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Botchan
Botchan (1906) is a novel by Natsume Sōseki. Inspired by his experience as a teacher on the island of Shikoko, Sōseki composed a beloved tale of growth and moral decency that continues to be read in Japan and around the world to this day. Filled with humorous asides and heartwarming scenes, Botchan is a classic bildungsroman from one of Japan's most successful twentieth century writers.
Ever since his childhood days in Tokyo, Botchan has experienced bouts of "hereditary recklessness," an inability to think and act as others expect him to. Frequently injured, always in trouble, he develops a reputation in his neighborhood as a young rapscallion, a misfit at home and in school. When his mother dies unexpectedly, Botchan is raised by Kiyo, his family's elderly servant, who sees something in him no one else has been able to recognize. Through positive reinforcement and a focus on fostering good morals, she helps Botchan achieve a certain amount of respectability without forcing him to sacrifice his fiercely independent nature. He excels in school and finds a job as a middle school math teacher on the island of Shikoku. Thinking the days of schoolyard drama are behind him, he is surprised to discover that the antics and conflicts inherent to boyhood are rampant among his fellow teachers. Joining forces with Porcupine, he sets out to dethrone head teacher Red Shirt, who indiscriminately wields his power over colleagues and students alike. Hilarious and eminently human, Botchan is a beloved story of class, morality, and conflict from a master of Japanese fiction.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Natsume Sōseki's Botchan is a classic work of Japanese literature reimagined for modern readers.
Ever since his childhood days in Tokyo, Botchan has experienced bouts of "hereditary recklessness," an inability to think and act as others expect him to. Frequently injured, always in trouble, he develops a reputation in his neighborhood as a young rapscallion, a misfit at home and in school. When his mother dies unexpectedly, Botchan is raised by Kiyo, his family's elderly servant, who sees something in him no one else has been able to recognize. Through positive reinforcement and a focus on fostering good morals, she helps Botchan achieve a certain amount of respectability without forcing him to sacrifice his fiercely independent nature. He excels in school and finds a job as a middle school math teacher on the island of Shikoku. Thinking the days of schoolyard drama are behind him, he is surprised to discover that the antics and conflicts inherent to boyhood are rampant among his fellow teachers. Joining forces with Porcupine, he sets out to dethrone head teacher Red Shirt, who indiscriminately wields his power over colleagues and students alike. Hilarious and eminently human, Botchan is a beloved story of class, morality, and conflict from a master of Japanese fiction.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Natsume Sōseki's Botchan is a classic work of Japanese literature reimagined for modern readers.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1906
1100 people are currently reading
18956 people want to read
About the author
Natsume Sōseki
886 books3,273 followersNatsume Sōseki (夏目 漱石), born Natsume Kinnosuke (夏目 金之助), was a Japanese novelist. 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, kanshi, and fairy tales. From 1984 until 2004, his portrait appeared on the front of the Japanese 1000 yen note. In Japan, he is often considered the greatest writer in modern Japanese history. He has had a profound effect on almost all important Japanese writers since.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,119 reviews
May 23, 2019
”Now that I thought about it, though, I realized that most people actually encourage you to turn bad. They seem to think that if you don't, you'll never get anywhere in the world. And then on those rare occasions when they encounter somebody who's honest and pure-hearted, they look down on him and say he's nothing but a kid, a Botchan. If that's the way it is, it would be better if they didn't have those ethics classes in elementary school and middle school where the teacher is always telling you to be honest and not lie. The schools might as well just go ahead and teach you how to tell lies, how to mistrust everybody, and how to take advantage of people. Wouldn't their students, and the world at large, be better off that way?”
Natsume Soseki, the author of this work, was so revered in Japan his face appeared on the 1000 Yen currency.
Botchan has grown up under the protective wing of a family servant named Kiyo. She is a fallen aristocrat who pins her hopes on Botchan making something of himself so she can continue to be his servant until she dies. She certainly has an exaggerated sense of Botchan’s character, but because she considers him her son we can forgive her having such misconceptions.
He goes to the University of Tokyo of Physics and emerges with a degree in math, not because he likes math, but because he could pass the classes. Like a lot of young people he had no idea of what he wants to do, but I do have to give him credit for at least doing something while he was trying to figure out what to do.
He believes his best characteristics are common sense and a good grounding in morals, but they are somewhat offset by being impulsive, judgemental, and naive.
Botchan accepts a job teaching in the countryside far away from Tokyo. The adjustment is difficult mainly because he loses the fawning presence of Kiyo and he quickly alienates most of his coworkers by being condescending and overly critical of them. The same alienation occurs with the students who stalk him through the village and make fun of his eating habits. He likes to eat...a lot.
Botchan didn’t want to be a teacher. He was an indifferent student and became an indifferent teacher. I’m alarmed at the number of teachers I meet that never liked school, but fell into teaching for lack of other options. Most of our teachers in the United States come from the bottom third of graduates. I found some data from 2001, but more recent polling shows that the percentages from each third have not changed significantly. The breakdown for these graduates who became teachers is as follows: 23 percent came from the “top third;” 47 percent from the “bottom third;” and 29 percent from the “middle third.” In most European countries teachers come from the top third of graduates. That makes more sense to me. Part of our problem in the States people from the top third of graduates discover they can make much more money in the private sector with a smaller work load than they can teaching. In Europe teachers are among some of the best paid people in the country. That makes sense to me as well.
I digress, but this trend has been of concern to me and Botchan would probably fall into that bottom third category.
Botchan gives his colleagues nicknames. The principal becomes The Badger. The assistant principal is Red Shirt. There is also Porcupine, Hanger On, and The Squash face. Giving nicknames is a form of silent rebellion and makes him feel superior to most everyone in the echoing halls of his own head. There is a woman named Madonna, a beautiful woman that even the indifferent Botchan takes notice of.
”I’m not any good at describing what makes a woman gorgeous, so I won’t try, but this one was definitely absolutely gorgeous. Somehow just looking at her made me feel like I was cradling a ball of crystal that had been warmed in perfume in my palm.”
The Madonna causes friction between the academics as they vie for her attention. It reminds me of when I was at the University of Arizona taking classes in the English department. Edward Abbey had been teaching there during part of my time there. I could never get into his class which was generally loaded with graduate students. Abbey’s wife was “allegedly” sleeping with several teachers in the department. One was the highest paid member of the staff due to his ability to publish and the other was an ex-Jesuit monk. During one famous faculty meeting they came to blows. My money was on the Jesuit. It was difficult sitting in class looking at this notorious black eye at the front of the room and not laughing over the source of that injury.
The longer Botchan teaches his pride becomes more and more battered from a barrage of disappointments. His predetermined idea of how the universe is supposed to work becomes more cynical.
”People operate on their likes and dislikes, not on logic.”
Natsume Soseki
This book is one of the best selling, best loved books of all time in Japan. It was published in 1906, but continues to be a source of amusement for new generations of Japanese readers. It is certainly a study in morality about the struggles between people with differing views of what living an honorable life means. Botchan is sure that his view of the universe is the correct one and those that interpret things different receive his disdain. It is excusable in a 22 year old and my hope is in the pages beyond this book that were never written that he learns more tolerance for the fallacies of others. My interest level increased the deeper I advanced in the book. I went from not really caring for Botchan to actually starting to understand him and even began to root for him. This is an early work by Natsume Soseki and I am very curious to read his later, more mature work.
Natsume Soseki, the author of this work, was so revered in Japan his face appeared on the 1000 Yen currency.
Botchan has grown up under the protective wing of a family servant named Kiyo. She is a fallen aristocrat who pins her hopes on Botchan making something of himself so she can continue to be his servant until she dies. She certainly has an exaggerated sense of Botchan’s character, but because she considers him her son we can forgive her having such misconceptions.
He goes to the University of Tokyo of Physics and emerges with a degree in math, not because he likes math, but because he could pass the classes. Like a lot of young people he had no idea of what he wants to do, but I do have to give him credit for at least doing something while he was trying to figure out what to do.
He believes his best characteristics are common sense and a good grounding in morals, but they are somewhat offset by being impulsive, judgemental, and naive.
Botchan accepts a job teaching in the countryside far away from Tokyo. The adjustment is difficult mainly because he loses the fawning presence of Kiyo and he quickly alienates most of his coworkers by being condescending and overly critical of them. The same alienation occurs with the students who stalk him through the village and make fun of his eating habits. He likes to eat...a lot.
Botchan didn’t want to be a teacher. He was an indifferent student and became an indifferent teacher. I’m alarmed at the number of teachers I meet that never liked school, but fell into teaching for lack of other options. Most of our teachers in the United States come from the bottom third of graduates. I found some data from 2001, but more recent polling shows that the percentages from each third have not changed significantly. The breakdown for these graduates who became teachers is as follows: 23 percent came from the “top third;” 47 percent from the “bottom third;” and 29 percent from the “middle third.” In most European countries teachers come from the top third of graduates. That makes more sense to me. Part of our problem in the States people from the top third of graduates discover they can make much more money in the private sector with a smaller work load than they can teaching. In Europe teachers are among some of the best paid people in the country. That makes sense to me as well.
I digress, but this trend has been of concern to me and Botchan would probably fall into that bottom third category.
Botchan gives his colleagues nicknames. The principal becomes The Badger. The assistant principal is Red Shirt. There is also Porcupine, Hanger On, and The Squash face. Giving nicknames is a form of silent rebellion and makes him feel superior to most everyone in the echoing halls of his own head. There is a woman named Madonna, a beautiful woman that even the indifferent Botchan takes notice of.
”I’m not any good at describing what makes a woman gorgeous, so I won’t try, but this one was definitely absolutely gorgeous. Somehow just looking at her made me feel like I was cradling a ball of crystal that had been warmed in perfume in my palm.”
