The Pillow Book

By: Sei Shōnagon

Narrated by: Georgina Sutton

The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon is a fascinating, detailed account of Japanese court life in the closing years of the 10th century. Written by a lady of the court at the height of Heian culture, this book enthrals with its lively gossip, witty observations and subtle impressions.

Lady Shonagon was an erstwhile rival of Lady Murasaki, whose novel, The Tale of Genji, fictionalized the elite world Lady Shonagon so eloquently relates. Featuring reflections on royal and religious ceremonies, nature, conversation, poetry and many other subjects, The Pillow Book is an intimate look at the experiences and outlook of the Heian upper class.

Sei Shonagon, born around 965, was lady-in-waiting to Empress Sadako and between the early 990s and 1002, she kept these ‘personal notes’, recording what she saw and encountered with wit, accuracy and intelligence. There is immense variety here. There are more than 320 entries, each with its own heading: ‘Birds’, Trees’, ‘When His Excellency The Chancellor Had Departed’, ‘Unreliable Things’.... Some entries are very brief, no more than ‘asides’, and there are even concise lists. Some reflect the sensitive Japanese response to nature or patterned silk, and there are longer narratives of incidents involving prominent political figures. Her singular humour is often to the fore: ‘Masahiro really is a laughing stock. I wonder what it is like for his parents and friends.’

But there are also entries which reflect a considerate nature as shown in ‘One of Her Majesty’s Wet-Nurses’.

While Arthur Waley’s classic translation remains well-known it was abridged, and this Ukemi recording presents the translation by Ivan Morris, the first unabridged English version. It is fluent and lively, and reflects the sparkling character of Sei Shonagon’s writing which, in the 21st century, belies its ancient origins and its academic standing as one of the great works of Japanese literature. This is perfectly captured by in Georgina Sutton’s reading.©1979 Estate of Ivan Morris (P)2022 Ukemi Productions Ltd

Good writing, poor quality audio

The writing and story itself was fine. An interesting window into ancient Japanese court life. However the audio was poorly edited. The narrative did an admirable job, but had an English accent. A Japanese narrator would have been more appropriate.

The Elegant Japanese Middle Ages

An intriguing book. Good reading. An extremely hierarchical culture I wouldn’t have wanted to live in but am glad to know about.

Elegant and calming

Perfect to listen to at bedtime or the middle of the night. Beautiful images. One must make allowances for her station and time period, but overall it is exquisite.

Exquisite. Truly!

This is a great audio. It’s interesting to read some of the critical reviews - which seem to forget that Ivan Morris’ Pillow Book translation is of a time- and thus the language is dated. His use of British analogy for Japanese court is anachronistic- but it also is a clear way to communicate an imperial concept to western readers. This translation is better than the very abridged Waley translation but is not as refined as the more recent McKinney translation.

This audio lacks a lot of context and notes found in standard translation. However for me, it did not detract. I loved the narrator- who sounded of the time for the translation- a bit nostalgic on voice, with her use of Received Pronunciation.

A very modern ancient classic

An entertaining, witty and evocative glimpse at the lives of the aristocracy in Heian Japan. The author’s personality and charm shines through in a work that shows how the quirks of human nature remain familiar across time and cultures. The performance of the reader is also of exceptional quality and embodies the voice of the writer very well. One of my favorite books has finally got an audio release and it more than does the original justice. Very highly recommended.