The Tale of Genji

Superbly written and genuinely engaging . . . one of those works that can be read and reread throughout one’s life.” —Liza Dalby, Los Angeles Times Book Review Written in the eleventh century, this exquisite portrait of courtly life in medieval Japan is widely celebrated as the world’s first novel—and is certainly one of its finest. Genji, the Shining Prince, son of an emperor, 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 superb translation is detailed, poetic, and true to the Japanese original while allowing the English reader to appreciate its timeless beauty. In this deftly abridged edition, Tyler focuses on the early chapters, which vividly evoke Genji as a young man and leave him at his first moment of triumph.

Murasaki Shikibu was a lady in the Heian court of eleventh-century Japan.
Royall Tyler, an American, taught Japanese language and literature for many years at Australia National University.