{"product_id":"the-pillow-book-sei-shonagon-9780486834436","title":"The Pillow Book","description":"In the tenth century, Japan was both physically and culturally isolated from the rest of the world. The Pillow Book recaptures this lost world with the diary of a young court lady. Sei Shonagon was a contemporary of Murasaki Shikibu, who wrote the well-known novel The Tale of Genji. Unlike the latter's fictionalized view of the Heian-era court, Shonagon's journal provides a lively miscellany of anecdotes, observations, and gossip, intended to be read in juicy bits and pieces.\n This unique volume was first rendered into English in 1889. In 1928, Arthur Waley, a seminal figure in the Western studies of Japanese culture, undertook a translation. The distinguished scholar devised this abridged version of the text, re-creating in English the stylistic beauty of its prose and the vitality of its narrative. Waley's interpretation offers a fascinating glimpse of the artistic pursuits of the royal court and its constant round of rituals, festivals, and ceremonies.","brand":"Dover Publications Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51952817799456,"sku":"9780486834436","price":6.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0753\/2812\/7264\/files\/9780486834436.jpg?v=1783413470","url":"https:\/\/bookcorner.com\/products\/the-pillow-book-sei-shonagon-9780486834436","provider":"The Book Corner","version":"1.0","type":"link"}