Kokoro in Read a book from each country

May 18, 2009 Dana Miranda rated it liked it

the narration of the book is penetrated by a certain malaise of spirit, by the poignant mood of both the sensei and the initial narrator. the style of the work is genial and sincere in a depressing kind of way, yet throughout kokoro there is undercoated a pervasive nihilism-that is characteristically seen as stark or minimalistic prose. this sense of meaningless is paraded as an inter-generational change in values, a lose of love and trust that causes distrust, or simply the metamorphoses of sha the narration of the book is penetrated by a certain malaise of spirit, by the poignant mood of both the sensei and the initial narrator. the style of the work is genial and sincere in a depressing kind of way, yet throughout kokoro there is undercoated a pervasive nihilism-that is characteristically seen as stark or minimalistic prose. this sense of meaningless is paraded as an inter-generational change in values, a lose of love and trust that causes distrust, or simply the metamorphoses of shame into guilt (and its similarities to original sin), even the case of ritual suicide as meaningful begins from the underlying case of nihilism. although this type of nihilism deals strictly with the meaningless that comes from a guilt that shades all of life and cannot be erased; it is still the basic being of existence.

even with acknowledging all of this, the writing was either ineffective or i was simply unaffected on an emotional level by the story. plus, there seems a falsity in the sensei's adamant refusal to soil his wife from truths, for a book that is going to the heart of the matter, it leaves in the final section a missing revelation: the sensei was never certain of his wife's emotions, he couldn't trust them or his, instead he tells the initial narrator the truth as a way of scapegoating his guilt (the same guilt that made him commit suicide and never reveal the truth to his wife). all of his acts have been ways of avoidance, of atoning for guilt; every act, even his letter and gentleness to his wife were acts of repentance. that is the reason i see this book as false; it does not penetrate to the heart of that matter; it simply deals with a guilty man in search of atonement and finding none. unless of course soseki means to say the search for redemption is at the heart of man's being.

this is seen best in the closing lines of kokoro: 'My first wish is that her memory of me remains should be kept as unsullied as possible. So long as as my wife is alive, I want everything I told you to remain a secret--even after I myself am dead.'

so add being ashamed to the character of sensei as revealed by his cryptic want to have his confession remain secret (the key phrase being) as long as the sole person who can judge him remains alive. even in death he can't face his actions. ...more

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Jul 24, 2011 J rated it it was amazing

Shelves: japanese-literature

I'm a sucker for books that capture the disconnects between shifting generations of people, and Kokoro does that brilliantly. The characters are beautifully rendered, and their conflicts within the changing atmosphere of early 20th century Japan, their frustrations with both the old and the new, are shot through with a tenderness and sense of loss that is lightly worn yet profoundly felt. Soseki has a perfect sense of balance, of how to reflect between the narrator and the haunted old man he bef ...more

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Jul 23, 2010 Sarah Jacquie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: japanese, favorites, classic, all-time-favorites

"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."

This book is an epic piece of art that captures the honest, uncomfortable side of the heart and the whole being of the human conscience. I suffer from depression, and I move often to fast to guilt, so I read each situation of Sensei's life with ...more

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