my version was the gigantic two volume version, thank you very much

[rhyme]

One of the fun things you can do when you're sick is to watch distance learning on tv. The program guide claimed that this is medieval Japanese Literature, which is a subject I find of much interest. With luck, the professor is speaking about several diaries I happen to have read.


He made a lecture about the Pillow Book boring. AMAZING. Actually, it's mostly because he speaks with a very odd rhythm.


(Also, once I had someone tell me that they found the book "strange," because there was so much sex in it. I wondered if we had read the same text!)

Comments

[robinhood.livejournal.com]

I almost bought the pillow book in some abridged form at the university bookstore but then I realized what I really wanted is the huge 2 volume one. I don't know if I would ever have the patience to read it all but I'd hate to get the abridged version only to have it make me want the longer one even more. It just sounds very interesting.

[ririkit.livejournal.com]

The giant two volume one is Ivan Morris's translation. You actually only really need volume one- the second is all of the footnotes. While they're interesting, if you consider that each volume is a couple inches thick, it's a bit unwieldy.

I've also read a new translation put out by...I think it was a penguin classic. I remember the translator was female and it was relatively recent, but I can't remember the details. It was an interesting contrast, and I think she also did a pretty good job of explaining the puns where she could.