The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon

Take a firsthand journey into a time, society and world full of intrigue. In the tenth century, Japan stood physically and culturally isolated from the rest of the world. Sei Shonagon--a young courtesan of the Heian period--kept a diary, which provides a highly personal account of the intrigues, dalliances, quirks, and habits of Japan's late tenth-century elite. She was a contemporary and acquaintance of the well-known courtesan Murasaki Shikibu, author of the Japanese masterpiece The Tale of Genji. A perfect companion to that work, The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon brings an added dimension to Murasaki's timeless and seminal novel and further illuminates Japanese court life in all its ritualistic glory. Through his elegant and readable abridged translation, Arthur Waley perfectly conveys Sei Shonagon's girlish temperament and quirky personality. In a place and time where poetry was as important as knowledge and beauty was highly revered, Sei Shonagon's private writings offer a charming, intimate glimpse into a world of innocence and pale beauty. A new introduction by respected Japanese literary scholar Dennis Washburn provides historical insight into Japanese culture, Sei Shonagon's world, and Waley's translation.

Sei Shōnagon was a Japanese author, poet, and lady of the court who served the Empress Teishi during the middle Heian period, around 1000 A.D. What little is known of her comes from her writings. The daughter and granddaughter of poets, Sei Shōnagon is best remembered for her "Pillow-Book", a collection of essays, anecdotes, poems, and descriptive passages recorded around the end of the first millennium and the beginning of the second. A largely unrelated group of writings the work can be roughly categorized into three parts. In the first part, the reader will find narratives concerning court life; in the second part, Sei Shōnagon presents her opinions on various matters; and in the third part, there is a series of famous lists. A work that is hard to categorize, the "Pillow-Book" remains an important first-hand account of Japanese court life in the tenth and eleventh centuries. Presented here is the abbreviated translation of Arthur Waley, first published in 1928.

Sei Shōnagon was a Japanese author, poet, and lady of the court who served the Empress Teishi during the middle Heian period, around 1000 A.D. What little is known of her comes from her writings. The daughter and granddaughter of poets, Sei Shōnagon is best remembered for her "Pillow-Book", a collection of essays, anecdotes, poems, and descriptive passages recorded around the end of the first millennium and the beginning of the second. A largely unrelated group of writings the work can be roughly categorized into three parts. In the first part, the reader will find narratives concerning court life; in the second part, Sei Shōnagon presents her opinions on various matters; and in the third part, there is a series of famous lists. A work that is hard to categorize, the "Pillow-Book" remains an important first-hand account of Japanese court life in the tenth and eleventh centuries. Presented here is the abbreviated translation of Arthur Waley, first published in 1928.

Japan in the 10th century stood physically and culturally isolated from the rest of the world. Inside this bubble, a subtle and beautiful world was in operation, and its inhabitants were tied to the moment, having no interest in the future and disdain for the past. The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon was a product of a tenth-century courtier's experiences in the palace of Empress Teishi. A common custom of the time period, courtiers used to keep notes or a diary in a wooden pillow with a drawer. This "pillow book" reflects the confident aesthetic judgments of Shonagon and her ability to create prose that crossed into the realm of the poetic. The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon is one of the earliest examples of diary literature whose passages chronicle the events of the court calendar, the ceremonies and celebrations specific to Teishi's court, and the vignettes that provide brilliantly drawn glimpses into the manners and foibles of the aristocracy. A contemporary of Murasaki Shikibu, the author of The Tale of Genji, this small diary brings an added dimension to Murasaki's timeless and seminal work. Arthur Waley's elegant translation of The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon captures the beauty of its prose and the vitality of Shonagon's narrative voice, as well as her quirky personality traits. In a place and time where poetry was as important as knowledge and beauty was highly revered, Sei Shonagon's private writings give the reader a charming and intimate glimpse into a time of isolated innocence and pale beauty.

Japan in the 10th century stood physically and culturally isolated from the rest of the world. Inside this bubble, a subtle and beautiful world was in operation, and its inhabitants were tied to the moment, having no interest in the future and disdain for the past. The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon was a product of a tenth-century courtier's experiences in the palace of Empress Teishi. A common custom of the time period, courtiers used to keep notes or a diary in a wooden pillow with a drawer. This "pillow book" reflects the confident aesthetic judgments of Shonagon and her ability to create prose that crossed into the realm of the poetic. The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon is one of the earliest examples of diary literature whose passages chronicle the events of the court calendar, the ceremonies and celebrations specific to Teishi's court, and the vignettes that provide brilliantly drawn glimpses into the manners and foibles of the aristocracy. A contemporary of Murasaki Shikibu, the author of The Tale of Genji, this small diary brings an added dimension to Murasaki's timeless and seminal work. Arthur Waley's elegant translation of The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon captures the beauty of its prose and the vitality of Shonagon's narrative voice, as well as her quirky personality traits. In a place and time where poetry was as important as knowledge and beauty was highly revered, Sei Shonagon's private writings give the reader a charming and intimate glimpse into a time of isolated innocence and pale beauty.