"The Tale of Genji" is a classic Japanese literary work that has had a huge impact on the development of Japanese literature. It is known as the peak of Japanese classical literature and opened the era of "mono-sorrow" in Japan. . The work is generally believed to have been written between 1001 and 1008. Therefore, it can be said that "The Tale of Genji" is the earliest full-length novel in the world. The novel describes the style of Japan during the Heian Kyo period, reveals human nature, and the struggles in the palace, reflecting Heian's Life in the imperial court of the period.
"The Tale of Genji" was written between 1001 and 1008 AD. "The Tale" is a Japanese literary genre. It is the world's earliest long-form realistic novel and an immortal national literature for 30 million Japanese families. , is recognized as one of the top ten ideal collections of Asian literature in the world, and is also an indispensable treasure in the treasure house of world literature.
This book is set in the heyday of the Heian Dynasty in Japan. Through the life experience and love story of the protagonist Genji, it describes the corrupt politics and promiscuous life of the society at that time. The mutual strife and power struggle between the upper class nobles are the main thread. A main thread in the whole book, Genji's love marriage reveals the tragic fate of women under polygamy. In aristocratic societies, marriage between men and women was often a means of political struggle, and women became tools of political transactions and playthings in the hands of aristocratic men.
The book has fifty-four chapters and nearly one million words. The story involves four generations of emperors, lasting more than 70 years, and involves more than 400 characters, among whom there are 20 or 30 who have vivid impressions. The characters are mainly upper-class nobles, but there are also lower-class families, palaces, poetesses and common people. The whole book is centered on the Genji family. The first half describes the sad or beautiful love lives of Prince Genji and his concubines and maids. The second half takes Prince Genji's son Xunjun as the protagonist and lays out the complicated love entanglements between men and women. . From the perspective of genre, the book is quite similar to the legends of the Tang Dynasty and the storybooks of the Song Dynasty, but the writing is elegant and has the charm of prose. In addition, the book quotes more than 90 poems by Bai Juyi, as well as "Book of Rites", "Warring States Policy", The historical facts and allusions in ancient Chinese books such as "Historical Records" and "Hanshu" are cleverly hidden in the charming storyline, giving the book a rich atmosphere of Chinese classical literature. Chinese readers will read it as if they were reading domestic novels. A strong sense of closeness. Moreover, the book is the same as "A Dream of Red Mansions" in that the characters involved are all members of the royal family. Although the scene shown is of the Japanese aristocracy, the emphasis on love life is similar to that of "A Dream of Red Mansions", but it is better than "A Dream of Red Mansions". It is more than 700 years earlier, so it is considered Japan's "Dream of Red Mansions".
The author of "The Tale of Genji" is Murasaki Shikibu (973-1015), a famous female writer in Japan's Heian period (794-1192 AD). Murasaki Shikibu's real surname is Fujiwara, and her last name is unknown. According to the ancient Japanese practice of women not having names, Murasaki Shikibu was just the name added to the works written by her by later generations. Because her eldest brother was Shikibu Cheng, and female officials in the palace at that time were often named after their father and brother's official titles to show their status, so they were called Fuji Shikibu; later, because the heroine Murasaki Hime in her "The Tale of Genji" was named Fujishikibu. People around the world recited it, so it was renamed Murasaki Shikibu. The author's birth and death dates are unknown, but it is generally believed that he was born in 978 and died in 1015. Murasaki Shikibu was born in a middle-class aristocratic family full of books. She was a very talented woman. Her grandfather and elder brothers were all famous singers at that time. Her father was good at Chinese poetry and songs, and he had a good study of Chinese classical literature. As a result, the author was able to study Chinese poetry with her father since she was a child, and was familiar with ancient Chinese classics. She not only had a deep knowledge of Bai Juyi's poetry, but also had a good understanding of Buddhist scriptures and music. Murasaki Shikibu's family was in decline, and he once became a step-mother to an official. After her husband died, she relied on her father and brother to live, and she remained a widow for ten years. Later, she entered the palace and became a lady-in-waiting to Empress Akiko, explaining Bai Juyi's poems. While serving in the palace, Murasaki Shikibu wrote "Murrasaki Shikibu Diary", "Murrasaki Shikibu Collection" and other works. "The Tale of Genji" was written by her to the empress for the emperor's entertainment. Readings (some say it was obtained by sorting out and processing the works of his father).
Because of his direct experience of palace life, he had a comprehensive understanding of the lewd life of the Japanese aristocracy and the love affairs between men and women at that time.
Coupled with the author's delicate and sensitive heart, "The Tale of Genji" is touching to read, just like a classical, elegant and beautiful "romance novel".