Product Description
The Pillow Book
Author: Sei Shonagon
Format: Paperback
'A mistress of wry observation and scalding wit ... The Pillow Book retains its fresh, authentic appeal more than 1,000 years after its inception' — Japan Times
Written by the court gentlewoman Sei Shonagon as a journal for her own amusement, The Pillow Book is one of the greatest works of Japanese literature. A fascinating exploration of life amongst the nobility at the height of the idyllic Heian period, it describes the exquisite pleasures of a confined world in which poetry, love, fashion and whim dominated.
From brief reflections to longer, lyrical tales, Shonagon moves elegantly across themes including nature, society and her own flirtations and frustrations, to provide a witty, unique insight into a woman's life at court in classical Japan.
Translated with an introduction by Meredith McKinney
About the Author
Sei Shonagon (?966-?1017) was a gentlewoman in the court of Empress Teishi, in what is now Kyoto, Japan. She lived at the height of the Heian period and used the ins and outs of life at court to inspire her writing.
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