Natsume Sōseki

Natsume Sōseki (1867–1916) was a Japanese novelist, poet, and scholar whose fiction explored modernity, isolation, and changing social values. His major works include Kokoro and I Am a Cat.

Kokoro: A 1914 novel by Natsume Sōseki about a young man’s relationship with an enigmatic older mentor called Sensei. Its divided narrative and theme of guilt distill Sōseki’s mature psychological fiction.
Meiji era: The period of Japanese history from 1868 to 1912, marked by imperial rule and rapid political and social transformation. Sōseki’s career unfolded as Japan renegotiated institutions, education, and identity.
Masaoka Shiki: A Japanese poet and literary reformer who renewed haiku and tanka in the late nineteenth century. Shiki was Sōseki’s close friend and encouraged his early literary writing.
First-person narrative: A narrative mode in which a character tells a story using first-person pronouns. Sōseki often uses intimate narrators whose limited knowledge shapes the reader’s judgment.
Shincho Bunko: A Japanese paperback book series published by Shinchosha, featuring canonical and popular literature. Its editions helped keep Sōseki’s works widely available to generations of Japanese readers.
I Am a Cat: A satirical novel narrated by a nameless cat observing human life in Meiji-era Japan. This debut novel established Sōseki’s comic critique of educated society.
University of Tokyo: A Japanese national university founded in 1877 as Tokyo Imperial University. Sōseki studied English literature there and later taught at its predecessor institution.
Kyoshi Takahama: A Japanese haiku poet and editor who became a leading successor to Masaoka Shiki. Sōseki’s friendship with Kyoshi connected him to the haiku circles around Shiki.
Unreliable narrator: A narrator whose account cannot be fully trusted because of limited knowledge, bias, or deception. Several Sōseki narrators expose the gap between self-image and behavior.
Japanese yen: The official currency of Japan. Sōseki’s portrait appeared on the 1,000-yen banknote issued from 1984 to 2004.

Linked from 10 pages