Liza Dalby

Murasaki Shikibu, the real-life author of "The Tale of Genji," uses her imagination and storytelling abilities to escape from loneliness, and later to entertain the empress and express the political and sexual intrigue she has experienced.

The Tale of Murasaki

Liza Crihfield Dalby

"The sensitive and modest daughter of a mid-ranking court poet, Murasaki Shikibu staves off loneliness with her acitve imagination, telling stories about the dashing Prince Genji to her close friends. At first, they are their private entertainment, but soon Genji's amorous adventures are leaked to the public and Murasaki is thrust into the life of a kind of eleventh-century Japanese celebrity. She is compelled by a charismatic regent to accept a position at court regaling the empress with her stories. At court, Lady Murasaki becomes caught in a vortex of high politics and sexual intrigue, which begins to reflect itself in her stories."--Jacket.

A Novel

Laura Mauler

I couldn't relate to the main character, Murasaki. The author did not provide enough details to make the emotions and situations believable... or they simply weren't believable to begin with.

The Tale of Murasaki

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