The Tale of Genji, by a woman named Murasaki Shikibu, is the first novel ever written. Traditionally it is divided into 3 parts, but in this edition from 2001, it was meshed into a beautiful two part series.

Originally written some time prior to the year 1021,it was considered rude to name people, and throughout the book, the women are often found referred to by the color of their clothing, or the rank of a male relative.