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Genji Mogatari (early eleventh century) by Murasaki Shikibu is considered the pre-eminent masterpiece of Heian fiction and an early example of fiction as a novel.
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Literature reflected the rise and fall of the Taira with a spotlight on their wars with the Minamoto clan.
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Composing Renga (a long form of a poem) became a favorite pastime which resulted in Haikai (a comedic Renga). Many genres of literature made their debut and helped raise literacy rates among the growing population with the development of lending libraries.