Description
Japan in the tenth 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 Shōnagon was a product of a tenth-century courtier's experiences in the palace of Empress Teishi. A common custom of the 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 Sei Shōnagon and her ability to create prose that crossed into the realm of the poetic. The Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon 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 Shōnagon captures the beauty of its prose and the vitality of Shōnagon'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 Shōnagon's private writings give the reader a charming and intimate glimpse into a time of isolated innocence and pale beauty.