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A review by maddyclair
The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon
2.0
I read the Arthur Waley translation of this book and I will forever take it as a lesson on the importance of the translator when it comes to reading and enjoying translated books.
Waley’s translation of Shonagon’s work only covers about 1/4 of the original text. He claims he left out the bits that were ‘dull, unintelligible and repetitive, or that required too much explanation’. Furthermore, he reordered many of the sections of the book to make them more palatable for his western audience in the 1920’s and separated sections with pages of his own notes explaining (but also kind of mocking?!) Shonagon’s cultural context. It was so frustrating to read an insightful translated section of the original work only for it to be followed by weird snide remarks about Heian Japan.
My favorite parts of this book were the bits directly translated from Shonagon’s original text and for that reason I’m giving it two stars. I can’t wait to get my hands on a complete translation with less intrusion from the translator so I can read the book closer to how it was intended to be read.
Waley’s translation of Shonagon’s work only covers about 1/4 of the original text. He claims he left out the bits that were ‘dull, unintelligible and repetitive, or that required too much explanation’. Furthermore, he reordered many of the sections of the book to make them more palatable for his western audience in the 1920’s and separated sections with pages of his own notes explaining (but also kind of mocking?!) Shonagon’s cultural context. It was so frustrating to read an insightful translated section of the original work only for it to be followed by weird snide remarks about Heian Japan.
My favorite parts of this book were the bits directly translated from Shonagon’s original text and for that reason I’m giving it two stars. I can’t wait to get my hands on a complete translation with less intrusion from the translator so I can read the book closer to how it was intended to be read.