The Tale of Genji

The Tale of Genji is a long prose work set in the Japanese imperial court of the Heian period. It follows Hikaru Genji, the charming and gifted son of an emperor, who is kept from the throne by court politics. The story traces his many love affairs, friendships, rivalries and times of exile, and then turns to the next generation. Around him move women of very different temperaments, each drawn with care and sympathy. The book is rich in poems exchanged between lovers, in seasonal ceremonies and in quiet moments of regret. Its central themes are love, longing, status and the passing of beauty. It is often called the first novel, and it shaped Japanese literature and art for centuries. Readers today find in it a surprisingly modern interest in inner life.