Sei shonagon a young courtesan of the heian periodkept a diary, which provides a highly. Sei shonagona young courtesan of the heian periodkept a diary, which provides a highly personal account of the intrigues, dalliances, quirks, and habits of japans late tenthcentury elite. This pillow book is a blend of short narratives, personal musings, and many lists of observations and experiences which sei finds beautiful or interesting. Rather, courtier sei shonagon s diary entries in the pillow book suggest that poetry was woven into everyday conversations and was often a defining aspect of ones social status and relationships. Her pillow book is a mixture of diary, gossip, poetic musing and observations about daily life. Apr 20, 2019 the works by japanese women series wraps up by examining the various english translations of two of japans greatest works of literature, both penned by women. The book is full of humorous observations okashi written in the style of a diary, an approach known as zuihitsu style rambling of which the pillow book was the first and greatest example. The pillow book themes from litcharts the creators of. Sei shonagons pillow book makura no soshi is the private journal of a ladyin waiting to the empress of japan written during the 990s.
Sei shonagon, the pillow book sometimes a person who is utterly devoid of charm will try to create a good impression by using very elegant language. The pillow book of sei shonagon columbia university press. It is also the best source of information on japanese court life in the heian period 7941185. Sei shonagon s the pillow book is one of the strangest and most delightful works of literature in the entire human history. Born one millennium too soon for tumblr and passive aggressive facebook statuses. She is known as the author of the pillow book makura no soshi. She was a contemporary and acquaintance of the wellknown courtesan murasaki shikibu, author of the japanese masterpiece the tale of genji. Ive been meaning to give it a go ever since my friend becca blogged about it wow, that was three years ago. Sei herself was born in an outlying province where her father served as a governor. Sei shonagon was a contemporary and erstwhile rival of lady murasaki, whose novel, the tale of genji. The pillow book of sei shonagon the diary of a courtesan in tenth century japan book. It is actually a personal diary of a woman who explains all the things she likes and displeases her in the daily life of a court lady. The translation with all the helpful hints by ivan morris is excellent i was never at a loss to what was happening.
Discover book depositorys huge selection of sei shonagon books online. The pillow book is a collection of reflections written by japanese gentlewoman sei shonagon as a kind of journal during the 990s and early s. Throughout the book, she will return to the idea of delight, or okashi, a traditional japanese emotional and aesthetic sensibility based on observations of ones surroundings. The pillow book is the diary of sei shonagon, a courtesan at the imperial court of japan in the late 10th and early 11th century.
Though her world would have been familiar to her audience, which experienced her reflections only after they were unintentionally released. The pillow book makura no soshi is a personalised account of life at the japanese court by sei shonagon which she completed c. The pillow book of sei shonagon asia for educators. Wrote during heian era japan over a years ago its author sei shonagon, as she was known at the imperial court, wrote numerous musings about her life, recorded events that happened at the palace and documented the everyday. The pillow book of sei shonagon by ivan morris 9780231073370. The pillow book is her journal, and the topics she covers are varied. The pillow book classical literature which will not bore you. Written by a lady of the court at the height of heian culture, this book enthralls with its lively gossip, witty observations, and subtle impressions. In empress teishi s court, knowledge of classical poetry was neither an academic pursuit nor a frivolous pastime. The pillow book of sei shonagon is an immensely detailed account of court life in eleventhcentury japan. The diary of a courtesan in tenth century japan dennis washburn. In her pillow book, she gives an account of the things she saw and her feelings. Sei shonagons pillow book is one of the greatest japanese literary works.
The pillow book of sei shonagon by sei shonagon, sei. The pillow book summary from litcharts the creators of. The pillow book of sei shonagon paperback october 27, 20 by sei shonagon author, arthur waley author 4. Sei served her empress during the late heian period a particularly vibrant time for japanese arts and the beginning of japans feudal age and was a contemporary of. Aug 01, 2009 sei shonagon was born in japan around the year 965 ce and served as a lady in waiting to empress sadako. May 16, 2012 the pillow book, by sei shonagon i finally got around to reading this diary about courtly life in heian era right about the year japan. The pillow book of sei shonagon in two volumes, translated by ivan morris. Mst japanese people can recite the famous opening lines of the pillow book by sei shonagon.
