This slim 190-page book is dated but useful to readers who want to know the Tale of Genji but unable to rise to the task of reading the unabridged version.
The Tale of Genji {1360 words} is longer than War and Peace {1225 words}. Thus, this book is useful as it contains detailed summaries of all 54 chapters. The brief essays are now not so useful as the recent translations by
Washburn and Tyler have extensive essays, notes and Introduction.