The most celebrated piece of Japanese literature is Genji Monogatari (The Tale of Genji), which was written by the lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th Century. It is celebrated for its uniqueness and complexity, both in language and in style, making it very difficult to read and understand. It was later translated to modern Japanese by poet Akiko Yosano. Genji Monogatari depicts the lifestyle of high courtiers during the Heian period and is considered the most transcendent novel of Heian fiction.