Having read the 11th Century Japanese classic, The Tale of Genji, by Murasaki Shikibu, some years back, I was enthralled when I discovered The Tale of Murasaki by Liza Dalby. An anthropologist specializing in Japanese culture, Ms. Dalby brings to this piece of historical fiction a keen eye for the nuances and sensibilities of 11th Century Court life. Sensuous descriptions of court dress and customs flavor this story of the life of Murasaki, author of the world's first novel, Genji Monogatari, or The Tale of Genji. Muraski, the daughter of a mid-ranking court poet and scholar of Chinese classics, was already a widow when she was propelled into the glittering but narrow court life of Heain Japan. This was the backdrop to her famous piece of fiction about Prince Genji, golden boy and seducer of women, an 11th Century Don Juan. The parallels between these two books promise delight to anyone who finds haiku as a form of seduction a supreme pleasure.
Posted by Jeanne Belisle Lombardo
September 07, 2002
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The Tale of Murasaki: A Novel
Liza Crihfield Dalby