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The main subject of the episode - an 11th century Japanese novel described as 'the supreme, unchallenged, canonical classic of Japanese literature' and over 1,000 pages long in the Royal Tyler translation

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Used as a comparison to show the cultural importance of The Tale of Genji in Japan, described as playing a similar role to Don Quixote in Spain

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Dominic's book about the first two years of the Thatcher government, mentioned humorously by Tom as being comparable in length and quality to The Tale of Genji

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Mentioned as a comparison to other works of literature being produced across Eurasia in the same period as The Tale of Genji, described as having 'jin and all that' and 'people hiding in vases'

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Mentioned as another contemporary work from France about a heroic figure in Charlemagne's court, used to contrast with the different style of The Tale of Genji

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Described as 'a history of Japan that's coming out' and noted as 'a very good book' that both hosts were reading

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Described as 'a brilliant book on the tale of Genji' and quoted regarding Japan's acquisition of Chinese culture

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Used as a comparison to The Tale of Genji, described as 'widely held to be one of the two or three greatest novels of the 20th century' and similar in themes about desire, loss, and the passage of time

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Mentioned as another comparison made by critics to The Tale of Genji

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Mentioned alongside Anna Karenina as a comparison to The Tale of Genji, with Tolstoy being 'the other great comparison'

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Mentioned to emphasize the age of The Tale of Genji, noting it is '700 years older than Robinson Crusoe, which is generally thought to be the first English novel'

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Described as 'the great epic of the Iranian people' written by the poet Ferdowsi in Persia during the same period as The Tale of Genji, containing 'sorcerers and giant talking birds and Alexander the Great'

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Mentioned at the end as the subject of the next episode, written by another woman at the Heian court who Murasaki hated, described as 'one of the wittiest, most elegant, most brilliant women who's ever lived'