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    The Tale of Genji

    (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

    Part of Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition

    Author Murasaki Shikibu
    Translated by Royall Tyler
    Ebook
    Penguin Adult HC/TR | Penguin Classics
    On sale Jan 31, 2006 | 1216 Pages | 9781101657621
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    The world’s first novel, in a translation that is “likely to be the definitive edition . . . for many years to come” (The Wall Street Journal)

    A Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, with flaps and deckle-edged paper

    Written in the eleventh century, this exquisite portrait of courtly life in medieval Japan is widely celebrated as the world’s first novel. Genji, the Shining Prince, is the son of an emperor. He is a passionate character whose tempestuous nature, family circumstances, love affairs, alliances, and shifting political fortunes form the core of this magnificent epic. Royall Tyler’s superior translation is detailed, poetic, and superbly true to the Japanese original while allowing the modern reader to appreciate it as a contemporary treasure. Supplemented with detailed notes, glossaries, character lists, and chronologies to help the reader navigate the multigenerational narrative, this comprehensive edition presents this ancient tale in the grand style that it deserves.
    The Tale of Genji - Murasaki Shikibu Translated by Royall Tyler

    Acknowledgments
    List of Maps and Diagrams
    Introduction
    1. The Paulownia Pavilion (Kiritsubo)
    2. The Broom Tree (Hahakigi)
    3. The Cicada Shell (Utsusemi)
    4. The Twilight Beauty (Yugao)
    5. Young Murasaki (Wakamurasaki)
    6. The Safflower (Suetsumuhana)
    7. Beneath the Autumn Leaves (Momiji no Ga)
    8. Under the Cherry Blossoms (Hana no En)
    9. Heart-to-Heart (Aoi)
    10. The Green Branch (Sakaki)
    11. Falling Flowers (Hanachirusato)
    12. Suma (Suma)
    13. Akashi (Akashi)
    14. The Pilgrimage to Sumiyoshi (Miotsukushi)
    15. A Waste of Weeds (Yomogiu)
    16. At the Pass (Sekiya)
    17. The Picture Contest (Eawase)
    18. Wind in the Pines (Matsukaze)
    19. Wisps of Cloud (Usugumo)
    20. The Bluebell (Asagao)
    21. The Maidens (Otome)
    22. The Tendril Wreath (Tamakazura)
    23. The Warbler's First Song (Hatsune)
    24. Butterflies (Kocho)
    25. The Fireflies (Hotaru)
    26. The Pink (Tokonatsu)
    27. The Cressets (Kagaribi)
    28. The Typhoon (Nowaki)
    29. The Imperial Progress (Miyuki)
    30. Thoroughwort Flowers (Fujibakama)
    31. The Handsome Pillar (Makibashira)
    32. The Plum Tree Branch (Umegae)
    33. New Wisteria Leaves (Fuji no Uraba)
    34. Spring Shoots I (Wakana 1)
    35. Spring Shoots II (Wakana 2)
    36. The Oak Tree (Kashiwagi)
    37. The Flute (Yokobue)
    38. The Bell Cricket (Suzumushi)
    39. Evening Mist (Yugiri)
    40. The Law (Minori)
    41. The Seer (Maboroshi)
    Vanished into the Clouds (Kumogakure)
    42. The Perfumed Prince (Niou Miya)
    43. Red Plum Blossoms (Kobai)
    44. Bamboo River (Takekawa)
    45. The Maiden of the Bridge (Hashihime)
    46. Beneath the Oak (Shiigamoto)
    47. Trefoil Knots (Agemaki)
    48. Bracken Shoots (Sawarabi)
    49. The Ivy (Yadorigi)
    50. The Eastern Cottage (Azumaya)
    51. A Drifting Boat (Ukifune)
    52. The Mayfly (Kagero)
    53. Writing Practice (Tenarai)
    54. The Floating Bridge of Dreams (Yume no Ukihashi)
    Chronology
    General Glossary
    Clothing and Color
    Offices and Titles
    Summary of Poetic Allusions Identified in the Notes
    Characters in The Tale of Genji
    Further Reading

    Murasaki Shikibu, born in 978, was a member of Japan's Fujiwara clan, which ruled behind the scenes during the Heian Period by providing the brides and courtesans of all the emperors. Lady Murasaki's rare literary talent, particularly her skill as a poet, secured her a place in the court of Empress Akiko. After the death of her husband, she cloistered herself to study Buddhism, raise her daughter, and write the world's first novel Genji Monogatari, the tale of the shining Prince Genji. View titles by Murasaki Shikibu
    “[The Tale of Genji is] not only the world’s first real novel,
    but one of its greatest.” –Donald Keene, Columbia University

