting him favor and admiration beyond that expected of his birth status. During this time the Emperor, having heard of a princess who resembles his deceased lover, brings Lady Fujitsubo into the palace as his new wife and in doing so, unknowingly sets the growing Genji on a path of romantic dalliances, hoping too, to fill the void of his loss with women. Professionally typeset with a beautifully designed cover, this edition of The Tale of Genji is a classic of Japanese literature reimagined for the modern reader.

The Tale of Genji

Sean Michael Wilson

Step into a story of life and love in Kyoto's 10th century royal court. Tale of Genji tells the story of Prince Genji, the passionate heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne. Handsome, romantic, and talented in the art of seduction, Prince Genji skillfully navigates the court and all its intrigues--always in search of love and often finding it. His story is the oldest and most famous tale of romance in the annals of Japanese literature and, as a representation of passion and romance, remains beyond compare. In this beautifully illustrated edition, Genji's story comes alive as readers experience: His birth in the royal court to Kiritsubo, who comes to represent Genji's ideal of female beauty and grace. His lifelong obsession with Fujitsubo, one of the emperor's lovers and mother to Genji's son Ryozen. His romantic life with Murasaki, Fujitsubo's beautiful niece and Genji's favored lover. Taken with him at first she becomes wary of his motivations but she becomes the true love of Genji's life. Lady Murasaki Shikibu wrote this story some 500 years before Shakespeare put pen to paper. It is acknowledged to be the world's very first novel, and English-speaking readers can now experience the story in manga style for the first time. Superbly illustrated and retold, this visual take on Japan's most important classic offers an intimate look at the social mores and intrigues in the Heian-era court of medieval Japan, and Prince Genji's representation as the ideal male courtier.

Lady Murasaki's Tale of Genji: The Manga Edition

Tale of Genji: the Manga Edition

The Tale of Genji Monogatari is a classic work of Japanese literature attributed to the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu in the early eleventh century, around the peak of the Heian Period. It is sometimes called the world's first novel, the first modern novel.

Lady Murasaki Shikibu

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