The Madonna causes friction between the academics as they vie for her attention. It reminds me of when I was at the University of Arizona taking classes in the English department. Edward Abbey had been teaching there during part of my time there. I could never get into his class which was generally loaded with graduate students. Abbey’s wife was “allegedly” sleeping with several teachers in the department. One was the highest paid member of the staff due to his ability to publish and the other was an ex-Jesuit monk. During one famous faculty meeting they came to blows. My money was on the Jesuit. It was difficult sitting in class looking at this notorious black eye at the front of the room and not laughing over the source of that injury.
The longer Botchan teaches his pride becomes more and more battered from a barrage of disappointments. His predetermined idea of how the universe is supposed to work becomes more cynical.
”People operate on their likes and dislikes, not on logic.”
Natsume Soseki
This book is one of the best selling, best loved books of all time in Japan. It was published in 1906, but continues to be a source of amusement for new generations of Japanese readers. It is certainly a study in morality about the struggles between people with differing views of what living an honorable life means. Botchan is sure that his view of the universe is the correct one and those that interpret things different receive his disdain. It is excusable in a 22 year old and my hope is in the pages beyond this book that were never written that he learns more tolerance for the fallacies of others. My interest level increased the deeper I advanced in the book. I went from not really caring for Botchan to actually starting to understand him and even began to root for him. This is an early work by Natsume Soseki and I am very curious to read his later, more mature work.
July 1, 2018
RESEÑA completa
PURA DIVERSIÓN.
Si no habéis leído nada de Soseki empezad por 'Botchan' y no os arrepentiréis.
Es una lectura ligera pero llena de chispa que satiriza la experiencia de un joven profesor dando clase en una pequeña ciudad de provincias.
Me lo he pasado genial. Super recomendado!!!
Ya van 3 libros que leo de Soseki y está claro que seguiré con él ♥
PURA DIVERSIÓN.
Si no habéis leído nada de Soseki empezad por 'Botchan' y no os arrepentiréis.
Es una lectura ligera pero llena de chispa que satiriza la experiencia de un joven profesor dando clase en una pequeña ciudad de provincias.
Me lo he pasado genial. Super recomendado!!!
Ya van 3 libros que leo de Soseki y está claro que seguiré con él ♥
August 26, 2025
باچان کتابی است از ناتسومه سوسهکی . او کوشیده با طنزی ظریف جامعهی ژاپن در دوران گذار از سنت به مدرنیته را ترسیم کند .
باچان یا ارباب ، مردی جوان است که تازه از دانشگاه فارغالتحصیل شده و برای تدریس به شهری کوچک فرستاده میشود. او از همان برخورد نخست، با فضایی بسته و محافظهکارانه روبهرو میشود؛ جایی که سنتهای قدیمی هنوز حرف اول را میزنند. مدیر مدرسه، ناظم، و برخی از معلمان دیگر، نمایندگان این نظم سنتیاند؛ بیشتر درگیر حفظ ظاهر، رعایت سلسلهمراتب، و روابط پشتپردهاند تا دغدغهی آموزش واقعی. باچان، تلاش می کند تا با صداقت، شوخطبعی، و البته نگاه انتقادی، این ساختارها را زیر سؤال برد. او با طنز و کنایه، پوچی احمقانه بودن رفتارهای اطرافیانش را نشان می دهد ، گرچه که آنها او را احمق می دانند.
سوسهکی با نثری روان و ساده، کوشیده تضاد میان سنت و مدرنیته را نه با شعار، بلکه با روایت زندگی روزمره و کنشهای سادهی انسانی نشان دهد. باچان ، تصویری ساده از جامعهای در حال دگرگونی روایت می کند ؛ جامعهای که میان حفظ گذشته و پذیرش آینده، گویی در کشاکشی دائمیست.
باچان یا ارباب ، مردی جوان است که تازه از دانشگاه فارغالتحصیل شده و برای تدریس به شهری کوچک فرستاده میشود. او از همان برخورد نخست، با فضایی بسته و محافظهکارانه روبهرو میشود؛ جایی که سنتهای قدیمی هنوز حرف اول را میزنند. مدیر مدرسه، ناظم، و برخی از معلمان دیگر، نمایندگان این نظم سنتیاند؛ بیشتر درگیر حفظ ظاهر، رعایت سلسلهمراتب، و روابط پشتپردهاند تا دغدغهی آموزش واقعی. باچان، تلاش می کند تا با صداقت، شوخطبعی، و البته نگاه انتقادی، این ساختارها را زیر سؤال برد. او با طنز و کنایه، پوچی احمقانه بودن رفتارهای اطرافیانش را نشان می دهد ، گرچه که آنها او را احمق می دانند.
سوسهکی با نثری روان و ساده، کوشیده تضاد میان سنت و مدرنیته را نه با شعار، بلکه با روایت زندگی روزمره و کنشهای سادهی انسانی نشان دهد. باچان ، تصویری ساده از جامعهای در حال دگرگونی روایت می کند ؛ جامعهای که میان حفظ گذشته و پذیرش آینده، گویی در کشاکشی دائمیست.
June 2, 2022
[Edited, pictures added 6/2/22]
This book from 1906, translated from the Japanese, is kind of a “Tom Brown at Oxford” set in Japan, and, in fact, the author did attend British schools, so maybe that’s where he got the idea for the book.
A young man from Tokyo finds a job as a math teacher in a boys’ school out in the boondocks. He is a complete and total (insert your favorite anatomical word here, I’ll say - ass). He is arrogant, looks down on the villagers, finds fault with everyone, talks down to his servants and landlords, can’t make friends, etc.
Naturally he is the perfect target for pranks by the boys and intrigues by his colleagues to get rid of him. He seems oblivious to it all.
So of course, there is a lot of opportunity for humor in this setting and it is basically a humorous book. “I always disliked one subject as much as another.” and “…remember when someone apologizes to you, he doesn’t really mean it, and therefore you should only pretend to forgive him. The only way to make someone really apologize is to beat him until he truly regrets what he’s done.”
The book is kind of a Japanese classic, shown frequently in adaptations on television. I found it interesting for the local color of Japan in the late 19th-early 20th century.
During his relatively short life (1867-1916) the author wrote about two dozen novels and became Japan’s most famous author. He is credited with bringing the modern realistic novel into Japanese literature. Haruki Murakami said he is his favorite writer. He is most famous for a trilogy: Sanshiro, And Then, and The Gate, of which I have read the last two.
Japanese schoolboys, early 1900s, from alamy.com
The author on Japanese currency from bbc.co.uk
This book from 1906, translated from the Japanese, is kind of a “Tom Brown at Oxford” set in Japan, and, in fact, the author did attend British schools, so maybe that’s where he got the idea for the book.
A young man from Tokyo finds a job as a math teacher in a boys’ school out in the boondocks. He is a complete and total (insert your favorite anatomical word here, I’ll say - ass). He is arrogant, looks down on the villagers, finds fault with everyone, talks down to his servants and landlords, can’t make friends, etc.
Naturally he is the perfect target for pranks by the boys and intrigues by his colleagues to get rid of him. He seems oblivious to it all.
So of course, there is a lot of opportunity for humor in this setting and it is basically a humorous book. “I always disliked one subject as much as another.” and “…remember when someone apologizes to you, he doesn’t really mean it, and therefore you should only pretend to forgive him. The only way to make someone really apologize is to beat him until he truly regrets what he’s done.”
The book is kind of a Japanese classic, shown frequently in adaptations on television. I found it interesting for the local color of Japan in the late 19th-early 20th century.
During his relatively short life (1867-1916) the author wrote about two dozen novels and became Japan’s most famous author. He is credited with bringing the modern realistic novel into Japanese literature. Haruki Murakami said he is his favorite writer. He is most famous for a trilogy: Sanshiro, And Then, and The Gate, of which I have read the last two.
Japanese schoolboys, early 1900s, from alamy.com
The author on Japanese currency from bbc.co.uk
April 24, 2023
این کتاب اخیرا توسط نشر برج منتشر شده.
اثری جذاب و دوست داشتنی بود.
خیلی از خوندنش لذت بردم.
داستان این کتاب به زندگی پسری دردسر ساز و شرور میپردازد،پسری که قرار نیست اسمشو بدونیم و فقط به نام باچان (ارباب)لقبی که خدمتکار میانسال خونهاشون بهش داده.
ما از همون دوران نوجوانی همراهش میشویم تا روزی که به عنوان معلم ریاضی در یک روستای دورافتاده استخدام میشود،
ولی باچان وقتی به اونجا میرسد و متوجه میشود، چیزی که تصور میکرد نیست.
علیرغم داستان ساده و کوتاهی داشت،خیلی جذاب و پرکشش بود برام.
ناتسومه واقعا یک نابغه بوده که چنین اثری کوتاه اما جالب و دوستداشتنی به جا بذاره.
باعث شد با کارکتر اصلی ارتباط برقرار کنم و خیلی دوسش داشتم
باچان از کارکترهایی که هیچوقت از یادم نمیره.
ناتسومه تمام داستان رو با لحن طنز و کنایه تعریف میکند که باعث میشود بخندید.
البته چند جا خوندم البته خودم نمیدونم چون کتابهارو نخوندم اینکه کارکتر ناطور دشت(هولدن)و تام سایر شبیه باچان هستند.
اثری جذاب و دوست داشتنی بود.
خیلی از خوندنش لذت بردم.
داستان این کتاب به زندگی پسری دردسر ساز و شرور میپردازد،پسری که قرار نیست اسمشو بدونیم و فقط به نام باچان (ارباب)لقبی که خدمتکار میانسال خونهاشون بهش داده.
ما از همون دوران نوجوانی همراهش میشویم تا روزی که به عنوان معلم ریاضی در یک روستای دورافتاده استخدام میشود،
ولی باچان وقتی به اونجا میرسد و متوجه میشود، چیزی که تصور میکرد نیست.
علیرغم داستان ساده و کوتاهی داشت،خیلی جذاب و پرکشش بود برام.
ناتسومه واقعا یک نابغه بوده که چنین اثری کوتاه اما جالب و دوستداشتنی به جا بذاره.
