The 11th-century Japanese epic 'The Tale of Genji' has been described as the world's very first novel. The sprawling 54-chapter-long saga set in medieval Japan tells sweeping tales of imperial court rivalries, doomed love affairs and the Buddhist view of the afterlife. And now, an exhibition in New York is looking at the influence that this historical tome has had on the creative classes over the last millennia.

John Carpenter, Curator of Japanese Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art & Co-curator of the Genji Exhibition 03:49

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