The Pillow Book

By: Sei Shōnagon

Narrated by: Georgina Sutton

Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

The Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon 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 Shōnagon was an erstwhile rival of Lady Murasaki, whose novel, The Tale of Genji, fictionalized the elite world Lady Shōnagon 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 Shōnagon, 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 Shōnagon’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

Delicious

I really enjoyed this memoir- it was special to get such an intimate look into medieval Japanese court society. A must read for anyone passionate about history, politics, human social dynamics, art, or nature. The reader did an excellent job- her performance conveyed the wit, archness and more than a bit of snobbishness that characterizes Sei Shonagon. I liked that this is read by a British woman with a rather posh accent (at least to my American ears) because I wouldn’t be able to know what a posh Japanese accent sounded like but I was able to have an understanding of what kind of a woman Sei Shonagon must have been via the cross-cultural associations provided by an aristocratic sounding British accent. Sei Shonagon was a true aesthete, and a genius in human behavior and emotion. Yes, she can be snobbish (she’s so cruel to poor people- probably a product of her upbringing and classist culture) and sometimes very self-satisfied- but she also knows she’s an intelligent woman and makes no attempt to hide or apologize for that. Her descriptions of nature in particular were painterly and moving. My main familiarity with Japanese art is Japanese woodblock prints of nature or people- and listening to this book was like getting to step into one of those prints.

Superb narration

The book is fascinating as it is, but the narration adds extra magic to it. A highly enjoyable listening

When black teeth were pleasing…?

Perhaps because of the translation and narrator, this nearly thousand-year-old book of Japanese court life seems remarkably relevant for current times. That is, until now & again something like whacking with brooms for fun or smooth, black teeth are casually referenced as appealing…I had to pause & look that tradition up (ohaguro it’s called). Then, the reader is instantly transported to a very different era of time and culture. This intermingling of timelessness and historically revealing tidbits, make Shonagon’s The Pillow Book a delectable treasure!

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.

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.

Very poor production

While Georgina Sutton does a fine job reading the material the audio quality is extremely uneven. The translation is often inconsistent and several of the chapter headings are misspelled. Given the historical significance of the Pillow Book it’s genuinely shocking this production is handled so shoddily.