The pillow book / Sei Shonagon; translated with notes by Meredith McKinney.
By: Shonagon, Sei.
Contributor(s): McKinney, Meredith [translator].
Material type: BookPlace of publication: LondonPublisher: Penguin BooksDate of publication: 2007Description: 416 pages: illustrated, 20 cm.ISBN: 9780140448061.Subject(s): Courts and courtiers -- Japan | Japanese literature -- Heian period | Japan -- Manners and customsDDC classification: 895.68 Sh559 2006 Summary: Written by the Court gentlewoman Sei Shonagon (c. 966-1017), ostensibly for her own amusement, The Pillow Book is one of the greatest works of Japanese literature. A fascinating exploration of life amongst the nobility at the height of the idyllic Heian period, it describes the exquisite pleasures of a confined world in which poetry, love, fashion and whim dominated, and harsh reality was kept firmly at a distance. In sections ranging in size from brief reflections to longer, lyrical tales, Shonagon moves elegantly across a wide range of themes including nature, society, and her own flirtations and frustrations, to provide a witty, unique and deeply personal insight into a woman's life at Court in classical Japan. Meredith McKinney's new translation captures the poetic and playful tone of the original, while her introduction explores the nature of the Japanese Court of the era. This edition includes notes, maps and drawings, a detailed glossary of terms and the essays 'Court Ranks, Titles and Bureaucracy' and 'Clothes and Colour Glossary'. (From the back cover)Item type | Current location | Collection | Call number | Status | Date due |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Books | High School Department Reading Area (Main - HS) | 800-899 Literature | 895.68 Sh559 2006 (Browse shelf) | Available |
Includes notes and appendices.
Written by the Court gentlewoman Sei Shonagon (c. 966-1017), ostensibly for her own amusement, The Pillow Book is one of the greatest works of Japanese literature. A fascinating exploration of life amongst the nobility at the height of the idyllic Heian period, it describes the exquisite pleasures of a confined world in which poetry, love, fashion and whim dominated, and harsh reality was kept firmly at a distance. In sections ranging in size from brief reflections to longer, lyrical tales, Shonagon moves elegantly across a wide range of themes including nature, society, and her own flirtations and frustrations, to provide a witty, unique and deeply personal insight into a woman's life at Court in classical Japan.
Meredith McKinney's new translation captures the poetic and playful tone of the original, while her introduction explores the nature of the Japanese Court of the era. This edition includes notes, maps and drawings, a detailed glossary of terms and the essays 'Court Ranks, Titles and Bureaucracy' and 'Clothes and Colour Glossary'.
(From the back cover)
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