The pillow-book of Sei Shōnagon by Sei Shōnagon
"The Pillow-Book of Sei Shōnagon" is a collection of personal essays, memoirs, and observations written during the late 10th century in Japan. The work offers an intimate portrait of court life from the perspective of Sei Shōnagon, a lady-in-waiting to the Empress Sadako, showcasing her keen aesthetic sensibilities and acute social perceptions. The likely topic of the text is the daily customs, interpersonal relationships, and cultural practices at the Heian court, presented
through lists, anecdotes, and reflective musings centered on Shōnagon’s own experiences and opinions. The opening of "The Pillow-Book of Sei Shōnagon" sets the historical and cultural context of the Heian period, emphasizing the court’s refined but insular civilization marked by a devotion to aesthetics, literature, and etiquette over intellectual or technological progress. Through the translator’s preface and the early passages, we are introduced to Shōnagon’s initial nervousness at court, her interactions with the Empress and fellow courtiers, and the subtle dynamics of courtly life—a world filled with poetry competitions, elegant outings, lively personalities, and social rivalries. Vivid anecdotes and detailed descriptions—such as the excitement of palace ceremonies, the role of poetry in daily life, and the nuanced etiquette of relationships—foreground the highly ritualized and emotionally intricate world of the Japanese aristocracy. This introduction immerses the reader in both the immediacy and the fragility of a vibrant court society seen through Shōnagon’s witty, sometimes candid, and often acutely observational lens. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Sei Shōnagon, 967?-1025? |
|---|---|
| Translator | Waley, Arthur, 1889-1966 |
| Uniform Title | Makura no sōshi. Selections. English |
| Title | The pillow-book of Sei Shōnagon |
| Original Publication | London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1928. |
| Note | Reading ease score: 76.7 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Note | "I have here translated about a quarter of the Pillow-book."--Preliminary notes. |
| Note | Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pillow_Book |
| Credits | Carla Foust, Robert Tonsing, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PL: Language and Literatures: Languages and literatures of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania |
| Subject | Japan -- Court and courtiers |
| Subject | Sei Shōnagon, approximately 967- |
| Subject | Japan -- Social life and customs -- 794-1185 |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 76016 |
| Release Date | May 5, 2025 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 1750 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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