Name: Alysha's review of Kokoro by Sōseki Natsume
Item: Kokoro
Rating: 3.5
Author: Alysha

Sōseki Natsume

Haunted by tragic secrets, Sensei slowly opens up to his young disciple, confessing indiscretions from his own student days that have left him reeling with guilt.

Kokoro

Natsume Sōseki

A Novel

Chaosisamazinglol

“In the end, you asked me to spread out my past like a picture scroll before your eyes. Then, for the first time, I respected you. I was moved by your decision, albeit discourteous in expression, to grasp something that was alive within my soul. You wished to cut open my heart, and see the blood flow. I was then still alive. I did not want to die. That is why I refused you, and postponed the granting of your wish to another day. Now, I myself am about to cut open my own heart, and drench your face with my blood. And I shall be satisfied if, when my heart stops beating, a new life lodges itself in your breast.” (Kokoro 82-83)

Natsume Soseki

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.

Aaron <3

Aubrey 

could literally feel the lonesomeness through the writing, the gaps, the feeling. the agony — it’s all there.

wonderful read. expected maybe a little bit more impact but still very moving and very lonely. everyone is all hurting somewhere deep in their hearts, and im glad sensei is finally able to be free from the shackles he put himself through in his writing. 

Alysha

could literally feel the lonesomeness through the writing, the gaps, the feeling. the agony — it’s all there.

wonderful read. expected maybe a little bit more impact but still very moving and very lonely. everyone is all hurting somewhere deep in their hearts, and im glad sensei is finally able to be free from the shackles he put himself through in his writing. 

i’ve never felt so seen in a character… me and (past) Sensei share the same traits and that ending left me in a sorrowful state 

Maureen

"I believe that words uttered in passion contain a greater living truth than do those words which express thoughts rationally conceived. It is blood that moves the body. Words are not meant to stir the air only; they are capable of moving greater things."

***

Alexa, play Modern Loneliness by Lauv. Finally read this great Japanese classic! As the book was written in first person, reading it felt like going through someone's personal diary. The story is divided into three parts, and to be honest, the first two parts failed to stir up any emotion in me. The third part, however, caught me by surprise. "Sensei's Testament" was unnaturally long, and I believe this is where the kokoro lies, i.e., "the heart of things." 

From quite early on, the book discloses that Sensei took his own life. He was characterized as a lonely man who felt disconnected from his lifestyle—which is attributed to him being a product of tradition but was nevertheless forced to enter into the epoch of modernity. As such, it comes as no surprise that he struggles to live appropriately. But the real reason for his plight is revealed in the third and last part of the story. At first, I could not make sense of his aloofness and desire to part with his life so soon, but his backstory answered all my inquiries. In the end, I feel an utmost pity for Sensei yet I likewise commend him for his reason to go on living despite desiring otherwise.

Antonio Bolio

100 años después y en el otro extremo del mundo y aún así sentí que todo pudo pasar ayer. No creo que pensara en la longevidad de la historia a este grado, pero me deja con mucha calma la presentación que da a dos maneras distintas de pensar.

gülsu

𓆨

i can't give it less than four stars i just can't

jeanro b.

Cigdem O

3.5⭐️
aapi authors month 2nd book🍄

jennifer 

“I will not hesitate to cast upon you the shadow thrown by the darkness of human life. But do not be afraid. Gaze steadfastly into this darkness, and find there the things that will be of use to you.” Felt like this was the heart of the book

Anushka Saha

Most part of the book is an easy ride, the inner worlds of characters relayed with sensitive nonchalance. That is why the revelation and the ending shocks you.

charisa

4.5 rounded up! this book really frustrated me. it was so unabashedly honest about the human condition, and yet from character to character, there was so much deceit and secrecy. perhaps that is the appeal of a character like sensei; he represents the nuances that belie what appears an innocent love or a simple, quiet life. underneath, it can be unsurprising that something more complicated or even sinister exists. and yet! and yet! i could really sympathize with him, because i know how it feels to be consumed by fear or loneliness or dread and feel suffocated by those bounds. 

“we who are born into this age of freedom and independence and the self must undergo this loneliness. it’s the price we pay for these times of ours.”

Quite boring at times. Heart wrenching. Sad quotes. Sensei is someone who indulges himself in melancholy. Sensei and K are so relatable what the fuck.

Sō̄seki Natsume

Ofelia

"I believe that words uttered in passion contain a greater living truth than do those words which express thoughts rationally conceived. It is blood that moves the body. Words are not meant to stir the air only: they are capable of moving greater things. "

Tuva Stranger Mjønes 

Really enjoyed Soseki's thoughtful way of writing, as well as getting an impression of the changing times of Japan from the Meiji era.

this book made my heart feel so full yet so empty at the same time. while this story near the end does get quite dark I think it's a book everyone should read at some point in their life. it's completely universal. the writing was great throughout the whole book, but the emotive language in Sensei's Testimony absolutely blew me away. 

Andrada D

A book as delicate as a butterfly, its wings fluttering in the wind, spreading the fragrance of a fresh honeycomb. No wonder Haruki Murakami named this to be his favourite writer. Both have a way of glancing into the depths of one's soul and writing from the heart and this meditation kindly providing a profound insight into the nature of loneliness is amongst the rawest, most heartfelt I have ever read.

I have always been fascinated by the way in which Japanese writers are expressing their ideas, with such fluidity and clarity of mind one could be easily deceived about the magnitude of such works. But beyond the clear waters lie the intricate webs of the human mind.
 
So is depicted the encounter between the three main characters of the book: the unnamed narrator, the mysterious Sensei and his friend, K. The book's thematic spectre is pervaded by this "ache of modernism" a man of his age was probably feeling at the dawn of a new era. The book effortlessly captures a remnant of the old Meiji one, as Soseki is bound to witness his country opening to a series of Western ideals championing egotistic individualism and the pursuit of self, in stark contrast with the ethical stance he presumably adhered to, and all of his characters standing at this impossible crossroad are bound to suffer without any fault of their own.

There is little to say about the book which has not already been said over and over and over again. All I can add is that one would never ever be able to put into words the extent of the effect this book may have over one's soul. I have been presented its plot at large and warned about its devastating impact, and yet reading it was amongst the best decisions I could make, anyone could ever make, really. Even if someone were to hate Kokoro, it would still be a worthwhile experience to have, if only for wanting to find out if Soseki deserved his reputation as one of the finest authors this world would ever have.

Aubrey &
Kokoro by Sōseki Natsume

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