The Tale of Murasaki
20 hrs. 33 min.
Description
In the 11th century, court lady Murasaki Shikibu created the world’s first novel with an ongoing plot, titled “The Tale of Genji,” which became unbelievably popular in Japanese literature. A thousand years later, on the threshold of the 21st century, American writer Lisa Dalby invented a biography for this remarkable writer and poet. In her novel, Lady Murasaki, thanks to her gift as a storyteller, receives an invitation to serve at the imperial court.
Lisa Dalby managed to bring ancient Japan to life and make it accessible for the modern reader: we can feel falling petals of delicate cherry blossoms in the garden of the Palace of Pure Coolness, see rice fields in harsh mountains, sense the bittersweet fragrance of chrysanthemums and the smell of a centuries-old mixture of incense known as “Embodiment of Autumn.”
Love and passion, politics and palace intrigues—each theme touched upon by “The Tale of Murasaki,” thanks to Dalby’s refined prose, gets under our skin.
Lisa Dalby managed to bring ancient Japan to life and make it accessible for the modern reader: we can feel falling petals of delicate cherry blossoms in the garden of the Palace of Pure Coolness, see rice fields in harsh mountains, sense the bittersweet fragrance of chrysanthemums and the smell of a centuries-old mixture of incense known as “Embodiment of Autumn.”
Love and passion, politics and palace intrigues—each theme touched upon by “The Tale of Murasaki,” thanks to Dalby’s refined prose, gets under our skin.