باعث شد با کارکتر اصلی ارتباط برقرار کنم و خیلی دوسش داشتم
باچان از کارکترهایی که هیچوقت از یادم نمیره.
ناتسومه تمام داستان رو با لحن طنز و کنایه تعریف میکند که باعث میشود بخندید.
البته چند جا خوندم البته خودم نمیدونم چون کتابهارو نخوندم اینکه کارکتر ناطور دشت(هولدن)و تام سایر شبیه باچان هستند.
July 15, 2025
Botchan, o Impulsivo
Botchan nasceu com um temperamento impulsivo. Faz e diz o que pensa no calor do instante. Quando muito, poderá optar pelo silêncio mas, regra geral, deixa simplesmente sair, sem filtro. Como corolário, encontra-se em permanente colisão com o resto do mundo…
Socorrendo-se desta personagem caricata (além de impulsivo Botchan é professor), “Botchan” é uma sátira à educação escolar e respetivos educadores. Estes surgem retratados como uma corja de seres pretensiosos que envergam uma máscara de moralidade e erudição para camuflar a sua real banalidade e mesquinhez.
“Como podem os professores não ser uma raça em extinção?” , é a consequente pergunta retórica 😜
Em suma, duma forma brejeira, “Botchan” denuncia um sistema educacional pervertido, falho de ética e outros valores, e as suas repercussões na sociedade.
Gostei muito 👏👏👏👏👏
P.S.: Acresce dizer que se este livro virasse canção o refrão seria: “Hey kids, leave the teacher alone”. Aqui fica o enigma para os curiosos 😊 (este é um sorriso giocondo)
………………………..
The Problems Collector
In his youth, Botchan was a troubled kid: he threw himself from the first-floor of his school , cut one of his thumbs till the bone on purpose, hit others, others hit him, etc, etc,…
Botchan was permanently in trouble — his impulsive behavior earned him the disinterest of his mother (“I don’t want to see you again”) and the discredit of his father (“you’ll always be a loser”). And the neighbors saw him as a useless and disposable being
In short, Botchan was a walking Problem that, apparently, had no solution. However, the notorious attraction between problems and Botchan, pointed out a path: Botchan should become a math teacher. And that’s what he did 😜
Moral of this story: if you live your life surrounded by problems your destiny is already written in the stars (aka problems): there’s a job of math teacher patiently waiting for you out there…
Botchan is irreverent and completely “out of the box”. He inspires a little and entertains a lot
Botchan nasceu com um temperamento impulsivo. Faz e diz o que pensa no calor do instante. Quando muito, poderá optar pelo silêncio mas, regra geral, deixa simplesmente sair, sem filtro. Como corolário, encontra-se em permanente colisão com o resto do mundo…
Socorrendo-se desta personagem caricata (além de impulsivo Botchan é professor), “Botchan” é uma sátira à educação escolar e respetivos educadores. Estes surgem retratados como uma corja de seres pretensiosos que envergam uma máscara de moralidade e erudição para camuflar a sua real banalidade e mesquinhez.
“Como podem os professores não ser uma raça em extinção?” , é a consequente pergunta retórica 😜
Em suma, duma forma brejeira, “Botchan” denuncia um sistema educacional pervertido, falho de ética e outros valores, e as suas repercussões na sociedade.
Gostei muito 👏👏👏👏👏
P.S.: Acresce dizer que se este livro virasse canção o refrão seria: “Hey kids, leave the teacher alone”. Aqui fica o enigma para os curiosos 😊 (este é um sorriso giocondo)
………………………..
The Problems Collector
In his youth, Botchan was a troubled kid: he threw himself from the first-floor of his school , cut one of his thumbs till the bone on purpose, hit others, others hit him, etc, etc,…
Botchan was permanently in trouble — his impulsive behavior earned him the disinterest of his mother (“I don’t want to see you again”) and the discredit of his father (“you’ll always be a loser”). And the neighbors saw him as a useless and disposable being
In short, Botchan was a walking Problem that, apparently, had no solution. However, the notorious attraction between problems and Botchan, pointed out a path: Botchan should become a math teacher. And that’s what he did 😜
Moral of this story: if you live your life surrounded by problems your destiny is already written in the stars (aka problems): there’s a job of math teacher patiently waiting for you out there…
Botchan is irreverent and completely “out of the box”. He inspires a little and entertains a lot
February 22, 2015
لا أدري إن كان هناك تأثير لسالينجر ولكن تلك الروح المتمردة وجدتها حاضرة بشكل كبير الروح الساخطة واللسان السليط في الرواية التي أسرت الشباب ومراهقي ذلك العصر شخصية هولدن في الحارس في حقل الشوفان كانت قريبة وهذا الأمر يتكرر في هذه الرواية لتكون بوتشان الرواية الأكثر شعبية في اليابان ، التمرد رمز للبطولة ونكران السائد جاء ساسكي ليقدم هذا النموذج الساخط المتعالي على النظام الذي يسير برتابة مغلفا بسواد فاضح
بوتشان لقب أطلقته المربية على الشاب الذي أحبته أكثر من أي شيء آخر هذا اللقب له مدلولات عديدة شرحها المترجم في المقدمة الشاب الذي كان قليل الطموح يهوى الدخول في معارك يصنعها بإرادته يجد نفسه في مدينة ريفية وماذا أيضا إنه معلم رياضيات ! يكتشف هذا المعلم في تلك المدينة الصغيرة قساوة هذه الحياة فهذه المدينة الريفية ليست سوى نموذج للعالم الواسع الملىء بالصراعات وكان حتما عليه أن يقف أمام الغوغائية والفوضى والنفاق !
إن النماذج التي قدمها سايسكي كالمنافق والوصولي والمستكين والمظلوم والمتمرد هي تلك النماذج التي ممكن أن تقابلها في أي مكان وفي أي عالم
متحضر كان أو غابت عنه الحضارة
لقد برع الأديب الياباني في رسم شخصياته ومنحها ألقابا كبديل عن الأسماء
أما كيو المربية فهي المرأة الوحيدة التي تواصل معها بوتشان منذ طفولته وحتى رحيله هذه المرأة الحنونة التي كانت ترى في بوتشان ابنا وسيدا بدت كوطن كبير لا يمكن التخلي عنه بل لا بد أن يجرك الحنين له وليس أدل على ذلك من تلك المشاعر النبيلة التي كان يكنها لها بوتشان
لم يلبس الروائي بطلنا بوتشان لباس المثالية على الرغم من ظهوره بمظهر الصادق فسلاطة لسانه كانت حاضرة دائما
إتسم إسلوب سايسكي بالسخرية وبالطرافة فأنت لا تملك إلا أن تبتسم أمام طرافة
التعليقات التي يلقي بها بوتشان
والتي كانت تتشابه في مناطق كثيرة مع تعليقات هولدن وإن اختلفت شخصية بوتشان عن هولدن في تقديره الكبير لذاته
إن ما يميز هذه الرواية هي تلك البساطة المحببة التي يكتب بها المؤلف وذلك الحوار الساخط الذي أجاده بإقتدار
حقا كانت ممتعة هذه الرواية
بوتشان لقب أطلقته المربية على الشاب الذي أحبته أكثر من أي شيء آخر هذا اللقب له مدلولات عديدة شرحها المترجم في المقدمة الشاب الذي كان قليل الطموح يهوى الدخول في معارك يصنعها بإرادته يجد نفسه في مدينة ريفية وماذا أيضا إنه معلم رياضيات ! يكتشف هذا المعلم في تلك المدينة الصغيرة قساوة هذه الحياة فهذه المدينة الريفية ليست سوى نموذج للعالم الواسع الملىء بالصراعات وكان حتما عليه أن يقف أمام الغوغائية والفوضى والنفاق !
إن النماذج التي قدمها سايسكي كالمنافق والوصولي والمستكين والمظلوم والمتمرد هي تلك النماذج التي ممكن أن تقابلها في أي مكان وفي أي عالم
متحضر كان أو غابت عنه الحضارة
لقد برع الأديب الياباني في رسم شخصياته ومنحها ألقابا كبديل عن الأسماء
أما كيو المربية فهي المرأة الوحيدة التي تواصل معها بوتشان منذ طفولته وحتى رحيله هذه المرأة الحنونة التي كانت ترى في بوتشان ابنا وسيدا بدت كوطن كبير لا يمكن التخلي عنه بل لا بد أن يجرك الحنين له وليس أدل على ذلك من تلك المشاعر النبيلة التي كان يكنها لها بوتشان
لم يلبس الروائي بطلنا بوتشان لباس المثالية على الرغم من ظهوره بمظهر الصادق فسلاطة لسانه كانت حاضرة دائما
إتسم إسلوب سايسكي بالسخرية وبالطرافة فأنت لا تملك إلا أن تبتسم أمام طرافة
التعليقات التي يلقي بها بوتشان
والتي كانت تتشابه في مناطق كثيرة مع تعليقات هولدن وإن اختلفت شخصية بوتشان عن هولدن في تقديره الكبير لذاته
إن ما يميز هذه الرواية هي تلك البساطة المحببة التي يكتب بها المؤلف وذلك الحوار الساخط الذي أجاده بإقتدار
حقا كانت ممتعة هذه الرواية
November 22, 2016
Botchan is like Japan's Tom Sawyer. It is read by schoolchildren across the country and has been the subject of innumerable TV sketches and parodies ever since Soseki wrote it early in the 20th Century. It is a coming-of-age story ripe with sarcasm and very entertaining to read. There is also a comic book version (or more). It is an early masterpiece of Soseki that does not have the depth of I Am A Cat but yet has the power of his prose to make a lasting impression and - since it is long before his more depressive period - show the strength of human nature.
