(Ebook) The Tale of Genji: A Visual Companion by Melissa McCormick ISBN 9780691172682, 0691172684

(Ebook) The Tale of Genji: A Visual Companion by Melissa McCormick ISBN 9780691172682, 0691172684

An illustrated guide to one of the most enduring masterworks of world literatureWritten in the eleventh century by the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji is a masterpiece of prose & poetry that is widely considered the world’s first novel. Melissa McCormick provides a unique companion to Murasaki’s tale that combines discussions of all fifty-four of its chapters with paintings & calligraphy from the Genji Album (1510) in the Harvard Art Museums, the oldest dated set of Genji illustrations known to exist. In this book, the album’s colorful painting & calligraphy leaves are fully reproduced for the first time, followed by McCormick’s insightful essays that analyze the Genji story & the album’s unique combinations of word & image. This stunning compendium also includes English translations & Japanese transcriptions of the album’s calligraphy, enabling a holistic experience of the work for readers today. In an introduction to the volume, McCormick tells the fascinating stories of the individuals who created the Genji Album in the sixteenth century, from the famous court painter who executed the paintings & the aristocrats who brushed the calligraphy to the work’s warrior patrons & the poet-scholars who acted as their intermediaries.Beautifully illustrated, this book serves as an invaluable guide for readers interested in The Tale of Genji, Japanese literature, & the captivating visual world of Japan’s most celebrated work of fiction.Lady Murasaki Shikibu, born in the year 978, was a member of the famed Fujiwara clan--one of the most influential families of the Heian period. Her literary ability quickly won her a place in the entourage of the Empress Akiko. After the death of her husband, Murasaki Shikibu immersed herself in Buddhism, & the religion's influences permeate her writing.