The Tale of Genji: A Novel in Six Parts

xvi, 1135 pp. All six parts, complete in one volume. Color frontispiece. Translated from the original Japanese into English by Arthur Waley. "The Tale of Genji 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, the first psychological novel or the first novel to still be considered a classic, though this issue is a matter of debate. The first partial translation of Genji Monogatari into English was by Suematsu Kencho. A free translation of all but one chapter was produced by Arthur Waley. Edward Seidensticker made the first complete translation into English, using a more literal method than Waley. The most recent English translation, by Royall Tyler (2001), also tries to be faithful to the original text. Diet member Marutei Tsurunen has also made a translation in Finnish."