January 4, 2022
Japon edebiyatı ile ilk tanışma için uygun bir kitap olabilir. Oldukça basit ve kolay okunur-yormayan bir anlatımı var. İnsanları neden sevmediğinizi hatırlatması da artısı. :)
3,5/5
3,5/5
January 7, 2024
باچان شیرین و کوچک بود. داستان پسری رو میخونیم که باید به تنهایی از پس زندگی بزرگسالی بربیاد و با واقعیت های اجتماع روبرو بشه. برخورد با رذیلت های مختلف باچان رو به واقعیت شخصیت خودش نزدیک میکنه و تازه متوجه میشه که چی از زندگی میخواد. لذت بردم.
June 18, 2022
No habia leido aun al autor, aunque tengo Kokoro pendiente, pero me decidi a empezar por este y la verdad que ha sido un acierto, es una historia muy facil de entender, sin palabras complejas, sin muchos tecnicismos y bastante cortita.
Es una historia de un joven de Tokio, al que destinan a la isla de Shikoku a dar clases de Matemáticas ya que es profesor. Durante su estancia, va a conocer a otros profesores a los que ira poniendo motes ( algo que me ha resultado super curioso y divertido). Se dara cuenta de lo complicado que es adptarse a un nuevo lugar y a una nueva situación, pero le hará aprender que no tiene que fiarse de todo lo que le dicen, y no juzgar a las personas sin conocerlas.
Es una historia muy agil y muy amena, una novela de personajes sin grandes giros. Me ha gustado el el caracter del protagonista, ese comienzo de rebeldia frente a sus alumnos pero tambien ese carácter ingenuo.
Una novela que recomiendo si quieres empezar a leer algo de esta cultura. Rapido, agil y entretenido.
Es una historia de un joven de Tokio, al que destinan a la isla de Shikoku a dar clases de Matemáticas ya que es profesor. Durante su estancia, va a conocer a otros profesores a los que ira poniendo motes ( algo que me ha resultado super curioso y divertido). Se dara cuenta de lo complicado que es adptarse a un nuevo lugar y a una nueva situación, pero le hará aprender que no tiene que fiarse de todo lo que le dicen, y no juzgar a las personas sin conocerlas.
Es una historia muy agil y muy amena, una novela de personajes sin grandes giros. Me ha gustado el el caracter del protagonista, ese comienzo de rebeldia frente a sus alumnos pero tambien ese carácter ingenuo.
Una novela que recomiendo si quieres empezar a leer algo de esta cultura. Rapido, agil y entretenido.
September 28, 2020
A rough diamond in Japan
In every country, people treasure certain images of themselves, whether they are accurate or not. In general, among numerous peoples like the Chinese, Japanese, French, Russians, or English, there are so many personality types as to make such images totally stereotypical. In real life, we have to take people as we find them, not stick them into boxes. But in literature, from time to time, an author creates a character that so pleases the readers---perhaps because they identify with him so much---that he (the character) is immediately assigned a place in the national pantheon. BOTCHAN, the title character of the novel of the same name, is one of them. Created by Natsume Soseki in the early years of the 20th century, Botchan still delights each subsequent generation with his honest, sincere naiveté. He is a young Japanese man who may not understand much of what's happening around him, but he stands by his simple principles, dispensing with all unnecessary formality, falseness, and fakery. In a society where politesse, social obligation and a certain measure of conformity are highly stressed, it must be a pleasure to read the tale of a young man who says what he thinks, refuses to behave politely, and consistently acts as he decides best. If he is not much of a rebel by American or European standards, he is a much beloved "straight shooter" by tighter Japanese measure. This book has been popular in Japan since its first publication and I would guess the reason is that Botchan's behavior mirrors what Japanese would 'like to be' more than the way they actually are. The rough diamond is a stock character in Japanese films and television shows from Mifune Toshiro's many "scungy-but-good hearted" samurai to the wildly-popular Tora-san. Westerners may not find much of a plot in BOTCHAN, but it is amusing, well-written, and enjoyable. It is a window on an older Japan far from bullet trains, animated adventures, and monsters that insist on attacking Tokyo. It is the story of a new young teacher in an isolated provincial town. I strongly recommend it for anyone, young or old. Botchan is one of those characters who will live forever in world literature.
In every country, people treasure certain images of themselves, whether they are accurate or not. In general, among numerous peoples like the Chinese, Japanese, French, Russians, or English, there are so many personality types as to make such images totally stereotypical. In real life, we have to take people as we find them, not stick them into boxes. But in literature, from time to time, an author creates a character that so pleases the readers---perhaps because they identify with him so much---that he (the character) is immediately assigned a place in the national pantheon. BOTCHAN, the title character of the novel of the same name, is one of them. Created by Natsume Soseki in the early years of the 20th century, Botchan still delights each subsequent generation with his honest, sincere naiveté. He is a young Japanese man who may not understand much of what's happening around him, but he stands by his simple principles, dispensing with all unnecessary formality, falseness, and fakery. In a society where politesse, social obligation and a certain measure of conformity are highly stressed, it must be a pleasure to read the tale of a young man who says what he thinks, refuses to behave politely, and consistently acts as he decides best. If he is not much of a rebel by American or European standards, he is a much beloved "straight shooter" by tighter Japanese measure. This book has been popular in Japan since its first publication and I would guess the reason is that Botchan's behavior mirrors what Japanese would 'like to be' more than the way they actually are. The rough diamond is a stock character in Japanese films and television shows from Mifune Toshiro's many "scungy-but-good hearted" samurai to the wildly-popular Tora-san. Westerners may not find much of a plot in BOTCHAN, but it is amusing, well-written, and enjoyable. It is a window on an older Japan far from bullet trains, animated adventures, and monsters that insist on attacking Tokyo. It is the story of a new young teacher in an isolated provincial town. I strongly recommend it for anyone, young or old. Botchan is one of those characters who will live forever in world literature.
August 9, 2025
رمان باچان (Botchan) یکی از مشهورترین و محبوبترین آثار ادبیات ژاپنه که تو سال ۱۹۰۶ توسط ناتسومه سوسهکی نوشته شده. این کتاب اغلب بهعنوان یکی از خواندنیترین و صمیمیترین رمانهای ژاپنی معرفی میشه و به نوعی coming-of-age برای فرهنگ ژاپن به حساب میاد.
داستان در مورد باچان، پسری تندخو، سرسخت و البته بسیار صادقه. باچان بعد فوت پدرش ارثیهی خودش رو صرف تحصیل میکند و بعد از فارغالتحصیل شدن، به عنوان معلم ریاضی به دبیرستانی در شهری دورافتاده در ژاپن فرستاده میشه.
اونجاست که باچان که تو توکیو بزرگ شده، با معلمان چاپلوس، دانشآموزان بیتربیت ( به گفته خود باچان ^-^)، فقر فرهنگی و هزاران مشکل دیگه روبهرو میشه.
حالا تو کتاب باچان داره برای ما ماجرای رفتنش به این دبیرستان رو تعریف میکنه. حال و هوای یک غیبت دو نفره بین سوسهکی و خواننده بر فضای کتاب غالبه. که صد البته رمان رو خیلی شیرین میکنه.
سوسهکی در این کتاب با طنز، جامعه اون زمان ژاپن رو به باد انتقاد میگیره و حتی به خوبی شکاف فرهنگی بین روستا و شهر رو به تصویر میکشه. رمان تو ژاپن اینقدر معروفه که دانشآموزان موظف هستند اون رو در دوران مدرسه مطالعه کنند.
خلاصه باچان یک رمان کوتاه، شیرین و دوستداشتنیه. من خیلی از خوندنش لذت بردم و عاشق غرغرهای باچان شدم ♡ پیشنهاد میکنم بخونیدش
داستان در مورد باچان، پسری تندخو، سرسخت و البته بسیار صادقه. باچان بعد فوت پدرش ارثیهی خودش رو صرف تحصیل میکند و بعد از فارغالتحصیل شدن، به عنوان معلم ریاضی به دبیرستانی در شهری دورافتاده در ژاپن فرستاده میشه.
اونجاست که باچان که تو توکیو بزرگ شده، با معلمان چاپلوس، دانشآموزان بیتربیت ( به گفته خود باچان ^-^)، فقر فرهنگی و هزاران مشکل دیگه روبهرو میشه.
حالا تو کتاب باچان داره برای ما ماجرای رفتنش به این دبیرستان رو تعریف میکنه. حال و هوای یک غیبت دو نفره بین سوسهکی و خواننده بر فضای کتاب غالبه. که صد البته رمان رو خیلی شیرین میکنه.
سوسهکی در این کتاب با طنز، جامعه اون زمان ژاپن رو به باد انتقاد میگیره و حتی به خوبی شکاف فرهنگی بین روستا و شهر رو به تصویر میکشه. رمان تو ژاپن اینقدر معروفه که دانشآموزان موظف هستند اون رو در دوران مدرسه مطالعه کنند.
خلاصه باچان یک رمان کوتاه، شیرین و دوستداشتنیه. من خیلی از خوندنش لذت بردم و عاشق غرغرهای باچان شدم ♡ پیشنهاد میکنم بخونیدش
September 16, 2025
کتاب باچان یکی از رمان های مشهور ژاپنی است. قهرمان داستان جوانی است صادق و درستکار، که از شهر توکیو به عنوان معلم به مدرسه ایی در شهری دور افتاده فرستاده میشه و در اونجا با دورویی و نیرنگ معلمان دیگر روبه رو میشه. ناتسومه سوسه کی داستان رو با نثری خنده دار و ساده روایت میکنه و جامعه ژاپن رو در زمان پس از اصلاحات میجی که ژاپن به سرعت در حال مدرن شدن بود، نقد میکنه و فساد سیستم آموزشی و روابط ریاکارانه انسانی رو بیان میکنه.
March 28, 2019
“Çocukluğumdan beri tam bir kaybedendim.” cümlesiyle başlıyor Küçük Bey. Kendisinden umudunu kesen ailesini zamansız yitiren,bir yere tutunmaktan çekinen; en sonunda çareyi öğretmen olmakta bulan biri dadısının Botchan’ı.
.
