The Diary of Lady Murasaki

Murasaki Shikibu (author), Richard Bowring (author of introduction), Richard Bowring (author of notes), Richard Bowring (translator)

Paperback Published on: 07/03/1996

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Synopsis

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.

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
ISBN: 9780140435764
Number of pages: 144
Weight: 112g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 8 mm