What inspires the authors of novels to put their stories to paper? How do the events in their own lives combine with their imaginations to produce the tales that have us hanging on each page, eager to find out what happens next?
If you've ever wondered about this, you will enjoy Liza Dalby's "The Tale of Murasaki," which is the story of Murasaki Shikibu, author of "The Tale of Genji." "Genji" is believed to be the first novel-- it was completed in the 11th century by this lady of the Japanese Emporer's court. We know relatively little about her life, but Dalby has spun the fragments into a rich, fictional drama. It is the novel-behind-the-novel, and it rates a definite "+."
It helps to have read "Genji" before reading "Murasaki," but it is certainly not essential. Dalby has elegantly woven the lives of Genji and Lady Murasaki together. Details of Murasaki's life echo in her fictional rendition of court life. The reader will notice descriptions that sound suspiciously like passages of "Genji" and small events that are duplicated in the Genji storyline.
But even without these subtleties, "Murasaki" offers a fascinating look at the relation between author and subject matter. Murasaki begins the Genji stories from her imagination, filling a void in her otherwise somewhat sparse life as a lower noblewoman. Soon, however, Genji takes on a life of his own, particularly as Murasaki shares drafts of the stories with friends.
She finds herself modifying the texts based on suggestions and criticisms. Then she finds herself thinking about how Genji would react to certain situations in her own life. She devises ways to incorporate real-life events into the books in order to make a point. And finally, when her work is read at high levels of the Court, she finds herself under pressure to add or modify events in the tale to please those above her.
Remember, this was the first novel. These people had no experience with a story that was freshly created and set in their own time with realistic characters. They had heard sagas and myths, but not a contemporary novel. "Murasaki" is about the discovery of this genre-- the pleasures and perils of interweaving fiction and real life. It turns out to be quite a journey for both Lady Murasaki and her readers.
Dalby does a masterful job. She remains true to the times-- you can learn a lot about Heian culture from this book-- but also creates characters that the reader can empathize with. Overall, it is a fascinating tale related in rich, poetic prose. Delicious!
(As an aside, it is worth noting that the author, Liza Dalby, is the only Western woman to have become a full geisha, so she knows something of Japanese culture...)
Copyright © Kim Allen 2002
