The Pillow Book

by Sei Shōnagon

Book Overview

The classic portrayal of court life in tenth-century Japan

Written by the court gentlewoman Sei Shonagon, ostensibly for her own amusement, The Pillow Book offers a fascinating exploration of life among the nobility at the height of the Heian period, describing the exquisite pleasures of a confined world in which poetry, love, fashion, and whim dominated, while harsh reality was kept firmly at a distance. Moving elegantly across...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140448063
• ISBN13: 9780140448061
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.2" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

The Tuttle edition, translated by Arthur Walley makes a mockery of the source material

While the foreword tries to justify Walley’s blatant buffoonery, it is just too overbearing to ignore. This is not The Pillow Book, this is the quarter of it that the translator (a british man in the 1920s) felt was not “dull, unintelligible and repetitive”, sandwiched between the self-stimulatory ravings of someone much too self involved to be a translator. The only reason this doesn’t have one star is the fact that the small portion of this that is the actual book is absolutely stunning!

Loved it!

Loved it!

A look back in time

Relatively little is known about Sei Shonagon's life, except what is revealed in "The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon." What is known is that she was a court lady in tenth-century Japan, at the pinnacle of the Heian culture. Her reminiscences and thoughts add up to both an entertaining read and a glimpse back in time.The story behind the Pillow Book is that when Shonagon (possible real name: Nagiko) was serving the Imperial Family, the Empress received a bunch of notebooks that she couldn't use, so she gave them to Shonagon. Part diary, part lists, part essays on things around her, the Pillow Book pretty much defies classification. One of the most intriguing things about the Pillow Book is the glimpse into tenth-century Japan that it gives. Shonagon's stories are about little things like flutes, disobedient dogs, clothes, and the Empress's ladies betting on how long it would take a giant mound of snow to melt (no, I'm not kidding). It makes the past seem a little less distant. And the people in it seem more like people and less like historical paper dolls. An example is the Empress chatting as her hair is being done one morning.It's pretty obvious that Shonagon was a bright and witty woman, although she could be quite a snob. However, her appreciation for simple pleasures will probably win over readers. Her charming love of beauty is often enchanting; she often lists things that she finds pleasing, such as moons, summer nights, flowers and willow trees. She also listed her pet peeves (such as parents worshiping a very unappealing child -- something that made me chuckle), things she found depressing or annoying. A stickler for form and ettiquette, she had very precise ideas about how things should be done (right down to how lovers should act). "The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon" is beautifully-written and highly entertaining. You don't have to be well-versed in this sort of literature to appreciate this unique memoir by a unique woman.

The Fictionalized Reality of Ancient Japan

I have just completed a reading of Ivan Morris' translation of the Sei Shonagon Pillow Book and I cannot reccoment it enough. What is striking about the literature of Heian era Japan is not only that the great majority of it was produced by brilliant women, but that the parallels between the ancient human condition and that of the modern are amazing. Reading about the joys and annoyances in the life the brilliant and quick witted Sei Shonagon are comfortingly familiar. In comparison to other literature of the time it is also an extremely candid look at a fascinating civilization. What sets Shonagon apart from her contermporaries is her ability to express uncensored opinions that are both hillarious, beautiful, and heartbreaking. She does not show the aversion to boldness that some of her (though equally brilliant) sisters of the ancient courts demonstrate. All the writing of this era is fascinating and becoming unfortunately harder to find (eg - the out of print status of the beautiful Izumi Shikibu Diary - Nikki) If anything, purchase this book to keep the brilliant voices of women past alive in our hearts, minds and presses today!

You are handed a key.

The book is timeless. It's not about Heian era Japan - after the not very taxing mental effort you can detach yourself from Oriental trappings, they are very secondary. The style is so pure and unpretentious there is no need to cut through the layers in a quest for the meaning.It's the best testimony to the eternal truth of the human character regardless of the century or country it lives in.Sei Shonagon's life was secluded, not rich in dramatic events, she did not travel much. She was mostly imprisoned in the palace, highly intelligent human statue.So she just went inward and the contemplation of the floor mat texture became as important as the details of the court life. She accepts everything with the same detached smile. Her time is filled with making a catalogue of words, senses, mountains and flowers - her universe.I think that book is vital to our world with it's meganews-every-minute media and attention spans reaching zero. It shows how to sit back and look at all this with a small benevolent smile, craving neither isolation nor wild participation in the daily rush.This book was not intended as a key to happiness but it is. Take it.

Amazingly Insightful - Excellently Translated & Explained

The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon is a very old diary/journal of a woman in court life in ancient Japan. The translation with all the helpful hints by Ivan Morris is excellent - I was never at a loss to what was happening. With Ivan's help Sei brings back to life 1000 years ago in Japan. Her writings are her observations to life around her. Sei talks about court life, people who surround her & simple pleasures (like observing the moon and writing poetry). Often times her writings are no more than pure gossip giving the book a true life as if she was writing just last week. For the casual reader it is well worth the enjoyment of a "Pillow Book" - for those interested in Japanese History it is a must!

Thank you Sei Shonagon!

This memoir/diary from a lady in the Heian Period of Japan is one of the most fascinating things you will ever read. Here, a Japanese court lady puts down her thoughts on all things, and on her daily life. You will realize how sensual and tuned in to everything she is, and how little things can hold such infinite, endless beauty. Her powers of description are entrancing, and even devastatingly brilliant. There are parts that are extremely funny, extremely amusing, and parts that are insuperably beautiful. This book is highly suggested!