the pillow book of sei shonagon ivan morris

Other notable English translations have been the partial translation by Arthur Waley in 1928, the first complete translation by Ivan Morris in 1967, and Meredith McKinney's complete translation in 2006. Six passages from the book were first translated into English in 1889 by T. Though Shōnagon never intended her work for eyes other than her own, through the centuries it has become a famous work of literature. Ivan Morris The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon Mass Market Paperback 29 September 1977 by Sei Shonagon (Author), Ivan Morris (Translator) 53 ratings See all formats and editions Hardcover 158.91 1 New from 158.91 Paperback 50.57 2 Used from 14.20 13 New from 50.19 Mass Market Paperback 61.95 2 Used from 14.16 2 New from 61. Shōnagon meant her writing in The Pillow Book for her eyes only, but part of it was accidentally revealed to the Court during her life: 'she inadvertently left it on a cushion she put out for a visiting guest, who eagerly carried it off despite her pleas.' She wrote The Pillow Book as a private endeavor of enjoyment for herself it seemed to be a way for her to express her inner thoughts and feelings that she was not allowed to state publicly due to her lower standing position in the court. While it is mostly a personal work, Shōnagon's writing and poetic skill makes it interesting as a work of literature, and it is valuable as a historical document. Sei Shonagon’s Pillow Book (Makura no Soshi) is the private journal of a lady-in-waiting to the Empress of Japan written during the 990’s. In it she included lists of all kinds, personal thoughts, interesting events in court, poetry, and some opinions on her contemporaries.

The work is a collection of essays, anecdotes, poems, and descriptive passages that have little connection to one another except for the fact that they are ideas and whims of Shōnagon's spurred by moments in her daily life.

The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon: The Diary of a Courtesan in Tenth. 1002 book of observations and musings recorded by Sei Shōnagon Sei Shōnagon in a late 17th-century illustration However, Ivan Morris, the translator of the English edition of the Pillow Book calls.

The pillow book of sei shonagon ivan morris