Scan barcode
foggy_rosamund's review
3.0
The Gossamer Years begins in 954 ce and covers a period of 20 years. The diary is written by a frustrated and desperately lonely woman, who recounts her unhappy relationship with a senior official in the Heian court. This was written earlier than the more famous Pillowbook of Sei Shonagon and is different in tone and intention. While Sei Shonagon writes about courtly life in order to amuse and entertain herself, the author of this diary attempts to make sense of a thwarted and unhappy existence. Where Sei Shonagon is witty, spiteful, determined and forceful, the author here is reflective, constrained, despairing and lost. I found I developed a strong emotional connection with her as I read: I was moved by the stagnation of her life, her desperate need for love and affection, and her fruitless attempts to understand her lover and his callous treatment of her. Though it is so particular to the period in Japanese history, the diary also feels timeless: it speaks to all of us who have felt lonely, lost, or misunderstood. However, it isn't as organised as Sei Shonagon's work, and entries break off or are left unfinished. The author isn't concerned with external matters, and while Sei Shonagon gives us a vivid portrait of her life, the author of this diary is much more constrained. That being said, I was very moved by this book, and found the author a compelling writer.
My major problem with this work is the translation. I believe Edward Seidensticker has translated it with a complete lack of empathy or cultural sensitivity. As was common in Heian courtly life, much of the author's communication with her lover and the wider world is expressed via the medium of poems. Seidensticker seems to have no interest or understanding of this: he gives little time or space to the poems within the text, and translates them as prose rather than giving them line breaks. His notes don't explain anything about the use of stock imagery in Japanese poetry, or the pivot words and hidden meanings behind poems: he describes all the poetry as bad, and while it's probably not the best example of Heian poetry, it does the author and the culture at the time a complete disservice to treat communication via poetry as an irrelevance. His notes are also patronising towards the author, and he makes assumptions and suggestions throughout the text, while admitting that he doesn't translate what is actually there. I realise that there are different ways to translate, and sometimes suppositions are necessary, but based as on his opinions on poetry, I don't trust him to make appropriate choices.
My major problem with this work is the translation. I believe Edward Seidensticker has translated it with a complete lack of empathy or cultural sensitivity. As was common in Heian courtly life, much of the author's communication with her lover and the wider world is expressed via the medium of poems. Seidensticker seems to have no interest or understanding of this: he gives little time or space to the poems within the text, and translates them as prose rather than giving them line breaks. His notes don't explain anything about the use of stock imagery in Japanese poetry, or the pivot words and hidden meanings behind poems: he describes all the poetry as bad, and while it's probably not the best example of Heian poetry, it does the author and the culture at the time a complete disservice to treat communication via poetry as an irrelevance. His notes are also patronising towards the author, and he makes assumptions and suggestions throughout the text, while admitting that he doesn't translate what is actually there. I realise that there are different ways to translate, and sometimes suppositions are necessary, but based as on his opinions on poetry, I don't trust him to make appropriate choices.
plaidpladd's review
5.0
This book was a really interesting experience. I learned a lot about daily life in Japan in the late 900s. It's also almost overwhelmingly cool to me that a woman who lived more than a thousand years distant from me can seem so relateable.
reebeee's review
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.25
Interesting look into the life and mind of a Heian-era noblewoman and the culture that surrounded her. A bit repetitious and confusing for the casual reader without an understanding of Heian culture and history, but thought-provoking and informative.
lizhenry's review
3.0
This was ok, but not great. Rituals, festivals, and temple visits. Unhappy (secondary?) marriage to a prince. Poems exchanged. Lots of whining. I can't really like the diarist. I feel bad for her that she is super depressed all the time, and yet she seems like a pain in the ass and seems so proud of herself when she acts like an ass.
bibliowrecka's review
3.0
This was okay, though not as fascinating and readable for me as Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book. The introduction by Seidensticker is definitely dated, as whoever checked out my copy before me noted several times in the margins. I think I'd like to read a more recent translation of this to see if my opinion changes. Yes, the author is self-centered and whiny and her complaints got old fairly quickly, but the fact that her diary is so very open and personal shows the hardships that underlie even the most wealthy or well-placed woman in Heian society.
bookchasm's review
1.0
I only read the first 82 pages of this. Historically important, perhaps, but I found it tedious and ultimately couldn't continue with it.