Apr 20, 2017 the pillow book makura no soshi is a personalised account of life at the japanese court by sei shonagon which she completed c. The classic portrayal of court life in tenthcentury 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. Courtiers like sei would have avidly studied classic poetry collections. It is still a shrewd guide to sex, snobbery and political. The pillow book is a book of observations and musings recorded by sei shonagon during her time as court lady to empress consort teishi during the 990s and early 11th century in heian japan. This is what wikipedia has to say about shonagons book. The pillow book, by sei shonagon i finally got around to reading this diary about courtly life in heian era right about the year japan. The book is full of humorous observations okashi written in the style of a diary, an approach known as zuihitsustyle rambling of which the pillow book was the first and greatest example. The pillowbook of sei shonagon translated by ivan morris. Sei shonagon opens her diary with the first of many listslists of things that bring her delight. The pillow book, makura no soshi is a book of observations and musings recorded by sei shonagon during her time as court lady to empress consort teishi during the 990s and early s in heian japan. This 11th century wisecracking poet invented the listicle as. This thousandyearold classic is taught in japanese schools. Sei shonagon, the author of the pillow book, was born in 966 or 967, the daughter of kiyohara no motosuke.
Every now and then she provides a list of things, which are like tiny exhibitions organised by an unpredictable curator. The classic portrayal of court life in tenthcentury 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. Its opening section, which beginsharu wa akebono, or spring, dawn, is arguably the single most famous passage. The pillow book summary sei shonagon, a gentlewoman serving in the imperial court of empress teishi in japan in the 990s c. A week of prompts from the pillow book transactions with. Specifically, sei was a gentlewoman in the service of the empress teishi, from roughly the year 993 until c. The pillow book of sei shonagon book wellington county. Answered questions 3 how shonagon s diary helps us to understand the culture which she lives in. The theme of poetry and social relationships in the pillow.
Mar 22, 2020 the pillow book reveals some facets of the personality of shonagon, who apparently was a highly intelligent, acutely observant, and wellinformed woman whose position as sadakos ladyinwaiting afforded unparalleled access to the activities, opinions, attitudes, and concerns of the heian aristocracy. Then there are things that make your heart beat fast, things that make you nostalgic, and, on the other hand, infuriating things or things. Her pillow book has been a bitter, critical friend to me many times over the years. These are just a few of the items on a list of refined and elegant things in the pillow book of sei shonagon. In the tenth century, japan stood physically and culturally isolated from the rest of the world.
The pillow book, by sei shonagon the war on loneliness. Biography zuihitsu is a japanese form of literature similar to a journal where the author writes about their thoughts and feelings in regards to their surroundings. Though her world would have been familiar to her audience, which experienced her reflections only after they were unintentionally released, parts of the pillow book may seem opaque to 21stcentury. Like it was a clear, moonlit night a little after the tenth of the eighth month. The ground to present such ideology is that ma y of the women within the ancient centuries were denied various rights since many of the men were opposed to the perspective of according rights to. To ask other readers questions about the pillow book of sei shonagon, please sign up. Sei shonagons the pillow book is one of the strangest and most delightful works of literature in the entire human history. This pillow book is a blend of short narratives, personal musings, and many lists of observations and experiences which sei. One of the great classics of japanese literature, the pillow book of sei shonagon is by far our most detailed source of factual material on life in eleventhcentury japan at the height of heian culture. The pillow book is a diary composed by sei shonagon, a young woman who served in the imperial court at kyoto during japans heian period.
The pillow book quotes from litcharts the creators of. This is what wikipedia has to say about shonagon s book. The author is sei shonagon, and she was given some notebooks that were lying around the palace that no one else wanted. Her writings are her observations to life around her. Sei shonagon mostly tells us stories of her daily life, gossips about her peers, comments on fashion and the.
