In addition to translations true to the original text, various freely translated novels making radical interpretations were written, as represented by "The Tale of Yohen Genji" by Osamu HASHIMOTO, and some have tried to turn it into a manga comic like "Asaki Yume mishi (Not Having a Dream)" by Waki YAMATO and "Maro," by Yoshihiro KOIZUMI.
また、原典に忠実な翻訳以外に、橋本治の『窯変源氏物語』に見られる大胆な解釈を施した意訳小説や、大和和紀の漫画『あさきゆめみし』や小泉吉宏の漫画『まろ、ん』を代表とした漫画作品化などの試みもなされている。