The Heian era of the tenth and eleventh centuries is recognized as one of the very greatest periods in Japanese literature, and The Tale of Genji is not only the unquestioned prose masterpiece of that period, but also the most absorbing account we have of the intricate, exquisite, highly ordered court culture which made such a masterpiece possible. Edward Seidensticker’s translation of Lady Murasaki’s splendid romance has been honoured throughout the world for its fluency, scholarly depth, literary tact and sensitivity.