{"title":"Shikibu Murasaki","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"the-diary-of-lady-murasaki-book-shikibu-murasaki-9780486836652","title":"The Diary of Lady Murasaki","description":"Derived from the journals of an empress's tutor and companion, this unique book offers rare glimpses of court life in eleventh-century Japan. Lady Murasaki recounts episodes of drama and intrigue among courtiers as well as the elaborate rituals related to the birth of a prince. Her observations, expressed with great subtlety, offer penetrating and timeless insights into human nature.\u003cbr\u003e Murasaki Shikibu (circa AD 973-1025) served among the gifted poets and writers of the imperial court during the Heian period. She and other women of the era were instrumental in developing Japanese as a written language, and her masterpiece, \u003ci\u003eThe Tale of Genji\u003c\/i\u003e, is regarded as the world's first novel. Lady Murasaki's diary reveals the role of books in her society, including the laborious copying of texts and their high status as treasured gifts. This translation is accompanied by a Foreword from American poet and Japanophile Amy Lowell.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49530363281681,"sku":"CIN0486836657G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49640432795921,"sku":"GOR011797418","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49733774639377,"sku":"NGR9780486836652","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0486836657.jpg?v=1751166778"},{"product_id":"the-tale-of-genji-2-volume-set-in-art-slipcase-book-shikibu-murasaki-9780394483283","title":"The Tale of Genji (2 Volume Set in Art Slipcase)","description":"Completed in the early 11th century, \u003ci\u003eThe Tale of Genji\u003c\/i\u003e is considered the supreme masterpiece of Japanese prose literature, and one of the world's earliest novels. A work of great length, it comprises six parts, the first part of which (also called \u003ci\u003eThe Tale of Genji\u003c\/i\u003e) is reprinted here. The exact origins of this remarkable saga of the nobility of Heian Japan remain somewhat obscured by time, although its author, Lady Shikibu Murasaki, presumably derived many of her insights into court life from her years of service with the royal family.\u003cbr\u003eThe novel centers on the life and loves of the prince known as the shining Genji. Far more than an exotic romance, however, the tale presents finely drawn characters in realistic situations, set against a richly embroidered tapestry of court life. Moreover, a wistful sense of nostalgia pervades the accounts of courtly intrigues and rivalries, resulting in an exquisitely detailed portrayal of a decaying aristocracy.\u003cbr\u003eVibrant in its poetry and wordplay, subtle in its social and psychological observations, this work ranks in stature and significance with such Western classics as Cervantes' \u003ci\u003eDon Quixote\u003c\/i\u003e and Proust's \u003ci\u003eRemembrance of Things Past\u003c\/i\u003e. This inexpensive edition, featuring Arthur Waley's splendid translation of the first of the six-part series, offers readers a memorable taste of one of the world's first and greatest novels.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49932844663057,"sku":"CIN0394483286G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50229941240081,"sku":"CIN0394483286VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53052679880977,"sku":"GOR014717147","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":53707142332689,"sku":"CIN0394483286A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0394483286.jpg?v=1751007236"},{"product_id":"the-tale-of-genji-book-shikibu-murasaki-9781774265963","title":"The Tale of Genji","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50175353094417,"sku":"CIN1774265966VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1774265966.jpg?v=1750766179"},{"product_id":"diary-of-lady-murasaki-book-shikibu-murasaki-9781784350345","title":"The Diary of Lady Murasaki","description":"Derived from the journals of an empress's tutor and companion, this unique book offers rare glimpses of court life in eleventh-century Japan. 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