    “Edward Seidensticker’s translation has the ring of authority.” –New York Times Book Review

    “A triumph of authenticity and readability.” –Washington Post Book World

    About

    The world’s first novel, in a translation that is “likely to be the definitive edition . . . for many years to come” (The Wall Street Journal)

    A Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, with flaps and deckle-edged paper

    Written in the eleventh century, this exquisite portrait of courtly life in medieval Japan is widely celebrated as the world’s first novel. Genji, the Shining Prince, is the son of an emperor. He is a passionate character whose tempestuous nature, family circumstances, love affairs, alliances, and shifting political fortunes form the core of this magnificent epic. Royall Tyler’s superior translation is detailed, poetic, and superbly true to the Japanese original while allowing the modern reader to appreciate it as a contemporary treasure. Supplemented with detailed notes, glossaries, character lists, and chronologies to help the reader navigate the multigenerational narrative, this comprehensive edition presents this ancient tale in the grand style that it deserves.

    Table of Contents

    The Tale of Genji - Murasaki Shikibu Translated by Royall Tyler

    Acknowledgments
    List of Maps and Diagrams
    Introduction
    1. The Paulownia Pavilion (Kiritsubo)
    2. The Broom Tree (Hahakigi)
    3. The Cicada Shell (Utsusemi)
    4. The Twilight Beauty (Yugao)
    5. Young Murasaki (Wakamurasaki)
    6. The Safflower (Suetsumuhana)
    7. Beneath the Autumn Leaves (Momiji no Ga)
    8. Under the Cherry Blossoms (Hana no En)
    9. Heart-to-Heart (Aoi)
    10. The Green Branch (Sakaki)
    11. Falling Flowers (Hanachirusato)
    12. Suma (Suma)
    13. Akashi (Akashi)
    14. The Pilgrimage to Sumiyoshi (Miotsukushi)
    15. A Waste of Weeds (Yomogiu)
    16. At the Pass (Sekiya)
    17. The Picture Contest (Eawase)
    18. Wind in the Pines (Matsukaze)
    19. Wisps of Cloud (Usugumo)
    20. The Bluebell (Asagao)
    21. The Maidens (Otome)
    22. The Tendril Wreath (Tamakazura)
    23. The Warbler's First Song (Hatsune)
    24. Butterflies (Kocho)
    25. The Fireflies (Hotaru)
    26. The Pink (Tokonatsu)
    27. The Cressets (Kagaribi)
    28. The Typhoon (Nowaki)
    29. The Imperial Progress (Miyuki)
    30. Thoroughwort Flowers (Fujibakama)
    31. The Handsome Pillar (Makibashira)
    32. The Plum Tree Branch (Umegae)
    33. New Wisteria Leaves (Fuji no Uraba)
    34. Spring Shoots I (Wakana 1)
    35. Spring Shoots II (Wakana 2)
    36. The Oak Tree (Kashiwagi)
    37. The Flute (Yokobue)
    38. The Bell Cricket (Suzumushi)
    39. Evening Mist (Yugiri)
    40. The Law (Minori)
    41. The Seer (Maboroshi)
    Vanished into the Clouds (Kumogakure)
    42. The Perfumed Prince (Niou Miya)
    43. Red Plum Blossoms (Kobai)
    44. Bamboo River (Takekawa)
    45. The Maiden of the Bridge (Hashihime)
    46. Beneath the Oak (Shiigamoto)
    47. Trefoil Knots (Agemaki)
    48. Bracken Shoots (Sawarabi)
    49. The Ivy (Yadorigi)
    50. The Eastern Cottage (Azumaya)
    51. A Drifting Boat (Ukifune)
    52. The Mayfly (Kagero)
    53. Writing Practice (Tenarai)
    54. The Floating Bridge of Dreams (Yume no Ukihashi)
    Chronology
    General Glossary
    Clothing and Color
    Offices and Titles
    Summary of Poetic Allusions Identified in the Notes
    Characters in The Tale of Genji
    Further Reading

    Author

    Murasaki Shikibu, born in 978, was a member of Japan's Fujiwara clan, which ruled behind the scenes during the Heian Period by providing the brides and courtesans of all the emperors. Lady Murasaki's rare literary talent, particularly her skill as a poet, secured her a place in the court of Empress Akiko. After the death of her husband, she cloistered herself to study Buddhism, raise her daughter, and write the world's first novel Genji Monogatari, the tale of the shining Prince Genji. View titles by Murasaki Shikibu

    Praise

    “[The Tale of Genji is] not only the world’s first real novel,
    but one of its greatest.” –Donald Keene, Columbia University

    “Edward Seidensticker’s translation has the ring of authority.” –New York Times Book Review

    “A triumph of authenticity and readability.” –Washington Post Book World

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