Genji (5)

"Life is uncertain for all of us. We only

have things our way for a little while."

The following books will introduce you to Genji, who said these words in Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji (trans. E. Seidensticker).

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Murasaki Shikibu. The Tale of Genji (Edward Seidensticker, Trans.). Everyman's Libary, 1993.
- This unsurpassed masterpiece of Japanese literature was the world's first novel (written about 1004) and is still a bestseller. Seidensticker's beautiful translation transports you to the Heian court and into the emotional lives of these exquisite characters, especially the "shining Genji." As you soak up the visual imagery, heartrending plot, and subtle poetry of this work, you will be sorry that, even after so many pages, it ends so soon.
Goff, Janet. Noh Drama and The Tale of Genji. Princeton University Press, 1991.
- As the most influential work in Japan, The Tale of Genji inspired numerous plays in the Japanese theatre. Goff translates and introduces a selection of these works, which are still popular.
Field, Norma. The Splendor of Longing in the Tale of Genji. Princeton University Press, 1987.
- Excellent analysis of character and theme in this complex love story.
Puette, William J. The Tale of Genji: A Reader's Guide. Charles E. Tuttle, 1993.
- Maps, diagrams of places described in the novel, and all sorts of useful information aid the reader in appreciating The Tale of Genji.
Keene, Donald. Seeds in the Heart: Japanese Literature from the Earliest Times to the Late Sixteenth Century. Henry Holt, 1995.
- As the foremost American translator and scholar of Japanese literature, Keene can offer a special perspective on the meaning of Genji's story and its lasting influence.