Reading The Tale of Genji: Sources from the First Millennium

This sourcebook is the most comprehensive record of the reception of The Tale of Genji to date. It presents a range of landmark texts relating to the work during its first millennium, almost all of which are translated into English for the first time. 

An introduction prefaces each set of documents, situating them within the tradition of Japanese literature & cultural history. These texts provide a fascinating glimpse into Japanese views of literature, poetry, imperial politics, & the place of art & women in society. 

Selections include an imagined conversation among court ladies gossiping about their favorite characters & scenes in Genji; learned exegetical commentary; a vigorous debate over the morality of Genji; & an impassioned defense of Genji's ability to enhance Japan's standing among the twentieth century's community of nations. Taken together, these documents reflect Japan's fraught history with vernacular texts, particularly those written by women.

Lady Murasaki Shikibu, born in the year 978, 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, & the religion's influences permeate her writing.