Royall Tyler
translator of The Tale of Genji

Widely acknowledged as the world's first novel, The Tale of Genji is also considered, as Donald Keene astutely observed, to be "one of its greatest." Written by Lady Murasaki in the eleventh century, The Tale of Genji has been translated into English in its entirety only twince since its writing, and 25 years have passed since its last translation. In a landmark literary event that follows the tradition of Robert Fagles's translation of The Iliad and The Odyssey, Royall Tyler presents a superbly updated translation. Join us for a discussion with Tyler, who is at Harvard for the 2001-2001 academic year, having recently retired for the Australian National University. His translation is scrupulously close to the Japanese original, yet allows the modern reader to appreciate it perfectlyas a contemporary treasure.

Harvard Information Center in The Holyoke Center, 1350 Mass. Ave. 6PM. Tickets available at Harvard Book Store.