Genji Book Club – Intro

The Tale of Genji, written by Murasaki Shikibu around the year 1000, is often considered the world’s first novel. Her story of the Shining Prince of the Imperial Court and his life, culture, and relationships with women, has stood the test of time and form an important piece of the foundation of Japanese literature.

For 2020, the Japan Book Club, presented in collaboration with the Argo and JETAA Q/A, is meeting monthly to discuss this important and still lively work. You can read the complete Tale of Genji in any of its English translations, by Arthur Waley, Edward Seidensticker, Royall Tyler, or Dennis Washburn; we have all of them available for sale in the store.

In our first edition, before we dive into the text, our group leader will discuss the aesthetics, mores, and context of the Heian period, to provide context for the story ahead. Please join us for this trip through a historic yet timeless tale!