KOKORO by Natsume Soseki

Paperback, 248 pages
Published 1996 by Gateway Editions (first published 1914)
Original Title: こころ
ISBN: 0895267152

Resources:
Japanese Literature: From Murasaki to Murakami by Marvin Marcus
The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories

#leafbyleaf #bookreview #natsumesoseki #kokoro #japaneseliterature

[ConnorGrail]

This one really gripped me, I spent the whole time trying to piece together what had happened to Sensei, but when it all finally came together instead of satisfaction I just felt hollow. I'm definitely intrigued to read more Japanese classics after that

[AbdullahADH]

You have no idea how much I appreciate fellow Sōseki readers. My favorite author by far, I've read 13 of his novels thus far and every time I'm blown away by this man's genius. My favorites from him are "Kokoro" and "Grass on the Wayside". Please explore even more! I've read some Mishima and while not a huge fan, I know a lot of people like him. Dazai is brilliant as well, and so is Akutagawa!

[arhitagreen]

What an earnest and thorough review.... I just finished reading kokoro and was blown away by the punch in the end especially so because of how raw it was. I struggled to understand the 'clash of culture' that many reviews mentioned it had, which I didn't evidently see but your review offered that help :)
Keep up the good work!

[lalitborabooks]

You should definitely try ‘The Sailor who fell from grace with the sea’. It is short, crisp and packs a punch. A huge punch to be honest.

[joaoborges]

I read "Sanshiro" by Soseki last year. I'm one of those people that every time I find a reference to a book, or an author, within a book I have to look it up. In this case it was actually "Kafka on the shore", which I also read last year, where Soseki is referenced. :)
Kokoro is also on my to read list.

[joseramirez-hhsw]

Just found you and I'm subscribing. Im glad you decided to pick up the book and I'm blown away by how earnest you are in your passion for literature. I really love kokoro. I think I might die on a hill to defend kokoro but I can say that about other great novels as well. That said I'm looking forward to see more of what you experience throughout your tour of Japanese classic literature if you decide to embark.

[ericth]

The Face of Another by Kobo Abe. It's difficult/dry in places because he puts a lot of technical detail about making this mask, but it is so worth getting through. It's basically a study of what faces actually mean in society, how our faces impact our lives and so on.

[Fiction_Beast]

i read kokoro about 10 years ago, and had totally forgotten the story, so this was wonderful for me to remember the tale. My favorite novel by Soseki is Botchan. A satire with some wonderfully funny scenes. It's also considered a novel that depicts the old Japan vs new japan. You rightly said Soseki was the product of Meiji reform and also a great novelist who captured the transformation that came about as a result of Meiji period changes. Incidentally he lived in London for two years and hated it (weather i think).

[gurkepro]

I've read Kokoro a few years ago and you've really made me want to revisit it soon. I really enjoy the love with which you speak of these great books.
Also a few recommendations:
Sanshiro - Soseki: Another beautiful and devastating novel about a confused japanese youth. A lot of similar themes to Kokoro and I'd love to hear your take on it.
Beauty and Sadness - Kawabata: The way Kawabata writes about Nature and people can maybe best be described as truly japanese. I always feel like there is some key element missing with him in translation (even more so than with other japanese translations), but I think he'd be a good person to include on your journey in modern japanese literature.
A Personal Matter - Oe: Very different and still quite shocking, but (in my opinion) also an essential book. A lot of western influences in that one too.

Sorry for rambling, it's great to have you around.

[Sachie]

I agree with everything you say here. Souseki suffers from a severe illness in 1910. After that he naturally focuses more on death and things precedes or surrounds death (illness(physical and mental), poverty, repentance, transience, etc.). As I grow older I am more attracted to these subjects. Anyway, we can enjoy some of the Souseki’s novels even if you are 9 or 99y.o. I think that is why he is so popular here in Japan.

[jameshumphries]

Kobo Abe's Beyond the Curve is one of my favorite short story collections. I also have a copy of Dawn to the West: Japanese Literature in the Modern Era by Donald Keene published in 1984. As always I look forward to your videos. I also purchased the new edition of Novel Explosives😉.

[ericth]

I absolutely loved Kokoro. I'm in my final year of uni and my degree is in Japanese Studies and English Lit so Kokoro was an obvious read for me. It's absolutely beautiful.

[ericth]

If you're interested, Donald Keene tends to be the go-to for Western scholarship for Japan

[NapoleanThePug]

Those are four good novels to start with for sure (Snow Country, Kokoro, Sailer Who Fell From Grace, and Woman in the Dunes). Many modern Japanese novels explore the theme of old imperial Japan vs new westernized Japan. It was understandably on the minds and hearts of Japanese writers in the first half of the 21st century. My favorite to do so is Kawabata's Master of Go, in which an aging Go champion takes on a young, western-influenced challenger. That novel gets into the strategy of this ancient game, contrasting the "master" who loved to play in the formal style, embracing the deep love and tradition of the game itself, with the young challenger, who takes a very scientific, analytical, and clinical approach to win at all costs.

[kumaridesilva]

I struggled with the tale of Genji when I was in college using the Edward Seidensticker translation that was considered the best translation at the time. It was way too dry. I stumbled across an abbreviated (and simplified) translation by Suematsu Kencho. This made all the difference. From there I was able to enjoy Arthur Waley's translation. Yes! Genji can actually be enjoyable if taken in small doses. I don't know if I would ever tackle a complete translation - that would be quite a project

[P.EnglishLiterature]

New sub here, I loved your review, the book sounds like a great one, and the name of the Novel is somewhat funny to me, Kokoro, it literally means "Insect" in my country (Nigeria) Yoruba language, 😅😅
Nice one by the way.

[april_ludgate]

I found your channel thru the recommendation and let me just say I love (almost) all your books. I'm gonna start reading William T. Vollmann's books because of you starting with You Bright and Risen Angels. Looking forward for more of your vlogs. ♥️

[ragtimepants]

I'm in awe of everything I've managed to read from Tanizaki.
I haven't read "Kokoro" yet but I love "I am a Cat."
Thanks for the review.

[gregmoore]

The Makioka sisters is a great book for learning about Japanese society in the first half of the 20th century, particularly the middle and upper classes!

[xgryphenx]

For contemporary stuff it's definitely worth your time to check out the "other Murakami"—Ryu Murakami. Especially recommended is his novel Coin Locker Babies. Unlike anything I've read from anywhere. Beyond bizarre.