Customer Reviews

The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

This book opens a window on a vanished world. Yet, because the lady who wrote the book writes what she believes a private volume we get to see her world warts and all.

In many ways it shows that while society may change, and people are shaped by their culture, what it comes down to in the end is that we are still human beings.

I can't think of a volume from western litrature of this age written by women. This is proof is you ever needed it that Japan truly is a land of ancient cultured people. Thankfully one that has preserved at least some of what they knew.

The Pillow Book and the Tale of Genji continue to amaze me--they are each a thousand (!) years old and yet continue to captivate generations not only in their native Japan but around the world. One can easily picture Sei Shonagon being secretly quite pleased by her Pillow Book's popularity, all the while blushingly pleading her embarrassment that her modest writings have seen the light of day.

Rating this book gave me difficulties, as there are a number of components that all deserve special attention. So, I have divided my review into segments.

Historical significance (5 stars) - The historical significance of the Pillow Book can obviously not be overstated. Sei Shonagon has left us a record of the events, aesthetics, and social mores of the time in a way that is both detailed and insightful. The diary-like style of writing allows the reader and historian a glimpse at everyday things that might be overlooked in a more narrative-style writing like the Tale of Genji.

Original Writing Style (5 stars) - Although the zuihitsu style of writing can be disorienting for the uninitiated, it gives Sei Shonagon the freedom to quickly change subjects and focus on the specifics of what it is she wants to talk about without worrying about overall flow or composition. Shonagon's personality flows from the pages, and the reader forms an instant bond with her that deepens as the pages turn.

Interest to Modern Readers (4 stars) - Although many of Sei Shonagon's comments are universal and timeless (particularly those relating to human nature, especially the relations between the sexes), a good number of the comments have little intuitive meaning to the modern reader. Shonagon's comments regarding the aesthetics of clothing or court rituals, for example, are comprehensible to the reader but being so far removed from our daily lives or modern aesthetics, fail to strike a chord. Fortunately, most of Shonagon's observations can be transposed onto the modern world, but unfortunately (and through no fault of her own) many are still unique to Shonagon's world. This is a disadvantage to the zuihitsu style as opposed to a narrative style. In the Tale of Genji, the context is just that--the context. In the Pillow Book, the context is the story.

Translation and Notes (3.5 stars) - I imagine that Morris' translation is very accurate, but the phrasing and word choices betray its age. There is a bit of cognitive dissonance involved when reading the tales of a young Japanese woman told through the voice of an old British scholar (no disrespect intended). The Pillow Book could use a modern re-interpretation to breathe some life back into it, much in the way Royall Tyler's translation did for the Tale of Genji. The notes were copious and helpful, although for those of us who are not experts on Buddhism but are familiar enough through our knowledge of Japan it would have been helpful to have the Japanese names for the sutras rather than (or in addition to) the Sanskrit names. A trivial point perhaps, but in general the notes sometimes did not clarify everything as well as they could have.

Overall, however, a wonderful read. The Pillow Book made me wish I had a time machine I could use to go back to Heian Japan and observe and understand Shonagon's times just a little bit better. The Pillow Book is highly recommended for people who are at all interested in the history and culture of Japan.

Sei Shonagon, a court lady in tenth-century Japan, has left us an intimate, intriguing look at life inside the Heian court as well as a chronicle of her daily life. As an aristocrat, she had strong notions of what constituted good manners and good taste. At times she comes off as an insufferable snob, but her writing is redeemed by her lively sense of humor, her sharp perceptions and her wry intelligence that helped her to not take herself too seriously. In an era of almost total male dominance, Shonagon's intelligence and wit was the equal of any man's, and her attitude toward men was competitive almost to in-your-face hostility; she was nobody's doormat. She met men on her own terms and gave as good as she got. On the other hand, her reverence for the royal family was so profound as to seem ludicrous; one has the sense she was ready to kiss the ground they walked on. "The Pillow Book" is a compendium of autobiography, ideas, observations, lists (some of the most enchanting sections of the book are in her lists such as "rare things", "elegant things" and "unsuitable things"), written in a style characterized by its crystalline simplicity. Ivan Morris's excellent translation does full justice to this wonderful book.

I took a Japanese literature/philosophy course as a supplement to my three semesters of Japanese language. I had to read excerpts from the Pillow Book, which prompted me to buy and read the entire thing. I love her writing. Some may find it hard to follow, but what I loved about it- and what most of all I could relate to- was the fact that Shonagon wrote on any topic that seemed important at the time. Or unimportant. That was what made me want to keep reading. She wasn't writing a story, she was making fun of different daily events or writing about her day or commenting on the things that came to mind that she found silly. That's what makes it one of the most interesting journals to read. It's never boring. Or, if it is, you can skip to the next entry. One thing though... the translations. I've read a couple different translations. The language is beautiful. Being a student of Japanese, I know that there are many multi-purpose words and that the language is very simplistic. It's hard to convey in Japanese, what the translators convey to us in English. But all translators are very skilled in history and the use of words, so they know what they're doing. for the most part. To an ancient Japanese person, a simple description might have sounded as wonderful as an elaborate one sounds to us. So that may be their reasoning. In any event, this is a perfect book to read on the subway, train, or before bed...

I know very little of ritual Japanese life. I found it a challenging and thought provoking read. I had to bookmark the footnotes and was constantly referring to them. She's a highly intelligent woman, writing a very refined, very sensual story. I wish I was more aware of the nuances of Japanese court. It seems much of the meaning is between the lines. I've had to work hard to understand, and I still feel that i am digesting much of what was written. Very rewarding. Thank you.