Some lines of "The Pillow Book," as quoted from the old commentary "Shimei-sho Commentary of 'The Tale of Genji,'" don't exist in the surviving manuscript, which suggests that the writing process was complicated.
源氏物語の古註『源氏物語紫明抄』に引かれる『枕草子』の本文には現存本にないものもあり、複雑な成立過程を思わせる。