{"product_id":"pillow-book-the-1","title":"Pillow Book, The","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.\u003cbr\u003e 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":57310142366031,"sku":"9780486834436","price":18.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0061\/0372\/8217\/files\/9780486834436_1-pillow-book-the.jpg?v=1774418695","url":"https:\/\/www.suomalainen.com\/products\/pillow-book-the-1","provider":"Suomalainen.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}