Step into a story of life and love in Kyoto's 10th century royal
court.
Tale of Genji, the world's oldest known novel, tells the story of
Prince Genji and his adventures in life, love, and power within the
halls of the Chrysanthemum Royal Court. Handsome, romantic, and talented
in the art of seduction, Prince Genji skillfully navigates the court and
all its intrigues--always in search of love and often finding it. His
story is the oldest and most famous tale of romance in the annals of
Japanese literature and, as a representation of passion and romance,
remains beyond compare.
In this beautifully illustrated edition, Genji's story comes alive as
readers experience:
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His birth in the royal court to Kiritsubo, who comes to represent
Genji's ideal of female beauty and grace.
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His lifelong obsession with Fujitsubo, one of the emperor's lovers and
mother to Genji's son Ryozen.
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His romantic life with Murasaki, Fujitsubo's beautiful niece and
Genji's favored lover. Though wary of his motivations at first, she
becomes the true love of Genji's life.
Lady Murasaki Shikibu wrote this story some 500 years before Shakespeare
put pen to paper. It is acknowledged to be the world's very first novel,
and English-speaking readers can now experience the story in manga style
for the first time.
Superbly illustrated and retold, this visual take on Japan's most
important classic offers an intimate look at the social mores and
intrigues in the Heian-era court of medieval Japan, and Prince Genji's
representation as the ideal male courtier.
