thumb|[[Murasaki Shikibu, author of Genji monogatari (The Tale of Genji)]]
is a literary form in traditional Japanese literature – an extended prose narrative tale comparable to epic literature. Monogatari is closely tied to aspects of the oral tradition, and almost always relates a fictional or fictionalized story, even when retelling a historical event. Many of the great works of Japanese fiction, such as the Genji Monogatari and the Heike Monogatari, are in the monogatari form.
History
The form was prominent around the 9th to 15th centuries, reaching a peak between the 10th and 13th centuries. Monogatari was the court literature during the Heian era and also persisted in the form of archaic fiction until the sixteenth century.
Genres
The genre is subdivided into multiple categories depending on their contents:
Denki-monogatari
Stories dealing with fantastical events.
Uta-monogatari
Stories drawn from poetry.
Tsukuri-monogatari
Aristocratic court romances.
Rekishi-monogatari
Historical tales that emerged during the late Heian period, flourishing until the medieval age. These narratives were commonly written in kanbun (hybrid form of Chinese) or wabun (Japanese).