The Tale of Genji, Volume 1, Murasaki Shikibu
The Tale of Genji, Volume 1, Murasaki Shikibu
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The Tale of Genji, Volume 1

Author: Murasaki Shikibu, Dennis Washburn

Narrator: Brian Nishii

Unabridged: 35 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/12/2019

Synopsis

Murasaki Shikibu, born into the middle ranks of the aristocracy during the Heian period (794–1185 CE), wrote The Tale of Genji―widely considered the world’s first novel―during the early years of the eleventh century. Expansive, compelling, and sophisticated in its representation of ethical concerns and aesthetic ideals, Murasaki’s tale came to occupy a central place in Japan’s remarkable history of artistic achievement and is now recognized as a masterpiece of world literature.The Tale of Genji is presented here in a flowing new translation for contemporary listeners, who will discover in its depiction of the culture of the imperial court the rich complexity of human experience that simultaneously resonates with and challenges their own. Washburn embeds annotations for accessibility and clarity and renders the poetry into triplets to create prosodic analogues of the original.

About Murasaki Shikibu

Lady Murasaki Shikibu (c. 973 or 978–c. 1014 or 1031 CE) was a member of the famed Fujiwara clan—one of the most influential families of the Heian period in Japan. Her literary ability quickly won her a place in the entourage of the Empress Akiko. After the death of her husband, Murasaki Shikibu immersed herself in Buddhism, and the religion’s influences permeate her writing.

About Dennis Washburn

Dennis Washburn is Jane and Raphael Bernstein Professor in Asian Studies at Dartmouth College. He holds a PhD from Yale University in Japanese language and literature. He lives in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Sasha on August 31, 2021

A princess likes stories. One of her ladies-in-waiting is good at making them up. Over years, the lady spins a long, elaborate story containing the princess's favorite theme: hot dudes nailing chicks. Crucially, the lady writes it down and here we are with history's first novel, the origin story of......more

Goodreads review by Michael on July 07, 2017

The Tale of Genji is one of the hallmarks of classic Japanese literature - the equivalent to, say, the Canterbury Tales or the Divine Comedy or Dox Quixote - from which thousands of pieces of art, pottery and writings have been inspired. It is a sweeping bildungsroman about a Japanese prince in the......more

Goodreads review by J.L. on April 26, 2022

“You are here to remind me of someone I long for, and what is it you long for yourself? We must have been together in an earlier life, you and I.” Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji is an immersive leap into medieval Japanese court life. Absolutely fantastic! I doubt this read is for everyone, but......more

Goodreads review by Britta on March 23, 2021

I conquered The Beast, together with Shawn, and it only took us 2 months.......more

Goodreads review by Noel on March 04, 2025

“That reminder brought me straight to her. She was as open and trusting with me as ever, but her expression was very sad, and as she sat in her poor house, gazing out over the dewy garden and crying in concert with the crickets’ lament, I felt as though I must be living in some old tale.” An Imperial......more

Quotes

“Murasaki watched the sexual maneuverings, the social plots, the marital politics, the swirl of slights and flatteries that went on around her, with the keen, sometimes sardonic, and always worldly eyes of a medieval Jane Austen.” New Yorker

“Shikibu’s eleventh-century novel…flows beautifully in Dennis Washburn’s fluid, approachable translation and the pitch-perfect casting of narrator Brian Nishii.” Audible.com 

“Washburn’s translation…fully captures the enthralling quality of the original.” Times Literary Supplement

“This new version by Dennis Washburn…[is] in a fluid, elegant rendition.” Washington Post

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