Chapter on the Genji Monogatari, A History of Japanese Literature

What it is

This is a chapter from A History of Japanese Literature, written in 1899 by William George Aston. It discusses the Genji Monogatari and its author, known to history as Murasaki no Shikibu, describing her family background and the uncertainty surrounding her real name.

Why it matters

Written over 800 years after Murasaki Shikibu's lifetime, this text represents an early Western scholarly attempt to analyze her novel and its place in Japanese literary history. It shows how later historians studied and interpreted her work for audiences outside Japan.

Look closer

• Why does the author say Murasaki Shikibu's real name is unknown?
• What assumptions does the writer make about naming customs of the time?
• How might a book written in 1899 by a Western scholar differ from a Japanese account of the same subject?