A review by tianabanana
The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon

5.0

I study East Asian Language and Culture with a focus on Japan. When I first read some selections from this book for a class, I was bored to tears. Last summer, I ordered it from Amazon and tackled it head on. What a good idea! Shonagon is my hero. She is hilarious, self deprecating in such a charming way, being a feminist, telling it like it is ("Everything that cries in the night is beautiful with the exception, of course, of babies."), just generally being awesome in Heian Japan. If I could travel back in time, I would choose to hang out with Sei Shonagon.