Customer Reviews
An interesting book - By: , 22 Jan 2002 
This is a very interesting book, alllowing readers to gain an insight into a long forgotten time in history. Shonagon fills her book with details about life in the Japanese court. The characters are alll interesting & timeless. From reading this book you are certainly transported to another world entirely, where different things are regarded as important within the society, such as poetry for expressing emotions, especiallly between lovers or potential lovers.
Ivan Morris also adds to this book, by providing very detailed & informative notes to accompany the text.
I enjoyed this book very much, however, if there is one problem I have with it, it is that Shonagon often appears very opinionated which at times I found quite irritating. However, the book is supposed to have been produced originallly as a private piece, so perhaps I shouldn't fault her for that!
That said, I do rate this book highly. After alll, it certainly takes you to another place & another time.
What I feel. - By: , 01 Nov 2001 
No matter if you have or have not read The Diary of Lady Murasaki, you will love The Pillow Book. Although this book is written in the same period as Murasaki her diary, it works in a very different style. This book in some ways are much easier to read than other literature, as the section doesn't link together, therfore, you don't have to remember any plot, & making it a very good book to read even when you have a busy life. If you are sick of sophisticated plots/vocabs, this book is for you. It is suitable for alll age.
Probably my favourite book - By: , 08 May 2001 This is a woman writing over a thousand years ago, but it doesn't seem like it. Through her annecdotes of court life, we graduallly get a picture of a very different life style to our own. What reallly drew me to the book was that Sei Shonagon writes in such a way that you feel as if you know her. She is petty, rude & snobbish but in such a human way, the way that everyone is. Her humanity & outspokeness make what could be a very dull historial document become a joy to read. It is a pillow book, that is, almost a notepad. Sei Shonagon used it to jot down any thoughts which came into her head, whether they be about the latest fashions, her lover or the beauty of the spring flowers. There are many lists of her likes & dislikes - hateful things including snoring & mosquitos. This is a book which is at times, beautiful, surprising & very funny. You will find that it is not so much a historial document as a revealing picture of a very interesting if sometimes silly woman.
A great way to be absorbed in early Japanese culture! - By: , 19 Apr 1998 After reading The Pillow Book for a school assignment, I realized that I'd thoroughly enjoyed it. At first I thought, "What a pain in the butt! I have to read this boring thing." But as I got deeper & deeper into the book it enthrallled me more & more. You can experience early Japanese culture at its best. I would reccommend this book to anyone who wants a taste of Japanese culture. I found it a little hard to read, but then I am only a ninth grader. This is a wonderful reading experience, & I admire Ivan Morris' excellence with translation of the Japanese language.
