Natsume Sōseki was a Japanese novelist who profoundly shaped modern Japanese literature. A scholar of British literature and a composer of haiku, kanshi, and fairy tales, his work delves into deep philosophical inquiries and masterfully explores the human psyche. His writings, marked by keen insight and a unique stylistic approach, often grapple with themes of identity, alienation, and the search for meaning in the modern world. Sōseki is widely regarded as one of Japan's greatest writers, with his influence resonating through generations of subsequent authors.
Like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, BOTCHAN, a hilarious tale about a young man's rebellion against "the system" in a country school, is a classic. Among both young and old in Japan, it has enjoyed a timeless popularity, making it, in the words of Donald Keene, "probably the most widely read novel in modern Japan."
"Rich in understanding and insight."—The New YorkerWhat is love, and what is friendship? What is the extent of our responsibility to ourselves and to others? Kokoro, signifying "the heart of things," examines these age-old questions in terms of the modern world.A trilogy of stories that explores the very essence of loneliness, Kokoro opens with "Sensei and I," in which the narrator recounts his relationship with an intellectual who dwells in isolation but maintains a sophisticated worldview. "My Parents and I" brings the reader into the narrator's family circle, and "Sensei and His Testament" features the eponymous character's explanation of how he came to live a life of solitude.Natsume Soseki (1867–1916), perhaps the greatest novelist of the Meiji period, remains one of Japan's most widely read authors. He wrote this novel in 1914, at the peak of his career, and it remains an excellent introduction to modern Japanese literature.