Ivan Morris’s definitive and widely acclaimed portrait of the ceremonious and melancholy world of ancient Japan. • "A book which should delight anyone interested in Japan.” —
The New York Times Book Review
Using
The Tale of Genji
and other major literary works from Japan’s Heian period as a frame of reference,
The World of the Shining Prince
recreates an era when women set the cultural tone. Focusing on the world of the emperor’s court—a world deeply admired by Virginia Woolf, among others—renowned scholar of Japanese history and literature Ivan Morris explores the politics, society, religious life, and superstitions of the period.
Offering readers detailed portrayals of the daily lives of courtiers, the cult of beauty they espoused, and the intricate relations between the men and women of the age,
has been a cornerstone text on ancient Japan for half a century.