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Kokoro by Natsume Soseki
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Kokoro (original 1914; edition 1957)

by Natsume Soseki, Edwin McClellan (Translator)

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2,694635,346 (3.95)1 / 203
The great Japanese author's most famous novel, in its first new English translation in half a century   No collection of Japanese literature is complete without Natsume Soseki's Kokoro, his most famous novel and the last he completed before his death. Published here in the first new translation in more than fifty years, Kokoro--meaning "heart"--is the story of a subtle and poignant friendship between two unnamed characters, a young man and an enigmatic elder whom he calls "Sensei." Haunted by tragic secrets that have cast a long shadow over his life, Sensei slowly opens up to his young disciple, confessing indiscretions from his own student days that have left him reeling with guilt, and revealing, in the seemingly unbridgeable chasm between his moral anguish and his student's struggle to understand it, the profound cultural shift from one generation to the next that characterized Japan in the early twentieth century.… (more)
Member:marina61
Title:Kokoro
Authors:Natsume Soseki
Other authors:Edwin McClellan (Translator)
Info:Gateway Editions (1957), Paperback, 248 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:*****
Tags:fiction, Japanese literature, (2011 reads)

Work Information

Kokoro by Natsume Soseki (Author) (1914)

  1. 10
    Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata (Limelite)
    Limelite: Another dark psychological novel sharing the theme of isolation or loneliness told mostly through the two main character's thoughts, but more beautifully written.
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 Author Theme Reads: Kokoro by Natsume Soseki2 unread / 2rebeccanyc, February 2012

» See also 203 mentions

English (61)  Catalan (1)  All languages (62)
Showing 1-5 of 61 (next | show all)
A complicated book that sits in the bottom of your stomach for time after reading it. The hearts of the characters remain separate even if driven by each ofher. And we are left not knowing how deep this loss is.

While it is a symbolic story, it is also a historical document of Japanese society 19th century. One can recognise the traces of this confucius imbued social sense even today.

For me this was a particularly unpleasant novel that I am glad i read but that has left me depressed… buyer beware! ( )
  yates9 | Feb 28, 2024 |
Story: 7.0 / 10
Characters: 8
Setting: 8.5
Prose: 8 ( )
  MXMLLN | Jan 12, 2024 |


Seguendo il sentiero, nell’ora del crepuscolo, che conduce alla morte degli dei ‘il cuore delle cose’ (kokoro) illustra l’intramontabile domanda: cosa resta?

Il mio dubbio andava oltre. Da dove veniva la rassegnazione del maestro nei confronti del genere umano? Era forse solo il risultato di una fredda osservazione del mondo attuale, e una riflessione su se stesso? E se una persona era riflessiva, intelligente e lontana dal mondo come il maestro, era inevitabile arrivare alle sue conclusioni? (64)

Scomparsi il cane e i bambini, il vasto giardino dalle giovani foglie era tornato tranquillo. Noi rimanemmo per un po’, senza muoverci, come sospesi in quel silenzio. Il bel colore del cielo comincio’ allora a prendere luminosita’. Gli alberi che avevamo davanti, quasi tutti aceri, e le leggere foglie verdi che spuntavano come gocce dai rami sembravano diventare via via piu’ scuri. Si sentiva in lontananza il rotolio delle ruote dei carri, e io immaginavo che fosse l’andirivieni della gente di campagna che portava a qualche mercato piante e verdure. A quel suono, il maestro si alzo’, quasi ritornasse alla vita dopo una profonda meditazione. (95)

Il fatto e’ che, per K, il passato era una cosa tanto sacra che non poteva venire gettato via come un vestito smesso. Si puo’ dire che il passato fosse stata la sua vita, e negarlo avrebbe significato togliere qualsiasi scopo agli anni che aveva vissuto. (248)


( )
  NewLibrary78 | Jul 22, 2023 |
Kororo is a Japanese novel published in 1914 depicting the friendship the of an unnamed narrator and his older friend Sensei. Thought I could gain some understanding of Japanese history and culture by reading it. But sadly, the book was a total disappointment. Nothing but two men whining about how sad and lonley they are. Boring with a capital B. ( )
  kevinkevbo | Jul 14, 2023 |
[exhales] ( )
  Kiramke | Jun 27, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 61 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (28 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Soseki, NatsumeAuthorprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
González, Fernando CordobésTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
McClellan, EdwinTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
McKinney, MeredithIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
McKinney, MeredithTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ogihara, YokoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Rougier, MichaelCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Spadavecchia, NicolettaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Dedication
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I always called him “Sensei.”
Quotations
Could that delicate and complex instrument that lies in the human breast ever really produce a reading that was absolutely clear and truthful, like a clock's hands pointing to numbers on its dial?
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Wikipedia in English (1)

The great Japanese author's most famous novel, in its first new English translation in half a century   No collection of Japanese literature is complete without Natsume Soseki's Kokoro, his most famous novel and the last he completed before his death. Published here in the first new translation in more than fifty years, Kokoro--meaning "heart"--is the story of a subtle and poignant friendship between two unnamed characters, a young man and an enigmatic elder whom he calls "Sensei." Haunted by tragic secrets that have cast a long shadow over his life, Sensei slowly opens up to his young disciple, confessing indiscretions from his own student days that have left him reeling with guilt, and revealing, in the seemingly unbridgeable chasm between his moral anguish and his student's struggle to understand it, the profound cultural shift from one generation to the next that characterized Japan in the early twentieth century.

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Penguin Australia

An edition of this book was published by Penguin Australia.

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