Söseki Natsume

From Japan's most famous, classic novelist comes a remarkable gem of wit, irony, and feline observation A stray kitten, catapulted to literary fame loudly observes the world of Meiji Japan in all its absurdity. But he's not the only cat in the neighbourhood, and as he rallies against the stupidity of human habit, he grows closer to the sophisticated Miss Calico - but he can't hide his own inadequacies for long. BRIEF ENCOUNTERS: classic novellas and captivating stories, to be read in a single sitting or savoured over days

'Soseki is the representative modern Japanese novelist, a figure of truly national stature' Haruki Murakami'A sensitive, skilfully written novel by the most widely read Japanese author of modern times'Guardian'Soseki's prose is so delicate that each page is like looking at a set of dreamy watercolours'TelegraphHumble clerk Sosuke and his wife Oyone live in a modest house at the bottom of a cliff. Oyone was once married to another man; now her adultery seems to hang over the couple's marriage like a curse. Despite multiple pregnancies, they have no living children; and once affluent, Sosuke finds his income growing ever smaller. They are left with little besides each other and a beautiful painted screen to remind them of better days.Then a series of crises rocks this shabby but harmonious domestic existence. Sosuke's wastrel brother moves in; the couple find themselves forced to sell the screen to buy winter shoes; and Oyone's ex-husband is rumoured to be visiting a wealthy neighbour at the top of the cliff. Beset by reminders of his flaws and failures, Sosuke runs away to a temple, hoping to escape into enlightenment. But can he learn what the monks have to teach him? Will he return to Oyone changed - at all? One of the great works of the literature of indecision, this is also one of the founding texts of modern Japanese letters.Part of the Pushkin Press Classics series: timeless storytelling by icons of literature, hand-picked from around the globe. Translated by Francis MathyWith an introduction by Damian FlanaganNatsume Soseki (1867-1916) was one of Japan's most prominent novelists of the Meiji Era. After studying in England on a government scholarship, Soseki taught English literature at Tokyo University, but the immense success of his satirical novel I Am a Cat led to his own career as a writer. A highly influential figure viewed as the father of modern Japanese letters, from 1984 until 2004 his portrait appeared on the front of the Japanese 1,000-yen note. Pushkin Press publishes several of his major novels, including Kokoro and The Three-Cornered World.

"Natsume Soseki is the representative modern Japanese novelist, a figure of truly national stature." ?Haruki MurakamiA chance encounter irrevocably links a university student to an older man he simply calls Sensei ("Teacher"). Intrigued by Sensei''s aloofness, the student visits him with increasing frequency, and Sensei and his beautiful wife eventually open their home and lives to him. The student graduates and is called home to care for his dying father, but Sensei draws him back with a letter revealing a terrible secret that has shadowed him since youth.Written in 1914, toward the end of Soseki''s career, Kokoro provides a timeless psychological analysis of man''s alienation from society. It is recognized as one of his most important works and a milestone in the emergence of the psychological novel in Japan. Today it is widely read for its universal themes of friendship, betrayal and the struggle for meaning in a rapidly changing world.

A gorgeous new clothbound edition of Soseki's cherished novel, with an introduction by Haruki Murakami 'Even bigger than Japan is the inside of your head. Don't ever surrender yourself - not to Japan, not to anything' Soseki's work of gentle humour and doomed innocence depicts twenty-three-year-old Sanshiro, a recent graduate from a provincial college, as he begins university life in the big city of Tokyo. Baffled and excited by the traffic, the academics and - most of all - the women, Sanshiro must find his way amongst the sophisticates that fill his new life. An incisive social and cultural commentary, Sanshiro is also a subtle study of first love, tradition and modernization, and the idealism of youth against the cynicism of middle age. This Penguin Classics edition of Soseki's beloved novel is translated by Jay Rubin with an introduction by Haruki Murakami.

"Soseki remains the great master of modern literature in Japan." ?Norma M. FieldBotchan has a chip on his shoulder. His elder brother is his parents'' obvious favorite and Botchan only receives any attention at all if he misbehaves. After his parents die, Botchan is cut off by his brother and drifts into a job teaching math in a small provincial town far from the big city.Thrust into this alien environment, Botchan finds nothing but trouble?from his nosy landlord; his students, who delight in tormenting him; his fellow teachers, each of whom he christens with a sly nickname?Porcupine, Green Squash, Badger, Red Shirt?and others who insist on complicating his life. The result is chaos, told with great wit and irony that make this Soseki''s funniest novel.A modern classic in Japan, Botchan is as widely read today as when it was first published, occupying a place in the canon similar to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer or The Catcher in the Rye. Botchan''s coming-of-age quest to navigate the hypocrisy of his peers while remaining true to what is honest and good never fails to capture the hearts and imaginations of readers.

1,000 haiku by Soseki Natsume, collected into one volume for the first time!Soseki Natsume is Japan''s most popular writer, well known in the West for his satirical novels like I Am a Cat, Botchan and Kokoro. However, he first made a name for himself in Japan as a poet, publishing hundreds of haiku over a period of several decades. Until now very few of these have appeared in English.Soseki Natsume''s Collected Haiku presents 1,000 of the author''s most famous verses, selected and translated by Erik Lofgren, a leading Soseki expert. The poems are grouped into chapters corresponding to the five traditional Japanese seasons (New Year''s, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter).In these poems, Soseki explores themes ranging from wabi sabi Zen simplicity to his personal experiences including several years studying in England. His verses are evocative of the splendor of the natural world, the power of human emotions, and the serenity found in living a peaceful life.Each poem is presented in the original Japanese with a Romanized version and English translation. Audio recordings of the English and Japanese versions are provided online.

Botchan (?????) is a novel written by Natsume Soseki (real name: Kin'nosuke Natsume) in 1906. It is considered to be one of the most popular novels in Japan, read by most Japanese during their childhood. The central theme of the story is morality. (from Wikipedia)In its simplest understanding, "Botchan" may be taken as an episode in the life of a son born in Tokyo, hot-blooded, simple-hearted, pure as crystal and sturdy as a towering rock, honest and straight to a fault, intolerant of the least injustice and a volunteer ever ready to champion what he considers right and good. Children may read it as a "story of man who tried to be honest." It is a light, amusing and, at the name time, instructive story, with no tangle of love affairs, no scheme of blood-curdling scenes or nothing startling or sensational in the plot or characters. (from the translator)