Overview

Murasaki Shikibu, born into the middle ranks of the aristocracy during the Heian period (794-1185 CE), wrote The Tale of Genji widely considered the world's first novel during the early years of the eleventh century. Expansive, compelling, and sophisticated in its representation of ethical concerns and aesthetic ideals, Murasaki's tale came to occupy a central place in Japan's remarkable history of artistic achievement and is now recognized as a masterpiece of world literature. The Tale of Genji is presented here in a flowing new translation for contemporary listeners, who will discover in its depiction of the culture of the imperial court the rich complexity of human experience that simultaneously resonates with and challenges their own. Washburn embeds annotations for accessibility and clarity and renders the poetry into triplets to create prosodic analogues of the original.

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9781094090276

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Washburn's translation is a superb achievement. He fully captures the enthralling quality of the original. -- Times Literary Supplement This new version by Dennis Washburn, a professor at Dartmouth, falls somewhere between Seidensticker's reader-friendly translation and Tyler's more stringently literal one, resulting in a fluid, elegant rendition. -- Washington Post Murasaki watched the sexual maneuverings, the social plots, the marital politics, the swirl of slights and flatteries that went on around her, with the keen, sometimes sardonic, and always worldly eyes of a medieval Jane Austen. -- New Yorker

Author Information

Lady Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973 or 978-c. 1014 or 1031 CE) was a member of the famed Fujiwara clan--one of the most influential families of the Heian period. Her literary ability quickly won her a place in the entourage of the Empress Akiko. After the death of her husband, Murasaki Shikibu immersed herself in Buddhism, and the religion's influences permeate her writing. Dennis Washburn is Jane and Raphael Bernstein Professor in Asian Studies at Dartmouth College. He holds a PhD from Yale University in Japanese language and literature. He lives in Hanover, New Hampshire. Brian Nishii is a voice talent and award-winning audiobook narrator.

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