Theworld’sfirstnovel,inatranslationthatis“likelytobethedefinitiveedition...formanyyearstocome“(TheWallStreetJournal)APenguinClassicsDeluxeEdition,withflapsanddeckle-edgedpaperWrittenintheeleventhcentury,thisexquisiteportraitofcourtlylifeinmedievalJapaniswidelycelebratedastheworld’sfirstnovel.Genji,theShiningPrince,isthesonofanemperor.Heisapassionatecharacterwhosetempestuousnature,familycircumstances,loveaffairs,alliances,andshiftingpoliticalfortunesformthecoreofthismagnificentepic.RoyallTyler’ssuperiortranslationisdetailed,poetic,andsuperblytruetotheJapaneseoriginalwhileallowingthemodernreadertoappreciateitasacontemporarytreasure.Supplementedwithdetailednotes,glossaries,characterlists,andchronologiestohelpthereadernavigatethemultigenerationalnarrative,thiscomprehensiveeditionpresentsthisancienttaleinthegrandstylethatitdeserves.
