Jan 2, 2010

The Oxford Companion to English Literature | The Tale of Genji

Tale of Genji, The,
a classic Japanese novel written c. AD 1001 – 15 by Lady Murasaki ( ?978 – ?1031 ) and translated in a slightly abridged version by A. Waley in 6 vols ( 1925 – 33 ):

i ‘The Tale of Genji’,

ii ‘The Sacred Tree’,

iii ‘A Wreath of Cloud’,

iv ‘Blue Trousers’,

v ‘The Lady of the Boat’,

vi ‘The Bridge of Dreams’

.

Prince Genji is an illegitimate son of the emperor, living about the time of the author's childhood, and volumes i–iv are mainly concerned with the rivalry between the various women whom he loved. Between volumes iv and v there is a gap in the narrative of eight years, during which time Genji has died, and the last two volumes deal with the rivalry in love between Kaoru, Genji's supposed son, and Niou, Genji's grandson.

The author, who became lady-in-waiting to the empress c....

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The Oxford Companion to English Literature | The Tale of Genji

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