LiteratureBook · 1002
The Pillow Book
Sei Shonagon
Sei Shonagon's notebook from the Heian court: lists of things that make the heart beat faster, things that should be short, people who irritate her, and a running commentary on everyone's taste but her own. Roughly contemporary with Genji and the opposite temperament.
Why you should read this
A miscellany of court observations, lists and opinions written by a lady-in-waiting in Heian-era Japan, foundational to the zuihitsu tradition of loosely associative personal essay writing. Fragmentary by design, so it rewards reading in short sittings rather than start to finish.
- Field
- Literature
- Form
- Fiction
- Published
- 1002
- Themes
- Japanese LiteratureLiterature
