Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature
- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Contributors
- Book part
- A note on Romanization and conventions
- Glossary
- General introduction
- Part I The ancient period (beginnings to 794)
- Part II The Heian period (794–1185)
- 7 Introduction: court culture, women, and the rise of vernacular literature
- 8 Sugawara no Michizane, a Heian literatus and statesman
- 9 Kokinshūand Heian court poetry
- 10 Early Heian court tales
- 11 Genji monogatariand its reception
- 12 Late courtly romance
- 13 Premodern commentary on the classical literary canon
- 14 ThePillow Bookof Sei Shōnagon
- 15 Heian literary diaries: fromTosa nikkitoSarashina nikki
- 16 The Heian Academy: literati culture from Minamoto no Shitagō to Ōe no Masafusa
- 17 Heian canons of Chinese poetry:Wakan rōeishūand Bai Juyi
- 18 The Literary Essence of Our Court (Honchō monzui)
- 19 Vernacular histories:Eiga monogatari, Ōkagami, Gukanshō
- 20 Heian popular songs:imayōandRyōjin hishō
- Part III The medieval period (1185–1600)
- Part IV The Edo period (1600–1867)
- Part V The modern period (1868 to present)
- Bibliography of English secondary sources and translations
- Index
11 - Genji monogatariand its reception
from Part II - The Heian period (794–1185)
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 January 2016
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Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature
- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Contributors
- Book part
- A note on Romanization and conventions
- Glossary
- General introduction
- Part I The ancient period (beginnings to 794)
- Part II The Heian period (794–1185)
- 7 Introduction: court culture, women, and the rise of vernacular literature
- 8 Sugawara no Michizane, a Heian literatus and statesman
- 9 Kokinshūand Heian court poetry
- 10 Early Heian court tales
- 11 Genji monogatariand its reception
- 12 Late courtly romance
- 13 Premodern commentary on the classical literary canon
- 14 ThePillow Bookof Sei Shōnagon
- 15 Heian literary diaries: fromTosa nikkitoSarashina nikki
- 16 The Heian Academy: literati culture from Minamoto no Shitagō to Ōe no Masafusa
- 17 Heian canons of Chinese poetry:Wakan rōeishūand Bai Juyi
- 18 The Literary Essence of Our Court (Honchō monzui)
- 19 Vernacular histories:Eiga monogatari, Ōkagami, Gukanshō
- 20 Heian popular songs:imayōandRyōjin hishō
- Part III The medieval period (1185–1600)
- Part IV The Edo period (1600–1867)
- Part V The modern period (1868 to present)
- Bibliography of English secondary sources and translations
- Index
Summary
Genji monogatari or The Tale of Genji was composed by Murasaki Shikibu around the first decade of the eleventh century. Genji monogatari is divided into two major sections: chapters 1 to 41, which describe the story of Genji and the women in his life, and chapters 42 to 54, which deals with Genji's progeny. The first section is subdivided into: chapters 1 to 33, narrating the rise, fall, and rise again of the young Genji, and chapters 34 to 41, which portray him becoming increasingly introspective and contemplative. The story begins with a love affair between the emperor and Kiritsubo. Captivated by her close resemblance to the late Kiritsubo, Genji's father takes in a new consort, known to as Fujitsubo. The earliest documented evidence of Genji reading is found in the diary of the author herself, which claims that figures like the poet Fujiwara no Kinto, Fujiwara no Michinaga, and the Ichijo Emperor read at least parts of Genji monogatari.
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- The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature , pp. 129 - 139Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2015
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