Tale of Genji (UNESCO Collection of Representative Works) - Softcover

Waley, Arthur

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9780048230133: Tale of Genji (UNESCO Collection of Representative Works)

Synopsis

Written centuries before the time of Shakespeare and Chaucer, The Tale of Genji marks the birth of the novel — and after more than a millennium, this seminal work about the life and loves of Prince Genji, master poet, dancer, musician and painter, continues to enchant readers throughout the world. This version by Kencho Suematsu was the first-ever translation in English. Condensed, it's a quarter length of the unabridged text. Perfect for readers with limited time.

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From the Inside Flap

The Tale of Genji was written in the eleventh century by Murasaki Shikibu, a lady of the Heian court. It is universally recognized as the greatest masterpiece of Japanese prose narrative, perhaps the earliest true novel in the history of the world. Until now there has been no translation that is both complete and scrupulously faithful to the original text. Edward G. Seidensticker's masterly rendering was first published in two volumes in 1976 and immediately hailed as a classic of the translator's art. It is here presented in one unabridged volume, illustrated throughout by woodcuts taken from a 1650 Japanese edition of The Tale of Genji.

From the Back Cover

The Tale of Genji is a very long romance, running to fifty-four chapters and describing the court life of Heian Japan, from the tenth century into the eleventh.

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