A contemporary of murasaki shikibu, who wrote the tale of genji, sei shonagon reflects the same concern with style and taste typical of the period. It is also the best source of information on japanese court life. The pillow book, on the other hand, is a plain record of fact, and being at least ten times as long as murasakis diary, and far more varied in contents, it is the most important document of the period that we possess. A week of prompts from the pillow book transactions. The pillow book is also the name of a series of radio thrillers written by robert forrest and broadcast on bbc radio 4 s womans hour drama. She is the author of the pillow book, makura no soshi. These are detective stories with sei shonagon as a principal character and feature many of her lists. Sei shonagon, a gentlewoman serving in the imperial court of empress teishi in japan in the 990s c. The pillow book of sei shonagon volume 1 by sei shonagon. The pillow book of sei shonagon by arthur waley overdrive. Shonagon 9661017 was a ladyinwaiting serving the japanese empress sadako in the peaceful heian era. Jun 28, 2011 his pillow book is certainly excruciating reading for anyone who isnt a contemporary japanese girl, and reduces seis subtleties of perception and expression to tedious cliche, but it does capture the delight, and the vividness of voice and personality, that are the essential experience of reading the pillow book. She is best known as the author of the pillow book makura no soshi.
For march i will complete the set of what is for me that trinity of great heian women writers who lived in the same world, in a sense dominated by the mystique of the tanka, but were so different from one another by adding to the legendary poet ono no komachi, and the incomparable novelist murasaki shikibu, the essayist or diarist sei shonagon, author of the pillow book. Buy the pillow book of sei shonagon penguin classics by sei shonagon, ivan morris, ivan morris isbn. The pillow book reveals some facets of the personality of shonagon, who apparently was a highly intelligent, acutely observant, and wellinformed woman whose position as sadakos ladyinwaiting afforded unparalleled access to the activities, opinions, attitudes, and concerns of the heian aristocracy. She authored the pillow book, a collection of lists, gossip, poetry, observations, complaints and anything else.
With ivans help sei brings back to life years ago in japan. The pillow book is an extreme example of a work that has lived past its time, and attained the deathless status that writers dream of as they labour over their page or screen, transmuting their moment into momenttranscending language. Find the quotes you need in sei shonagon s the pillow book, sortable by theme, character, or section. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The pillow book by sei shonagon is of salient discussion given the case that it presents various segments that would help one to analyze her as woman. Sei shonagon, diarist, poet, and courtier whose witty, learned pillow book makura no soshi exhibits a brilliant and original japanese prose style and is a. While others may be more familiar with murasaki shikibus the tale of genji as an example of classic japanese literature of the time, i chose the pillow book instead i always lean towards bucking the trend and i was intrigued by what i had read of sei. The pillow book is a book of observations and musings recorded by sei shonagon during her time as court lady to empress consort teishi during the 990s and early s in heian japan.
Sei shonagons pillow book makura no soshi is the private journal of a ladyinwaiting to the empress of japan written during the 990s. Written at the height of heian culture, it is a classic text of great literary beauty, full of lively anecdotes, humorous observations, and subtle impressions. The pillow book, written about 1002, is a collection of impressions of court life by the court lady sei shonagon. The pillow book of sei shonagon is a fascinating, detailed account of japanese court life in the eleventh century. Shaved ice with a sweet syrup, served in a shiny new metal bowl. Sei shonagon 96610171025 was a japanese author and a court lady who served the empress consort teishi around the year. 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.
Oct 30, 2007 the pillow book of sei shonagon is a fascinating look at japanese court culture during the 11th century heian period 794 to 1186. The pillow book, makura no soshi is a book of observations and musings recorded by sei shonagon during her time as court lady to empress consort. Sei shonagon, diarist, poet, and courtier whose witty, learned pillow book makura no soshi exhibits a brilliant and original japanese prose style and is a masterpiece of classical japanese literature. Or acquiring the second volume of a tale whose first volume one has enjoyed. The pillow book is a journal written by a tenthcentury ladyinwaiting to the empress of japan. Sei shonagon, like murasaki shikibu, was a ladyinwaiting to an empress at this time, too, but to the older, retired empress sadako, who evidently conducted a. Sei shonagon was born in japan around the year 965 ce and served as a lady in waiting to empress sadako. The pillow book of sei shonagon 8th january 2019 going postal arts, culture, history, literature, poetry 0 i was musing on the small pleasures in life this morning.