This Norton Critical Edition includes: Dennis Washburn's acclaimed and unabridged translation; Editorial matter by Dennis Washburn; 14 background selections - from the eleventh-century The Daughter of Sugawara no Takasue to Virginia Woolf - carefully selected to increase the reader's understanding and appreciation of this nuanced and vibrant work; 9 critical essays on The Tale of Genji's central themes; An index of songs and poetry, three chronologies, and a selected bibliography.