The classic portrayal of court life in tenth-century Japan written by the court gentlewoman Sei Shonagon, ostensibly for her own amusement, "The Pillow Book" offers a fascinating exploration of life among the nobility at the height of the Heian period, describing the exquisite pleasures of a confined world in which poetry, love, fashion, and whim dominated, while harsh reality was kept firmly at a distance. Moving elegantly across a wide range of themes including nature, society, and her own flirtations, Sei Shonagon provides a witty and intimate window on a womanas life at court in classical Japan.