Whether it is the first of its type is still disputed. The work is internally consistent, despite spanning the lifetime of its protagonist and having over four hundred characters. That protagonist is a son of the Emperor who endures rises and falls in his fortunes while remaining loyal to the women he loves. For 10 points, 
Whether it is the first of its type is still disputed. The work is internally consistent, despite spanning the lifetime of its protagonist and having over four hundred characters. That protagonist is a son of the Emperor who endures rises and falls in his fortunes while remaining loyal to the women he loves. For 10 points, identify this eleventh-century Japanese work by Murasaki Shikibu, possibly the first novel in the world.
Whether it is the first of its type is still disputed. The work is internally consistent, despite spanning the lifetime of its protagonist and having over four hundred characters.
The {Tale of Genji}