The Tale of Genji

Context:

Discussed as the great Japanese classic written around the same time as The Pillow Book, with extensive passages read aloud including the famous episode of the Hitachi Princess's nose and Genji's poems. The hosts note its author knew and disliked Sei Shōnagon.

Context:

The hosts discuss this as the supreme canonical classic of Japanese literature, with Tom describing reading it while in Japan as 'one of the great reading experiences of my life.' They use the Royal Tyler translation extensively throughout the episode.

Context:

Described as 'the first kind of great novel from Asia' or 'the world's first psychological novel,' written by the aristocratic diarist and lady-in-waiting discussed as the first of the six chosen lives