Before reading your essay, I can say without a doubt that I had never heard of The Tale of Genji. I found it interesting that it was written to entertain the Japanese nobles and that during that era they were accustomed to speaking to each other in long drawn out sentences with complex grammar. It seems endearing but tiring! I've always liked reading novels with lots of imagery and description, so I like the idea of the author detailing the scenery, faces, and emotion of the story but I also agree that having a one dimensional character would be uninteresting. Why do you think it was considered rude to use someones real name in their society?

I think this is worth preserving for future generations because it is one of the oldest manuscripts in existence and it seems to shine a light on much of the history and culture of the time.