The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon

The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon

'The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon', an informal diary of the reminiscences of a lady-in-waiting at the court of a Heian Empress.

Sei Shonagon was a lady-in-waiting at the Court of the Japanese Empress during the last decade of the tenth century, and was born around a thousand years ago (965 is a possible date). Her father served as a provincial administrator, although he is better renowned for being a poet and scholar. Shonagon may have been briefly married to a government official, with whom she may have had a son, though this seems doubtful. Her life after her judicial duty ended is completely unknown. There is a legend that she died in solitary poverty, although this is most likely a fabrication of moralists outraged by her promiscuity and believing she deserved revenge. The Pillow Book is nearly entirely responsible for our understanding of Shonagon's life and character.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780140442366
ISBN 10	0140442367
Title	The Pillow Book
Author	Sei Shonagon
Series	Classics
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Penguin Books Ltd
Year published	1971-07-29
Number of pages	416
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.