![]() ![]() The Tale of Genji (Genji Monogatari) is a classic work of Japanese literature attributed to the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu in the early eleventh century, around the peak of the Heian Period. NOTE: this is a highly condensed version of the text, running to just under 200 pages, whereas the original is nearly 1000 pages long! (Summary by Wikipedia) For instance, all characters age in step and all the family and feudal relationships are consistent among all chapters. One remarkable feature of the Genji, and of Murasaki's skill, is its internal consistency, despite a dramatis personae of some four hundred characters. The work does not make use of a plot instead, much as in real life, events just happen and characters evolve simply by growing older. The Genji was written for the women of the aristocracy (the yokibito) and has many elements found in a modern novel: a central character and a very large number of major and minor characters, well-developed characterization of all the major players, a sequence of events happening over a period of time covering the central character's lifetime and beyond. It is sometimes called the world's first novel, the first modern novel, the first romance novel, or the first novel to still be considered a classic. ![]() ![]() ![]()
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