Natsume Sōseki

Author profile

born

February 09, 1867 in Babashita, Japan

died

December 09, 1916

gender

male

genre

Literature & Fiction, Poetry

About this author

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Natsume Sōseki was the pen name of Natsume Kinnosuke, who is widely considered to be the foremost Japanese novelist of the Meiji Era (1868–1912). He is commonly referred to as Sōseki. He is best known for his novels Kokoro, Botchan, I Am a Cat and his unfinished work Light and Darkness. He was also a scholar of British literature and composer of haiku, Chinese-style poetry, and fairy tales. From 1984 until 2007, his portrait appeared on the front of the Japanese 1000 yen note.

Japanese name: 夏目漱石

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Books by Natsume Sōseki

Average rating: 3.80 · 4,975 ratings · 567 reviews · 48 distinct works

	Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki, Edwin McClellan (-Translator) 3.94 avg rating — 2,291 ratings — published 1914 — 40 editions	My rating:
	I am a Cat by Natsume Sōseki, Aiko Ito, Graeme Wilson 3.69 avg rating — 1,110 ratings — published 1905 — 28 editions	My rating:
	Sanshirō by Natsume Sōseki, Jay Rubin, Sumii Sue 3.75 avg rating — 283 ratings — published 1908 — 13 editions	My rating:
	The Three-Cornered World by Natsume Sōseki, Alan Turney (Translator) 3.87 avg rating — 252 ratings — published 1906 — 12 editions	My rating:
	Botchan by Sōseki Natsume, Joel Cohn (Translator) 3.45 avg rating — 1,304 ratings — published 1906 — 58 editions	My rating:
	And Then by Natsume Sōseki, Norma Moore Field (Translator) 3.90 avg rating — 130 ratings — published 1978 — 7 editions	My rating:
	Ten Nights' Dreams by Natsume Sōseki, Lovetta R. Lorenz, Takumi Kashima 3.96 avg rating — 81 ratings — published 1974 — 3 editions	My rating:
	The Gate by Natsume Sōseki, Francis Mathy (Translator), Damian Flanagan (Introduction) 3.79 avg rating — 81 ratings — published 1948 — 7 editions	My rating:
	Grass on the Wayside =: Michikusa: A Novel 3.72 avg rating — 57 ratings — published 1951 — 3 editions	My rating:
	The Miner 4.09 avg rating — 45 ratings — published 1976 — 2 editions	My rating:

More books by Natsume Sōseki…

Quotes by Natsume Sōseki

“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.”
― Natsume Sōseki, Kokoro

51 people liked it

“You seem to be under the impression that there is a special breed of bad humans. There is no such thing as a stereotype bad man in this world. Under normal conditions, everybody is more or less good, or, at least, ordinary. But tempt them, and they may suddenly change. That is what is so frightening about men.”
― Natsume Sōseki, Kokoro

28 people liked it

“I often laughed, and you often gave me a dissatisfied look, till you pressed me to unfold my past before you as if it were a roll of pictures. It was then I felt respect for you. Because you unreservedly showed me your resolution to catch something alive in my being, and to sip the warm blood running in my body, by cutting my heart. At that time, I was still living, and did not want to die. So I rejected your request, promising to satisfy you some day. Now I am going to destroy my heart myself, and pour my blood into your veins. I shall be happy if a new life can enter into your bosom, when my heart has stopped beating.”
― Natsume Sōseki, Kokoro

tags: past

15 people liked it

See all Natsume Sōseki's quotes »

Polls

What fiction book would you like to read for January's group read?

Selected Poems of T.S. Eliot by T.S. Eliot

12 votes, 26.1%

Meet Mr. Mulliner by P.G. Wodehouse

12 votes, 26.1%

Maurice by E.M. Forster

11 votes, 23.9%

Quicksand and Passing by Nella Larsen

9 votes, 19.6%

Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki

2 votes, 4.3%

46 total votes

1 comment

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