Step into the private chambers of the Japanese imperial palace alongside Murasaki Shikibu, the renowned author of “The Tale of Genji,” in her captivating diary. This modern translation of Murasaki Shikibu's Diary preserves the timeless allure of her storytelling while making her intimate reflections accessible to contemporary readers. As you journey through the pages of this literary treasure, prepare to be transported to a world of elegance, intrigue, and profound emotional depth. Experience firsthand the enduring legacy of a literary genius whose words continue to captivate hearts and minds centuries later. This newly translated edition offers readers a rare glimpse into the daily life and innermost thoughts of one of history's most enigmatic figures. In this modern translation of Murasaki Shikibu's Diary, Erick DuPree, reminds us why Murasaki Shikibu’s voice echoes across the ages, inviting us to embark on a journey of discovery and enlightenment. As we immerse ourselves in the luminous prose of this literary luminary, we are reminded of the enduring power of words to illuminate the darkest recesses of the human heart.

Step into the private chambers of the Japanese imperial palace alongside Murasaki Shikibu, the renowned author of "The Tale of Genji," in her captivating diary. Murasaki Shikibu serves as tutor to Empress Shoshi, offering insights into courtly life through her diary. From celebrations of a prince's birth to tensions among the Emperor's consorts, Murasaki's keen observations resonate with wit and honesty. Beyond the glamour, her diary delves deep into human experience, exploring psychology and relationships with introspection. Her prose blends pragmatism and melancholy, inviting readers to reflect on life's truths. Murasaki emerges as both chronicler and philosopher, piercing societal conventions with incisive commentary. Through her words, readers transcend time, connecting with the timeless relevance of human experience. In Erick DuPree's translation, Murasaki Shikibu's voice resonates, inviting readers on a journey of enlightenment. Through her luminous prose, we rediscover the power of words to illuminate the human heart. In this modern translation of Murasaki Shikibu's Diary, Erick DuPree, reminds us why Murasaki Shikibu's voice echoes across the ages, inviting us to embark on a journey of discovery and enlightenment. As we immerse ourselves in the luminous prose of this literary luminary, we are reminded of the enduring power of words to illuminate the darkest recesses of the human heart.

The Description for this book, Murasaki Shikibu: Her Diary and Poetic Memoirs, will be forthcoming.

The Diary recorded by Lady Murasaki (c. 973-c. 1020), author of The Tale of Genji, is an intimate picture of her life as tutor and companion to the young Empress Shoshi. Told in a series of vignettes, it offers revealing glimpses of the Japanese imperial palace - the auspicious birth of a prince, rivalries between the Emperor's consorts, with sharp criticism of Murasaki's fellow ladies-in-waiting and drunken courtiers, and telling remarks about the timid Empress and her powerful father, Michinaga. The Diary is also a work of great subtlety and intense personal reflection, as Murasaki makes penetrating insights into human psychology - her pragmatic observations always balanced by an exquisite and pensive melancholy.

An abridged edition of the world’s first novel, in a translation that is “likely to be the definitive edition . . . for many years to come” (The Wall Street Journal) A Penguin Classic Written in the eleventh century, this exquisite portrait of courtly life in medieval Japan is widely celebrated as the world’s first novel—and is certainly one of its finest. Genji, the Shining Prince, is the son of an emperor. He is a passionate character whose tempestuous nature, family circumstances, love affairs, alliances, and shifting political fortunes form the core of this magnificent epic. Royall Tyler’s superior translation is detailed, poetic, and superbly true to the Japanese original while allowing the modern reader to appreciate it as a contemporary treasure. In this deftly abridged edition, Tyler focuses on the early chapters, which vividly evoke Genji as a young man and leave him at his first moment of triumph. This edition also includes detailed notes, glossaries, character lists, and chronologies.

A thousand years ago, a young Japanese girl embarked on a journey from deep in the countryside of eastern Japan to the capital. Forty years later, with the long account of that journey as a foundation, the mature woman skillfully created an autobiography that incorporates many moments of heightened awareness from her long life. Married at age thirty-three, she identified herself as a reader and writer more than as a wife and mother; enthralled by fiction, she bore witness to the dangers of romantic fantasy as well as the enduring consolation of self-expression. This reader’s edition streamlines Sonja Arntzen and Moriyuki Itō’s acclaimed translation of the Sarashina Diary for general readers and classroom use. This translation captures the lyrical richness of the original text while revealing its subtle structure and ironic meaning, highlighting the author’s deep concern for Buddhist belief and practice and the juxtaposition of poetic passages and narrative prose. The translators’ commentary offers insight into the author’s family and world, as well as the style, structure, and textual history of her work.