Murasaki Shikibu





Murasaki Shikibu

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born
Kyoto, Japan

gender
female

genre


About this author

Murasaki Shikibu, or Lady Murasaki as she is sometimes known in English, was a Japanese novelist, poet, and a maid of honor of the imperial court during the Heian period. She is best known as the author of The Tale of Genji, written in Japanese between about 1000 and 1008, one of the earliest and most famous novels in human history. "Murasaki Shikibu" was not her real name; her actual name is unknown, though some scholars have postulated that her given name might have been Takako (for Fujiwara Takako). Her diary states that she was nicknamed "Murasaki" ("purple wisteria blossom") at court, after a character in The Tale of Genji. "Shikibu" refers to her father's position in the Bureau of Ceremony (shikibu-shō).


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Average rating: 3.66 · 3243 ratings · 337 reviews · 27 distinct works
The Tale of Genji
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3.65 of 5 stars 365 avg rating — 2900 ratings — published 1021 — 66 editions
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The Diary of Lady Murasaki
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3.84 of 5 stars 384 avg rating — 203 ratings — published 1996 — 4 editions
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Diaries of Court Ladies of ...
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4.26 of 5 stars 426 avg rating — 23 ratings — published 1998 — 2 editions
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The Tale of Genji: Scenes f...
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3.59 of 5 stars 359 avg rating — 17 ratings — published 2001
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A String of Flowers, Untied...
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3.36 of 5 stars 336 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 2001 — 3 editions
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Storia di Genji. Il princip...
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4.0 of 5 stars 400 avg rating — 25 ratings8 editions
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The Tale of Genji, Part I
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4.0 of 5 stars 400 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 1955
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O Romance de Genji (Book 2)
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4.25 of 5 stars 425 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 1935 — 6 editions
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La Signora Della Barca, Il ...
3.33 of 5 stars 333 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2002
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Poèmes
4.0 of 5 stars 400 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1986
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“ To be pleasant, gentle, calm and self-possessed: this is the basis of good taste and charm in a woman. No matter how amorous or passionate you may be, as long as you are straightforward and refrain from causing others embarrassment, no one will mind. But women who are too vain and act pretentiously, to the extent that they make others feel uncomfortable, will themselves become the object of attention; and once that happens, people will find fault with whatever they say or do; whether it be how they enter a room, how they sit down, how they stand up or how they take their leave. Those who end up contradicting themselves and those who disparage their companions are also carefully watched and listened to all the more. As long as you are free from such faults, people will surely refrain from listening to tittle-tattle and will want to show you sympathy, if only for the sake of politeness.
I am of the opinion that when you intentionally cause hurt to another, or indeed if you do ill through mere thoughtless behavior, you fully deserve to be censured in public. Some people are so good-natured that they can still care for those who despise them, but I myself find it very difficult. Did the Buddha himself in all his compassion ever preach that one should simply ignore those who slander the Three Treasures? How in this sullied world of ours can those who are hard done by be expected to reciprocate in kind?”
Murasaki Shikibu, The Diary of Lady Murasaki

“The bond between husband and wife is a strong one. Suppose the man had hunted her out and brought her back. The memory of her acts would still be there, and inevitably, sooner or later, it would be cause for rancor. When there are crises, incidents, a woman should try to overlook them, for better or for worse, and make the bond into something durable. The wounds will remain, with the woman and with the man, when there are crises such as I have described. It is very foolish for a woman to let a little dalliance upset her so much that she shows her resentment openly. He has his adventures--but if he has fond memories of their early days together, his and hers, she may be sure that she matters. A commotion means the end of everything. She should be quiet and generous, and when something comes up that quite properly arouses her resentment she should make it known by delicate hints. The man will feel guilty and with tactful guidance he will mend his ways. Too much lenience can make a woman seem charmingly docile and trusting, but it can also make her seem somewhat wanting in substance. We have had instances enough of boats abandoned to the winds and waves.
It may be difficult when someone you are especially fond of, someone beautiful and charming, has been guilty of an indiscretion, but magnanimity produces wonders. They may not always work, but generosity and reasonableness and patience do on the whole seem best.”
Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji

“Real things in the darkness seem no realer than dreams.”
Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji

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