Öğretmen olarak gittiği ilk yerde işler biraz karışıyor. Ne öğrenciler ne de öğretmenler kabulleniyor ‘yeni gelen’i.Bu süreç boyunca yeni öğretmenin aklında ise sadece Kiyo var. Fedakar ve ona güvenen tek kişi olan dadısı..
.
Sōseki gündelik olanı anlatıyor gibi göründüğünde; satır aralarına gizliyor edebi gücünü. Dönüşüm sürecindeki Japonya’yı, bir samurayın lokantaya çevrilen evi üzerinden anlamlandırabiliyoruz örneğin.
Katı kuralların çözülüp esnediğini, ancak bu esnekliğin fazla bol geldiğini de görüyoruz..Sōseki basitlikteki güzelliği her defasında parlatıyor.
.
Mariko Erdoğan ve Hüseyin Özkaya ortak çevirisini okuyoruz. Önsöz olarak sunulan, çağdaş Japon edebiyatının doğuşu üzerine Selçuk Esenbel çalışması da bir diğer güzel detay~
.
Öğretmen olarak gittiği ilk yerde işler biraz karışıyor. Ne öğrenciler ne de öğretmenler kabulleniyor ‘yeni gelen’i.Bu süreç boyunca yeni öğretmenin aklında ise sadece Kiyo var. Fedakar ve ona güvenen tek kişi olan dadısı..
.
Sōseki gündelik olanı anlatıyor gibi göründüğünde; satır aralarına gizliyor edebi gücünü. Dönüşüm sürecindeki Japonya’yı, bir samurayın lokantaya çevrilen evi üzerinden anlamlandırabiliyoruz örneğin.
Katı kuralların çözülüp esnediğini, ancak bu esnekliğin fazla bol geldiğini de görüyoruz..Sōseki basitlikteki güzelliği her defasında parlatıyor.
.
Mariko Erdoğan ve Hüseyin Özkaya ortak çevirisini okuyoruz. Önsöz olarak sunulan, çağdaş Japon edebiyatının doğuşu üzerine Selçuk Esenbel çalışması da bir diğer güzel detay~
July 30, 2025
Çok beğendiğim bir kitap oldu. Yazarın şu ana kadar okuduğum tüm kitapları çok güzeldi ve bu da +1 olarak kendini ekledi. Kitap akıcı, anlatımı basit kafa yormaz hatta rahatlatır konusu ile.
January 18, 2018
Short review: it's a Japanese Catcher in the Rye
Japanese literature has been one of the first genres I remember reading and loving — I fell in love with books when I read my first Murakami. Since then, I have ventured and looked for other Japanese authors and have found some that have appealed to me. This is my first Natsume Soseki novel, but sad to say, I am not overly impressed by it as I first thought I would be.
Botchan (or "boy master") tells us of a coming of age story of a mischievous boy born in a somewhat wealthy family from Tokyo. The first few chapters of the book entails of his experiences during childhood and how he was not favored as much as his older brother by his parents, and that the only person who cared for him was Kiyo, his servant.
In later parts of the book, Botchan's college and young adult life are expanded on. He eventually moves into the country from the city to work as a teacher, and naturally, this situation made him a target by his students (and some peer/fellow teachers) to play tricks on him. During this time, he maintains a close relationship with Kiyo through letters.
I must add that although most (if not all) of the characters besides the main one are very unlikeable – the protagonist – for me, was not a character that I ended up loving either. Having grown from a rich family, he looked down on the villagers and even gave nicknames to some of them. He can be a prick, and that in a way reminded me of Holden Caufield from Catcher in the Rye.
All in all, this was a light and funny read. In the end though, I feel that I am lost at what the author is trying to tell me or what to make out of it. Not a memorable first read from the author but that will not hinder me from picking up another novel of his.
PS
I am amazed that I have read something written in 1906. Over 100 years ago!
Credits to the translator. I think he did a splendid job.
Japanese literature has been one of the first genres I remember reading and loving — I fell in love with books when I read my first Murakami. Since then, I have ventured and looked for other Japanese authors and have found some that have appealed to me. This is my first Natsume Soseki novel, but sad to say, I am not overly impressed by it as I first thought I would be.
Botchan (or "boy master") tells us of a coming of age story of a mischievous boy born in a somewhat wealthy family from Tokyo. The first few chapters of the book entails of his experiences during childhood and how he was not favored as much as his older brother by his parents, and that the only person who cared for him was Kiyo, his servant.
In later parts of the book, Botchan's college and young adult life are expanded on. He eventually moves into the country from the city to work as a teacher, and naturally, this situation made him a target by his students (and some peer/fellow teachers) to play tricks on him. During this time, he maintains a close relationship with Kiyo through letters.
I must add that although most (if not all) of the characters besides the main one are very unlikeable – the protagonist – for me, was not a character that I ended up loving either. Having grown from a rich family, he looked down on the villagers and even gave nicknames to some of them. He can be a prick, and that in a way reminded me of Holden Caufield from Catcher in the Rye.
All in all, this was a light and funny read. In the end though, I feel that I am lost at what the author is trying to tell me or what to make out of it. Not a memorable first read from the author but that will not hinder me from picking up another novel of his.
PS
I am amazed that I have read something written in 1906. Over 100 years ago!
Credits to the translator. I think he did a splendid job.
June 9, 2018
I really enjoyed this one - a bit odd, but very funny! It's a kind of coming of age story, looking at a young man from Tokyo dealing with the gossipy strange world of a small town when he moves there to be a teacher. It kind of reminds me of Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh.
April 22, 2017
Now that I thought about it, though, I realized that most people actually encourage you to turn bad. They seem to think that if you don't, you'll never get anywhere in the world. And then on those rare occasions when they encounter somebody who's honest and pure-hearted, they look down on him and say he's nothing but a kid, a Botchan. If that's the way it is, it would be better if they didn't have those ethics classes in elementary school and middle school where the teacher is always telling you to be honest and not lie. The schools might as well just go ahead and teach you how to tell lies, how to mistrust everybody, and how to take advantage of people. Wouldn't their students, and the world at large, be better off that way?
This is a wonderful, though often very frustrating read. It’s not frustrating because it is difficult, far from it (the translation is quite the page turner) but because I found myself nodding at the above quote. I did somewhat look down upon our unnamed narrator (known only as Botchan)… and I admire the character in equal parts. The book is a morality story that shows the reader (or at least this reader) their own unpleasant side.
I found his character childish. I sat there the entire time feeling that, had I known him in real life, I would find him insufferable and wouldn't be able to stand to be around him. He's loud, brash and seems to think he's always in the morally right... and with a few exceptions brought on by misunderstandings, he is in the the right. That said, he is often right in a way that goes against society and the way one is supposed to act. At times I would root for him and others cringe and feel that awkward embarrassment that sitcoms seem to thrive on. That moment when the character does something baffling, everyone recognizes it, and you just laugh awkwardly.
Though it is frustrating, Natsume Sōseki has also caught so much truth in these actions that I can't help but be impressed. He understands human nature, good and bad, putting them on display from all characters. It is unsurprising that the novel is a classic in Japan (often cited as one of the author's most popular books and frequently found in school curriculum). It is a classic that has lost none of its charm since it was published over 100 years ago.
Now I do want to say a bit about the translation. Overall, it is wonderful, very readable and accessible to modern English reading audiences. That said, I question a few bits. First off, the principal's nickname is translated as "Badger" rather than "Tanuki." The translator states in his introduction that this was to be more accessible to English readers who may not know what a tanuki is... but in changing this he defeats part of the point of said nickname. A tanuki in Japanese myths is often a master of disguise or shapeshifting creature, this ties in with the principal's golden tongue, able to mislead or at least argue around the topic, distracting and laying blame where it should not be while keeping the school's reputation. I find badger does not bring to mind any of these connotations, and indeed makes me think of a different sort of personality. This wouldn't be that bothersome if the translator was going entirely for an English speaking audience and hoping they wouldn't need to look anything up, yet he leaves the often used phrase "na moshi" untranslated. I had knowledge of a tanuki, but had no clue what that meant and had to look it up online. This is what I found:
"Na moshi (〜なもし) is the Matsuyama dialect's equivalent of de gozaimasu-ne (〜でございますね), a phrase that doesn't quite translate into English. Think of it as a formal way to say desu-ne (〜ですね), for which there is no good English equivalent. "Isn't it?" comes close."
So yes, this could remain untranslated, and used frequently, but the nicknames could be changed rather unsuitably for the ease of English speaking audiences. I personally find that quite baffling.
In closing: despite some questionable aspects to the translation, and a few truly cringe worthy moments from our protagonist, I found this a delightful read. There are some genuinely comedic moments, that capture our human interactions with each other quite well, both the good and the bad. It shows us people are the same everywhere, suffering from many of the same flaws. It's an entertaining read and well worthy of its classic status.
December 19, 2023
Quién no conoce a alguien como este Botchan: narcisista, ofendible en grado extremo, brutalmente honesto. Pero hay algo en su inapelable sentido de justicia y en esa ingenuidad de creerse un maravilloso regalo para el resto de la Humanidad, que lleva a que resulten queribles (OK, no es cierto, la mayoría no son queribles. Pero este es el personaje de un libro)
Botchan es un joven de Tokio que llega a como profesor de matemáticas a una escuela secundaria en una pequeña ciudad, en una remota provincia de Japón. La tosquedad y la simpleza de ese ámbito rural, sus rústicos alumnos y sus siempre criticables colegas, lo sacarán continuamente de sus casillas. Y no es difícil sacarlo de sus casillas. Irritable y socialmente torpe, será blanco de chismes en el infierno grande que son los pequeños pueblos.
Un clásico muchas veces comparado con Tom Sawyer (supongo que en lo clásico) y con el Guardián entre el Centeno, entre otras. Personalmente, el protagonista me recuerda un poquito a Ignatius Reilly de "La conjura de los necios". Desesperante y divertido. Si, si, porque es un personaje de libro.
