Top ten Japanese novels

Julith Jedamus is the author of The Book of Loss. In 2005 she named a top ten list of Japanese novels for the Guardian.

One book on her list:

The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu (11th century)

The great Proustian novel from the late Heian Period. Though the world it describes is antique, the writing is wonderfully fresh and immediate. The emotions of the characters, both male and female, are subtly analysed. Read it in the new translation by Royall Tyler.

Read about another title on the list.

The Tale of Genji also appears on Fiona Campbell's list of the top 10 books set in Japan.

--Marshal Zeringue