Murasaki Shikibu 
The Tale of Genji (Abridged) 

‘The Tale of Genji’ by Lady Muraski is one of the world’s most influential novels. As the first psychological novel, ‘The Tale of Genji’ delves into the motivations and thoughts of the main characters, which had never been done in previous novels. The famous Japanese story is about Genji, the son of an emperor. When his mother died, Genji’s father married another woman who greatly resembled Genji’s mother. However, Genji fell in love with his new stepmother, causing problems between him and his own wife. He pursues a number of affairs, and is eventually exiled from the Capitol to a small, rural town. While Lady Murasaki did not base ‘The Tale of Genji’ on a true story, she was inspired by a Minister in the royal court. She wrote the story in small installments for the ladies of the court, which might explain why the story was never ‘finished;’ Lady Murasaki intended to keep the stories going as long as she possibly could. She also created some of the most memorable female characters in literature. As such, ‘The Tale of Genji’ is widely considered to be one of the greatest works in the Japanese literature canon, as well as one of the most influential works of storytelling. Contained in this volume is the abridged translation of Suematsu Kencho.