Book Description:
The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon is a dazzling and intimate window into the world of Heian-era Japan, written by a court lady serving Empress Teishi in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. Part diary, part essay collection, and part poetic meditation, this work captures the elegance, wit, and subtle politics of court life.
Filled with personal reflections, observations of nature, lists of things that please or displease the author, and anecdotes about love, rivalry, and daily rituals, The Pillow Book offers a richly textured portrait of a refined and highly aesthetic culture. Sei’s voice is by turns sharp, playful, poetic, and deeply human — making her one of the earliest and most distinctive female writers in world literature.
A masterpiece of Japanese prose, The Pillow Book continues to enchant modern readers with its timeless charm, lyrical beauty, and brilliant insight into both individual personality and the society around it.
