Read this when
The Tale of Genji
Keep falling for people who remind you of someone you lost? A Heian court lady clocked that pattern a thousand years ago.
Who it's for
Genji loses his mother as a small child and spends much of his life pursuing women who resemble her, starting with his stepmother Fujitsubo and then her young niece Murasaki.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Written by the Heian court lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century, this long Japanese prose narrative follows Hikaru Genji, an emperor's son removed from the line of succession. Genji pursues many romances, including a forbidden love for his stepmother Lady Fujitsubo, and raises a young girl, Murasaki, who resembles Fujitsubo, later marrying her.
Where to find it
Kenchō Suematsu's partial 1882 translation and parts of Arthur Waley's early translation are free on Project Gutenberg. Royall Tyler's (Penguin) and Dennis Washburn's (Norton) complete translations ar.
Before you start
Heads up: Suicide attempt; sex without consent.
Age: Ages 16+
Do not seat your love upon a precipice because it is high.Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds, no. 15
