During the course of reading A tale of Genji, a lot of jidaigeki (period Japanese drama) thta I have watched in the past decade suddenly started to make sense. And, of course, a part of Japanese culture in itself is deeply rooted in these timeless stories. 
 The book is written by a woman of noble class written for women of her own class. The writing is inviting, intimate and is almost like sharing a secret. Shikibu-san employs subtlety, metaphors and euphemisms to drive home a point; its both frustrating and very tongue-in cheek. 
 Its the writing that is inviting and lulling into a false sense of security since plot is very ordinary. With some aspects of lifestyle that modern world has come to frown or downright condemn, a constant reminder that Genji lived a thousand years ago is absolutely necessary. Once that thought is settled and is available at anytime the cringe worthy actions are glorified or brushed off, the story gets a lot easier to consume and frankly, more enjoyable. 
 Shikibu-san tale circumvents instability in feudal Japan and introspects on society and its people. Its a genius piece of literature.