Lady Murasaki Shikibu was a court lady, and author of the 'Genji monogatari' (Tale of Genji, c. 1010), generally considered the greatest classic Japanese literature, which is thought to be the world's first novel.

The Tale of Genji was called 'a sensitivity to things'; the hero Prince Genji, is not remarkable for his military exploits but as an incomparable lover, sensitive to each of the women he wins. The story relates of how each woman evokes a different response from this extraordinary complex man.
www link :
The Tale of Genji