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The Pillow Book: Series 1-11
- A Full-Cast Historical Crime Drama
- Narrated by: Benedict Cumberbatch, Cal MacAninch, full cast, Mark Bazeley, Ruth Gemmell
- Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins
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The Pillow Book: Series 1-11
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Publisher's Summary
A thriller and love story set in 10th-century Japan.
Lady Shonagon is an imperial courtesan, living at the court of the Japanese Emperor in the 10th century. When a series of disturbing thefts within the palace walls throws the court into confusion and unrest, Shonagon is appointed guide and assistant to Lieutenant Yukinari as he investigates.
Together, Shonagon and Yukinari must solve the mysteries and escalating crimes that plague the Japanese court, and their romance blossoms in the tightly enclosed world behind the high palace walls. But soon Shonagon's lover Tadanobu becomes uncomfortable with how closely they are working together....
The Pillow Book is inspired by the writings of Sei Shonagon, a poet and lady-in-waiting to the empress of the 10th-century Japanese court. The work of the real-life Sei Shonagon consists of essays, lists, anecdotes, poems, and descriptive passages about her daily life.
This full-cast drama stars Ruth Gemmell as Sei Shonagon, with Yukinari played by Mark Bazeley in series 1-3 and Cal Macaninch in series 4-11. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Tadanobu in series 1.
Directed by Lu Kemp.
What listeners say about The Pillow Book: Series 1-11
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- MeVz
- 2023-08-20
There was much missed opportunity
The first couple chapters are entertaining with suspension of disbelief. But when it gets to the gunpowder plot and the invention of fireworks, it all dissolves and it's historical inaccuracy is laid bare. A couple of historical notes are hit, but so much of it has taken liberty. Despite being a British radio play, there's virtually no Japanese, other than names, so many of them mispronounced.
Making the figure of Yukinari, who in history was a government official, is instead rendered into a character of a policeman for mystery and love interest. I read the actual Pillow Book before finishing this hoping any of the musings and tales were incorporated, but instead only a handful of the over 300 pages were used, not even the lists. It lacked any feeling of a Japanese Heian court and instead felt like Scotland. The Katana wasn't invented yet, but the invention of the "Cambai" sword as the sharpest blade every one owned, felt disgusting to hear - the word is spoken more often than even Yukinari. This isn't the Pillow Book we wanted.
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