Puzzle No. 61: When?

In the early eleventh century the noblewoman and lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu, serving at the imperial court in Heian-period Japan, wrote The Tale of Genji, a sprawling prose narrative of the loves, intrigues and melancholy of the fictional 'Shining Prince' Genji and his descendants. References to the work appear by 1008, and it is generally accepted to have reached its present form by 1021, when a diarist recorded her delight at obtaining a complete copy. Composed in vernacular Japanese using the kana syllabary favoured by court women rather than literary Chinese, its psychological depth, sustained characterisation and interwoven plotting have led many scholars to call it the world's first novel, and the first to win global recognition written by a woman. Beyond its literary stature, it is a uniquely detailed window onto the aesthetics, etiquette and emotional sensibility of the Heian aristocracy. The work became a cornerstone of Japanese culture, endlessly illustrated, adapted and revered, and a touchstone of world literature.

Read the full story · See the world in 1008 CE