Botchan es un joven de Tokio que llega a como profesor de matemáticas a una escuela secundaria en una pequeña ciudad, en una remota provincia de Japón. La tosquedad y la simpleza de ese ámbito rural, sus rústicos alumnos y sus siempre criticables colegas, lo sacarán continuamente de sus casillas. Y no es difícil sacarlo de sus casillas. Irritable y socialmente torpe, será blanco de chismes en el infierno grande que son los pequeños pueblos.
Un clásico muchas veces comparado con Tom Sawyer (supongo que en lo clásico) y con el Guardián entre el Centeno, entre otras. Personalmente, el protagonista me recuerda un poquito a Ignatius Reilly de "La conjura de los necios". Desesperante y divertido. Si, si, porque es un personaje de libro.
December 28, 2025
A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Teacher
Botchan tells the story of a young teacher sent from Tōkyō to a provincial secondary school in Shikoku where he has to teach mathematics for the first time.
Botchan ("the young man") is very prone to fits of impulsivity and touchy when it comes to pride. It may be a compensatory mechanism he developped seeing how little his parents paid attention to him. On the contrary, Kiyo the servant (and a ruined aristocrat) has grown very fond of him and foretells his success. "Botchan" is also the nickname given by Kiyo to the young man, that is how strong their connection seems to be. And yet, there he sails to Shikoku where he feels as though he were a fraud, from the very beginning.
Soon enough, Botchan let himself get entangled in an equivocal and precarious situation through a curious mixture of sluggishness, indifference, occasional impulsivity, self-consciousness and self-righteousness. His pupils set up pranks on him, increasingly vexing and disquieting, with the support of the hypocritical assistant head teacher and the drawing teacher, nicknamed "Red Shirt" and "The Buffoon", seeing themselves as the local establishment and behaving accordingly towards those who do not acknowledge their ludicrous claims. This go as far as using the pupils as spies, lampooning Botchan for eating out in the vicinity of the brothel district, for instance. Botchan's landowners are scheming against him too, as he is not buying their junk... These attacks are eventually supported by local newspapers too. Besieged by hypocritical and malevolent colleagues and students, Botchan longs for Tōkyō and the admirative support of Kiyo.
Helped by another like-minded teacher, "Porcupine", Botchan ambushes Red Shirt and the Buffoon, his main opponents, caught red-handed in the brothel district, before leaving the island for good.
While I did not fully get Botchan's attitude, this short novel seems to address this question:
"How to live a honest life surrounded by rakes?" or "How moral rectitude can possibly thwart slyness?". It also underlines the clash between rapidly modernizing Tōkyō and traditional values in provincial Japan, at odds with one another.
The oppressive and petty atmosphere is rendered to a fault, you would believe yourself in Botchan's situation, surrounded by meanness, in a desert devoid of human compassion.
See also:
The Castle
Le Sang noir
Stoner
The Times of Botchan, Vol. 1
Botchan tells the story of a young teacher sent from Tōkyō to a provincial secondary school in Shikoku where he has to teach mathematics for the first time.
Botchan ("the young man") is very prone to fits of impulsivity and touchy when it comes to pride. It may be a compensatory mechanism he developped seeing how little his parents paid attention to him. On the contrary, Kiyo the servant (and a ruined aristocrat) has grown very fond of him and foretells his success. "Botchan" is also the nickname given by Kiyo to the young man, that is how strong their connection seems to be. And yet, there he sails to Shikoku where he feels as though he were a fraud, from the very beginning.
Soon enough, Botchan let himself get entangled in an equivocal and precarious situation through a curious mixture of sluggishness, indifference, occasional impulsivity, self-consciousness and self-righteousness. His pupils set up pranks on him, increasingly vexing and disquieting, with the support of the hypocritical assistant head teacher and the drawing teacher, nicknamed "Red Shirt" and "The Buffoon", seeing themselves as the local establishment and behaving accordingly towards those who do not acknowledge their ludicrous claims. This go as far as using the pupils as spies, lampooning Botchan for eating out in the vicinity of the brothel district, for instance. Botchan's landowners are scheming against him too, as he is not buying their junk... These attacks are eventually supported by local newspapers too. Besieged by hypocritical and malevolent colleagues and students, Botchan longs for Tōkyō and the admirative support of Kiyo.
Helped by another like-minded teacher, "Porcupine", Botchan ambushes Red Shirt and the Buffoon, his main opponents, caught red-handed in the brothel district, before leaving the island for good.
While I did not fully get Botchan's attitude, this short novel seems to address this question:
"How to live a honest life surrounded by rakes?" or "How moral rectitude can possibly thwart slyness?". It also underlines the clash between rapidly modernizing Tōkyō and traditional values in provincial Japan, at odds with one another.
The oppressive and petty atmosphere is rendered to a fault, you would believe yourself in Botchan's situation, surrounded by meanness, in a desert devoid of human compassion.
See also:
The Castle
Le Sang noir
Stoner
The Times of Botchan, Vol. 1
February 20, 2016
ثالث قراءة لي في الأدب الياباني ... وقد قرأت من قبل القصة القصيرة ثم الرواية الطويلة جدا وتلاهما هذه الرواية الكلاسيكية التي وجدتها متميزة وإن كانت لي بعض الملاحظات عن تشتت أصابني نتيجة الحديث عن فنون ورقصات محلية وعادات وتقاليد لست ملمة بها
في التعريف بالرواية وفي النبذة على الغلاف هناك ذلك التشبيه برواية ج. د. سالينجر الشهيرة "الحارس في حقل الشوفان" ... وهذه الملحوظة ظالمة ... لأنك لو كنت اعجبت بشدة برواية سالينجر فقد تصاب بخيبة أمل عند قراءة "بوتشان" وإن لم تعجبك "الحارس في حقل الشوفان" فقد تعزف عن قراءة هذه الرواية ... ولا يمكن المقارنة فعلى ما يبدو كانت تلك الرواية هي الأولى من هذه النوعية حيث يسخر كاتبها من عادات وأفكار وأنماط بشرية ويكفي القول بأن مؤلف رواية "بوتشان" قد توفي قبل سنوات من ولادة مؤلف "الحارس في حقل الشوفان"... كما يختلف عمر بطل كل رواية وتختلف طموحاته وردات فعله على سخافات المجتمع المحيط
بوتشان شاب في العشرينات، حصل على شهادة تعليمية متخصصة أقل من الجامعية وعمل مدرسا كأول مهنة وكانت تلك هي أول وظيفة تعرض عليه
عانى من طفولة يشوبها نوع من الشقاوة المقلقة المؤذية ... إلا أنني لا أظن أنها شكلت أي مشكلة عليه لاحقا
هو شاب متسق مع نفسه، له مبادئ سامية، نستطيع القول بأنه "صاحب صاحبه" بشكل مبهر ... عصبي قليلا ويمكن استثارته بسهولة وقد يكون مندفعا قليلا ... طريف جدا وسخريته في محلها، وقد تدفعك إلى التفكير وإلى الإبتسام والضحك أحيانا إن فكرت في وجهة نظره بتمعن ... له تصرفات طفولية احيانا وحاد اللسان نوعا ما
الطريف جدا أنه يعطي صفات وتشبيهات لمن حوله تدفعك للتأمل في معناها وتخيل من يوصف بها ... فهناك الغرير، والشيهم، والقميص الأحمر، والعليق، والقرع الشاحب... وكل صفة أو تشبيه تحمل بعضا من روح من أطلقت عليه هذه الصفة أو هذا التشبيه
وأخيرا لابد ان أشيد بالكتاب الأنيق وطبعته الفاخرة وترجمته السلسة فالكتاب بالفعل تم إخراجه في أبهى وأحسن صورة
رواية ممتعة حقا وطريفة سعدت بقضاء بعض الوقت مع بطلها الظريف
June 8, 2020
"كانت مؤمنة بكل بساطة بأن الذين تحبهم سيحققون لا محال إنجازات كبرى، في حين يظل الذين لا تستلطفهم محكومين بالفشل، ولا مجال لإقناعها بغير ذلك".كانت العجوز كيو "نقية" بالنسبة لبوتشان، فهل هذا لأنه -دون أن يشعر- كان يؤمن بأن الذين يحسنون إليه، لا محالة أشخاص طيِّبو المعدن حِسان الأخلاق؟..
محاولة غير المسئولين أن يتأقلموا على النظام والحياة المستقيمة ليست بالسهلة وإن كانت ممكنة، لكن ماذا لو اكتشف الحر غير المسئول أن النظام الذي كان ينشده، مليء باللامنطقية والاعوجاج والطرق الملتوية. كان اعتقاد بوتشان أن الخط المستقيم هو أقرب طريق إلى الهدف، ووجد أنه في مكان يجعل السبيل الوحيد إلى الهدف هو أي طريق آخر عدا المستقيم، الطريق المستقيم كان يعني الاتجاه المعاكس للهدف ونيل الوجاهة والاحترام.
"قد لا أكون أتمتع بمنصب أو موقع يثير الإعجاب، لكنني على الرغم من ذلك إنسان حر وناضج".
"إن كانت تلك حال البشر، فعلي أن أتكيَّف معها وأنافس الآخرين على الدهاء، وهذه فكرة تبعث على الإحباط".
قد يكون الأمر مخيِّبًا للآمال بالنسبة للتلميذ حين يكبر بشكل كافٍ ليدرك أن المدرسة لم تكن مؤسسة ملائكية في الحقيقة، وأنه تم التعامل معه أحيانًا بسلوك غير تربوي إطلاقًا، لكن خيبة الأمل ستكون أضعافًا مضاعفة حين تكون كالصفحة البيضاء وتلتحق بسلك التدريس، معتقدًا أنك الآن صاحب رسالة سامية يتغنى بفضلها الشعراء، فتكتشف أنك أصبحتَ نِدًّا لمعلمين ومربين يحتاجون إلى تربية!
قد لا أكون أنا نفسي راقيًا في حديثي أو مظهري، لكن يمكنني القول إنني أتمتع برقي في القلب والنفس لا يملكون منه ذرة".
