Murasaki Shikibu fut une romancière et poétesse japonaise de la période Heian. Elle est célébrée comme l'auteure de l'un des romans les plus anciens et les plus célèbres de l'histoire humaine. Son œuvre se distingue par sa profonde exploration de la psychologie humaine et des coutumes sociales de son époque. Grâce à sa représentation magistrale des personnages et de leurs vies intérieures, elle s'est imposée comme une figure centrale de l'histoire littéraire japonaise.
The Tale of 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. It is sometimes called the world's first novel, the first modern novel.
Step into a story of life and love in Kyoto's 10th century royal court.Tale of Genji tells the story of Prince Genji, the passionate heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne. 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.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.