1981
First Published
448
Number of Pages
After a hiatus of several years, Murasaki Shikibu returned to her epic work The Tale of Genji to write the ten final chapters known collectively as Uji Jyuujou (The Uji Chapters). In Part 1, containing the first six of these chapters, the readers are transported to the environs of Kyoto, to a small town called Uji. Here, Murasaki Shikibu follows the fortunes of an ostracized prince and his daughters, a young captain, and the second in line to the throne. In Part 2, Murasaki Shikibu delves into the romantic entanglements involving Ukifune and her two suitors, Prince Niou and Commander Kaoru. As it is suspected that Murasaki Shikibu herself had become a nun before writing these final chapters, it is not surprising that religion finally began to play a significant role in the narrative. Sadly, however, this volume also contains the final instalment in Murasaki's epic masterpiece.