"إن كان الصدق والبساطة يجعلان المرء عرضة للاستهزاء، فهذا يعني أنه لم يعد هناك أمل في هذا العالم".
"إنه عالم غريب فعلاً، هذا الذي يحوي شخصًا تمقته فيبادلك الود، في حين يوجد آخر قريب منك يضمر لؤمًا".
"وددت لو أراهم مرة ينهضون ويقرون صراحة بخطأ ارتكبوه! لكن هذا يتخطى قدرتهم، ولذلك على الأرجح يكتفون بالضحك".
وإن كانت الحفنة العظمى من مدرسي هذه المدرسة على هذه الشاكلة، فما المتوقع من الطلاب النجباء سوى المزاح الذي يفتقر إلى الأدب، واللؤم الذي تلقَّنوه من الأساتذة؟
وهناك اعتراف صغير من طرفي -يستأهل ضحكة شريرة تقر بأنه ليس اعترافًا طيِّبًا-: كانت التسميات التي أطلقها بوتشان على زملائه مضحكة جدًا، خصوصًا حين يذكرها متهكمًا من أفعالهم مثل: "لكان من الأفضل لو انصرف -يعني الأستاذ القميص الأحمر- إلى غسل ذلك القميص الأحمر السرمدي الذي يرتديه بدل أن يطلق علينا عظاته المضجرة..."، "... بهذين الذراعين يمكنه على الأرجح إرداء خمسة أو ستة قمصان حمر بضربة واحدة..."
هذا القميص الأحمر هو أكثر نوع أمقته من الناس ولا أملك أعصابي أمام سلوكهم الخسيس.
أخيرًا، الرواية وإن كانت ذات طابع كوميدي فهي توصل رسائل مهمة: مدى السوء في نبذ الغرباء وجعلهم أضحوكة المجالس، وفظاعة وخبث تدبير المكائد للإيقاع بشخص بريء، وضرورة عدم الانسياق وراء التيار والثبات على المبادئ ومؤازرة الأخيار، والرأفة والتماس الأعذار للأستاذ حين يكون قليل الخبرة أو غير متفوق في مادته ما دام مجتهدًا، فضلًا عن التطاول عليه وجعله أضحوكة وإحراجه! "بالطبع لا يمكنني حل هذه المسألة! ولو أنني أستاذهم! ما المضحك في أن يقول أحد ما إنه لا يعرف حين يكون لا يعرف حقًا؟" المعلمون بشر، كانوا طلابًا يومًا ما وأصبحوا الآن معلمين، لكنهم لا يزالون بشرًا، هذا درس مهم.
July 30, 2025
Una novela divertida y tierna que me ha gustado mucho. Soseki escribía muy bien y no en vano es considerado de los mejores narradores japoneses.
La novela cuenta las aventuras de un docente novato que es contratado en una escuela rural. El relato está inspirado en las experiencias del propio autor en su primer destino como docente en la isla de Shikoku. Botchan que es el protagonista del libro es un tokiota que llegará a un pueblo a dar clases y se peleará con todo el mundo: compañeros y alumnos incluidos. Especialmente graciosos son los apodos que les saca a sus compañeros de profesión. Botchan, es un ser indeciso y pasota. Su principal defecto está en su carácter impulsivo, totalmente irreflexivo. Uno de los rasgos desternillantes del personaje es su absoluta falta de astucia. Lo hace todo sin pensar y luego la caga. Pero lo bueno es que siempre intenta ser él mismo sin las falsedades de algunos que le rodean.
El estilo desenfadado y en primera persona me recordó mucho a "El guardian entre el centeno" y las reflexiones de Soseki entre sus páginas me encantaron.
La novela cuenta las aventuras de un docente novato que es contratado en una escuela rural. El relato está inspirado en las experiencias del propio autor en su primer destino como docente en la isla de Shikoku. Botchan que es el protagonista del libro es un tokiota que llegará a un pueblo a dar clases y se peleará con todo el mundo: compañeros y alumnos incluidos. Especialmente graciosos son los apodos que les saca a sus compañeros de profesión. Botchan, es un ser indeciso y pasota. Su principal defecto está en su carácter impulsivo, totalmente irreflexivo. Uno de los rasgos desternillantes del personaje es su absoluta falta de astucia. Lo hace todo sin pensar y luego la caga. Pero lo bueno es que siempre intenta ser él mismo sin las falsedades de algunos que le rodean.
El estilo desenfadado y en primera persona me recordó mucho a "El guardian entre el centeno" y las reflexiones de Soseki entre sus páginas me encantaron.
May 27, 2024
Botchan es un relato gracioso de las desventuras de un joven profesor de ciencias, nacido en Tokio y asignado a impartir clases en una provincia rural de Japón. El paso de los capítulos muestra que la vida humana es disparatada y grotesca.
La escuela donde es asignado el protagonista la sociedad está corrompida. Los personajes mienten, ocultan sus intenciones, son hipócritas, aparentan ser algo que no son.
Nuestro Botchan (niño mimado o señorito en japonés) carece de astucia. Es engañado continuamente por los demás profesores, por los alumnos y el entorno en que se mueve. Su terquedad le hace juzgar y actuar sin pensar; es impulsivo y sufre a consecuencia. Imposible no verse reflejado en él y sentir empatía por un personaje tan cómico.
Hasta ahora mis lecturas de autores japoneses eran solemnes, formales, con expresión de sentimientos profundos. Esta obra en cambio es carente de poesía, una sucesión de gags y entreveros de comedia muy frescos y divertidos.
La escuela donde es asignado el protagonista la sociedad está corrompida. Los personajes mienten, ocultan sus intenciones, son hipócritas, aparentan ser algo que no son.
Nuestro Botchan (niño mimado o señorito en japonés) carece de astucia. Es engañado continuamente por los demás profesores, por los alumnos y el entorno en que se mueve. Su terquedad le hace juzgar y actuar sin pensar; es impulsivo y sufre a consecuencia. Imposible no verse reflejado en él y sentir empatía por un personaje tan cómico.
Hasta ahora mis lecturas de autores japoneses eran solemnes, formales, con expresión de sentimientos profundos. Esta obra en cambio es carente de poesía, una sucesión de gags y entreveros de comedia muy frescos y divertidos.
December 5, 2019
Cuando leí en la sinopsis que este libro se comparaba con El guardián entre el centeno sentí bastante curiosidad y lo cierto es que no me ha defraudado la historia. Un libro que se podría encuadrar perfectamente dentro de los cánones de la literatura juvenil pero que no defraudará a lectores adultos. Irreverente, descarado, poco serio... y además escrito hace más de un siglo. Una historia hilarante y delirante con personajes de lo más pintoresto y grotesco a la vez, con un humor distinto al que estamos habituados en occidente.
Una historia con una crítica social muy fuerte detrás mostrando los contrastes y contradicciones en la sociedad japonesa de principios del siglo XX.
Me ha parecido una historia divertida pero también es cierto que puede resultar chocante porque no estamos habituados a este tipo de literatura.
Una historia con una crítica social muy fuerte detrás mostrando los contrastes y contradicciones en la sociedad japonesa de principios del siglo XX.
Me ha parecido una historia divertida pero también es cierto que puede resultar chocante porque no estamos habituados a este tipo de literatura.
March 21, 2023
I’m not usually a fan of books that don’t have a lot of dialogue. Description is only good when the writer draws you in immediately which thankfully Natsume Sōseki did. That being said I definitely liked the beginning of the book more than the latter. The beginning had an interesting story but once “Botchan” got to Matsuyama it got tedious and I began to lose interest.
Was going to give the book four stars but opted for the three based on the predictable ending.
Was going to give the book four stars but opted for the three based on the predictable ending.
October 27, 2018
This is lauded as the Japanese "Catcher in the Rye". I agree with this assessment. I have been trying to decide which one I hated less. Hated might be a strong word. Nevertheless, like the character of Holden Caufield, Botchan is very candid, naïve, and narrates with a "fuckall" flair. From what I remember, Botchan seems a lot more close minded and discriminative, as opposed to Holden's lack of intelligence and mental problems. Holden is more against society in general, whereas Botchan has a moral code to which he feels he needs to adhere. Despite his personality flaws, he has a respectable position that he voices well: "I realized that most people actually encourage you to turn bad, They seem to think that if you don’t, you’ll never get anywhere in the world. And then on those rare occasions when they encounter somebody who’s honest and pure-hearted, they look down on him and say he’s nothing but a kid, a Botchan. If that’s the way it is, wouldn’t it be better if they didn’t have those ethics classes in elementary school and middle school where the teacher is always telling you to be honest and not to lie. The schools might as well just go ahead and teach you how to tell lies, how to mistrust everybody, and how to take advantage of people. Wouldn’t their students, and the world at large, be better off that way?"
The narrator is unnamed. The literal translation is "young master", but is used somewhat ironically, since he does not come from a rich or prestigious family. His mother died when he was young, and his father died some years after that, leaving Botchan the minimal six hundred yen inheritance. Aside from its literal meaning, Botchan can be used to indicate naivety, which I would definitely say our protagonist is. This is one of the most frustrating things about his character. How gullible he is, believing pretty much what everyone says, then immediately reacting based solely on his emotions. He even voices to the reader how he does not care about logic, because we all listen to our emotions anyway. That may be true to some extent for some individuals, but the fact that does not even try to recognize the flaw in his reasoning is frustrating. His other character flaw is his closed mindedness. To the point that in the event that I were to meet him in real life, I would have a difficult time not giving him a piece of my mind. Not very nicely. I respect his candidness, but the pervasive discrimination and persistent negativity were unacceptable. He always has something negative to say about everything, and seems genuinely surprised when he sees the positive.
