Sei's 11th Century blog is remarkable for the way in which it records the ins and outs of daily life in Japan of the year 1000, but really, the main appeal of The Pillow Book is that Sei is a hilarious, drama-loving queen. It's one part diary, one part witty observations, one part gossip column, and a whole lot of lists with no particular purpose- so, essentially, a blog. Everyone on Earth must now immediately drop everything they are doing and read her Pillow Book. Sei lived around the year 1000, in modern day Kyōto, Japan, and she was, by all accounts, one brassy broad. I’d love to hear more.Before there was Twitter, before there was even such a thing as a gossip column or Dorothy Parker or widespread literacy, there was The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon. First, Japanese incense is chypre, an accord of moss and woods, turned into smoke. Second, finding a scent to capture the facets of a favorite book enhances the experience greatly.īut of course, many of you know that, and in our previous discussions on the subject of perfume and books, you have shared some of your favorite combinations. The experience made me discover two things.
The choice may be unexpected, but once the fragrance softens from its initial sizzle of zest and rind, it becomes softly shaded and warm. It’s Eau de Rochas, a citrus cologne with a chypre layer. Recently, I found a fragrance that reminds me of Japanese incense. Things that make your heart beat fast (translated by Meredith McKinney) Even if you’re somewhere where no one special will see you, you still feel a heady sense of pleasure inside. To wash your hair, apply your makeup and put on clothes that are well-scented with incense. She describes scenery, sounds, textures and scents with such precision that I too feel the crinkly silk under my fingers and smell the spicy sweetness of incense. Some of my favorite passages are of Sei Shōnagon in her lyrical mood. How can one keep a straight face when she complains about dull tweezers (or mothers-in-law) and suggests that priests should be good looking because it would make listening to their sermons more agreeable.
Sei Shōnagon has a keen eye for detail and a sharp tongue, which is why even at the remove of many centuries, her book beguiles and entertains. Their movements were circumscribed, and they mostly spent their days behind screens, observing while not being observed. When the Japanese courtier Sei Shōnagon started writing what is now known as The Pillow Book at the end of the 10th century, it was mostly done to alleviate the desperate boredom women experienced at the court.
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