2026 Reading Challenge
Kokoro

Questions About Kokoro

by Natsume Sōseki

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Answered Questions (4)

Anyone compare this to Catcher in the Rye?
Gary Hinton I haven't read this yet but I can say for certain that this could casually be related. There will never be another Holden Caulfield or a book that is …moreI haven't read this yet but I can say for certain that this could casually be related. There will never be another Holden Caulfield or a book that is outright lying to you from start to finish. The lies is what makes Catcher so timeless to me. If this book is in fact about a character that is trying to impress you (the reader) then I guess it is like Catcher!

Regardless, I can't wait to read this!(less)
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This question contains spoilers... (view spoiler)
Michael If we are to read fiction of other times and places, we've no choice but to make allowances for how the mores and ethos of those eras and societies di…moreIf we are to read fiction of other times and places, we've no choice but to make allowances for how the mores and ethos of those eras and societies differ from ours (or at least, how we would like to think ours is, or should be). Kokoro is a novel from early 20th-century Japan and like it or not, attitudes towards women there, and elsewhere, were not always very enlightened (women didn't have the vote in the US at that time). We would love for our literary heroes to transcend the limitations and prejudices of their times and places, but generally, they were just ordinary human beings who happened to be good at writing, not superheroes. One can find objectionable material in great literature throughout history but perhaps the lesson is to be continually reminded that WE here in 2022 still have a long way to go to expunge the hateful thought, rhetoric, and behavior that we so abhor (and yet is so vividly evoked) in written history of human thought and behavior.(less)
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Did Lafcadio Hearn _also_ write a "Kokoro", or is the Lafcadio Hearn-written-attributed "Kokoro" one can download from Amazon at all related to Natsume's work of this name (as translated by Hearn, I assume?)
Richard Hearn did write a book titled Kokoro. It was written in 1895 while Natsume’s Kokoro was written in 1914. Hearn’s was a collection of brief essays of h…moreHearn did write a book titled Kokoro. It was written in 1895 while Natsume’s Kokoro was written in 1914. Hearn’s was a collection of brief essays of his observations of Japanese culture, life. It was concerned with the ‘interior’ rather than the ‘exterior’ aspects of Japan. Hearn did not speak, let alone write, Japanese fluently enough to translate any books from Japanese to English. He died in 1904. (less)
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I am quite new to Japanese literature. I've only read modern Japanese novels like Murakami's books, and I attempted to read Yukio Mishima, and dropped Spring Snow. Would this novel be a good introduction for me (I'm 16 years old) to older Japanese literature?
Richard Yes, it would be a good introduction to what was considered ‘modern’ Japanese literature in the early 20th century. It depicts people and society of t…moreYes, it would be a good introduction to what was considered ‘modern’ Japanese literature in the early 20th century. It depicts people and society of those times quite powerfully. Natsume is considered to be the founder of ‘I Shosetu:’ fiction focusing on the internal experiences of people. This was considered to be a pretty radical change at the time. (less)
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Unanswered Questions (2)

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