A great example of the difficulty inherent in appreciating a book to its full extent when the protagonist is unlikable, even hateable. Whereas Holden Caufield had me irked and therefore uninterested in his story, Botchan had me passionately infuriated with who he was, his thoughts, and philosophies, ironically leading me to being highly involved in his story. I will say that, unlike the "against the system" theme in "Catcher in the Rye" (which held minimal interest to me), I relished the interesting take on the themes of morals and personal integrity in "Botchan". It also addresses the classical themes of Japanese literature (giri, burden of duty versus ninjo, human feeling), in addition to individual struggle, loneliness, and questions of social direction and cultural identity.
In the end, what really makes this book successful is the characters. On the one hand, Botchan's (mostly) derogatory nicknaming of all of the other characters is one of the things that I disliked about his personality. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that it gives the story flair and humor.
Compared to other translations I have seen, this one by Glenn Anderson seems to be a better one. Notable is the afterword in which he explains his meticulous choice of Nicknames for each of the characters, and what each of the original words actually mean. He uses different words than past translations, and I felt they were much closer the original meaning. A great example why translating is such an art.
**** Spoilers ****
via Wikipedia:
Botchan (young master) is the first-person narrator of the novel. He grows up in Tokyo. His parents favor his older brother, who is quiet and studious. Botchan is also not well regarded in the neighborhood. Kiyo, the family's elderly maidservant, is the only one who finds anything redeeming in Botchan's character.
After Botchan's mother passes away, Kiyo devotes herself fervently to his welfare, treating him from her own allowance with gifts and favors. Botchan initially finds her affection onerous, but over time he grows to appreciate her dedication, and she eventually becomes his mother figure and moral role model.
Six years after his mother's death, as Botchan is finishing middle school, his father falls ill and passes away. His older brother liquidates the family assets and provides Botchan with 600 yen before leaving to start his own career. Botchan uses this money to study physics for three years. On graduating, he accepts a job teaching middle school mathematics in Matsuyama on the island of Shikoku.
Botchan's tenure in Matsuyama turns out to be short (less than two months) but eventful. His arrogance and quick temper immediately lead to clashes with the students and staff. The students retaliate excessively by tracking his every movement in the small town and traumatizing him during his 'night duty' stay in the dormitory.
Mischief by the students turns out to be just the first salvo in a broader web of intrigue and villainy. The school's head teacher (Red Shirt) and English teacher (Uranari) are vying for the hand of the local beauty, and two camps have formed within the middle school staff. Botchan struggles initially to see through the guises and sort out the players. After several missteps, he concludes that Uranari and the head mathematics teacher (Yama Arashi) hold the moral high ground in the conflict. Red Shirt, who presents himself as a refined scholar, turns out to be highly superficial and self-serving.
As the story progresses, Red Shirt schemes to eliminate his rivals. He begins by having Uranari transferred to a remote post on the pretext of furthering his career. Next he uses a contrived street brawl and his newspaper connections to defame both mathematics teachers (Botchan and Yama Arashi) and to force Yama Arashi's resignation.
Botchan and Yama Arashi realize that they cannot beat the system, so they scheme a way to get even. They stake out Red Shirt's known haunt, an inn near the hot springs town, and catch him and his sidekick Nodaiko sneaking home in the morning after overnighting with geisha. With his usual eloquence, Red Shirt points out that they have no direct proof of any wrongdoing. Botchan and Yama Arashi overcome this technicality by pummeling both Red Shirt and Nodaiko into submission on the spot.
After dispensing justice with his fists, Botchan drops a letter of resignation into the mail and immediately heads for the harbor. He returns to Tokyo, finds employment, and establishes a modest household with Kiyo. When Kiyo passes away, he has her respectfully interred in his own family's grave plot.
The narrator is unnamed. The literal translation is "young master", but is used somewhat ironically, since he does not come from a rich or prestigious family. His mother died when he was young, and his father died some years after that, leaving Botchan the minimal six hundred yen inheritance. Aside from its literal meaning, Botchan can be used to indicate naivety, which I would definitely say our protagonist is. This is one of the most frustrating things about his character. How gullible he is, believing pretty much what everyone says, then immediately reacting based solely on his emotions. He even voices to the reader how he does not care about logic, because we all listen to our emotions anyway. That may be true to some extent for some individuals, but the fact that does not even try to recognize the flaw in his reasoning is frustrating. His other character flaw is his closed mindedness. To the point that in the event that I were to meet him in real life, I would have a difficult time not giving him a piece of my mind. Not very nicely. I respect his candidness, but the pervasive discrimination and persistent negativity were unacceptable. He always has something negative to say about everything, and seems genuinely surprised when he sees the positive.
A great example of the difficulty inherent in appreciating a book to its full extent when the protagonist is unlikable, even hateable. Whereas Holden Caufield had me irked and therefore uninterested in his story, Botchan had me passionately infuriated with who he was, his thoughts, and philosophies, ironically leading me to being highly involved in his story. I will say that, unlike the "against the system" theme in "Catcher in the Rye" (which held minimal interest to me), I relished the interesting take on the themes of morals and personal integrity in "Botchan". It also addresses the classical themes of Japanese literature (giri, burden of duty versus ninjo, human feeling), in addition to individual struggle, loneliness, and questions of social direction and cultural identity.
In the end, what really makes this book successful is the characters. On the one hand, Botchan's (mostly) derogatory nicknaming of all of the other characters is one of the things that I disliked about his personality. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that it gives the story flair and humor.
Compared to other translations I have seen, this one by Glenn Anderson seems to be a better one. Notable is the afterword in which he explains his meticulous choice of Nicknames for each of the characters, and what each of the original words actually mean. He uses different words than past translations, and I felt they were much closer the original meaning. A great example why translating is such an art.
**** Spoilers ****
via Wikipedia:
Botchan (young master) is the first-person narrator of the novel. He grows up in Tokyo. His parents favor his older brother, who is quiet and studious. Botchan is also not well regarded in the neighborhood. Kiyo, the family's elderly maidservant, is the only one who finds anything redeeming in Botchan's character.
After Botchan's mother passes away, Kiyo devotes herself fervently to his welfare, treating him from her own allowance with gifts and favors. Botchan initially finds her affection onerous, but over time he grows to appreciate her dedication, and she eventually becomes his mother figure and moral role model.
Six years after his mother's death, as Botchan is finishing middle school, his father falls ill and passes away. His older brother liquidates the family assets and provides Botchan with 600 yen before leaving to start his own career. Botchan uses this money to study physics for three years. On graduating, he accepts a job teaching middle school mathematics in Matsuyama on the island of Shikoku.
Botchan's tenure in Matsuyama turns out to be short (less than two months) but eventful. His arrogance and quick temper immediately lead to clashes with the students and staff. The students retaliate excessively by tracking his every movement in the small town and traumatizing him during his 'night duty' stay in the dormitory.
Mischief by the students turns out to be just the first salvo in a broader web of intrigue and villainy. The school's head teacher (Red Shirt) and English teacher (Uranari) are vying for the hand of the local beauty, and two camps have formed within the middle school staff. Botchan struggles initially to see through the guises and sort out the players. After several missteps, he concludes that Uranari and the head mathematics teacher (Yama Arashi) hold the moral high ground in the conflict. Red Shirt, who presents himself as a refined scholar, turns out to be highly superficial and self-serving.
As the story progresses, Red Shirt schemes to eliminate his rivals. He begins by having Uranari transferred to a remote post on the pretext of furthering his career. Next he uses a contrived street brawl and his newspaper connections to defame both mathematics teachers (Botchan and Yama Arashi) and to force Yama Arashi's resignation.
Botchan and Yama Arashi realize that they cannot beat the system, so they scheme a way to get even. They stake out Red Shirt's known haunt, an inn near the hot springs town, and catch him and his sidekick Nodaiko sneaking home in the morning after overnighting with geisha. With his usual eloquence, Red Shirt points out that they have no direct proof of any wrongdoing. Botchan and Yama Arashi overcome this technicality by pummeling both Red Shirt and Nodaiko into submission on the spot.
After dispensing justice with his fists, Botchan drops a letter of resignation into the mail and immediately heads for the harbor. He returns to Tokyo, finds employment, and establishes a modest household with Kiyo. When Kiyo passes away, he has her respectfully interred in his own family's grave plot.
February 14, 2015
Botchan's story of his life as a middle-school teacher in the Japanese countryside is simple and entertaining.Botchan a complete stranger to compliments and praises in his childhood grows to be a loner with a 'I don't care' attitude.He gets confused or rather angry with the subtle manipulations he experiences later in life. The only emotional attachment he has and loves is that with his childhood maid Kiyo, who never stops from showering motherly love and praises on him.
The writings concentrates on the innocence and lack of insight experienced by a rookie when encountered with seasoned players(in this case teachers).Although the slow paced narration made me lose patience, it was quickly recovered with peals of laughter brought by the humorous incidents played in the school.The politics and manipulative aspects of the school were interesting and agreeable. It is a quick read. The best part about reading a classic is that it makes you understand the foundation of a culture and its attributes.
The writings concentrates on the innocence and lack of insight experienced by a rookie when encountered with seasoned players(in this case teachers).Although the slow paced narration made me lose patience, it was quickly recovered with peals of laughter brought by the humorous incidents played in the school.The politics and manipulative aspects of the school were interesting and agreeable. It is a quick read. The best part about reading a classic is that it makes you understand the foundation of a culture and its attributes.
March 5, 2023
It's never too late to achieve the traditional education of a Japanese high school student, is it? I wonder if they still read this one.
This Japanese classic is roughly the equivalent of Catcher in the Rye, in that it is now considered YA and pokes fun at received wisdom. However, Botchan (the nickname of the protagonist) is so sweet, to my eyes— the rebellion is so delicately muted, so Japanese, that at most the book reads as gentle humour.
This Japanese classic is roughly the equivalent of Catcher in the Rye, in that it is now considered YA and pokes fun at received wisdom. However, Botchan (the nickname of the protagonist) is so sweet, to my eyes— the rebellion is so delicately muted, so Japanese, that at most the book reads as gentle humour.
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