Probably SOSEKI NATSUME is not so famous compared to Yukio Mishima or Haruki Murakami. Moreover, Japanese novelists aren’t famous generally in the world. British, French, Russian, or German literature is always popular and it’s a study at Colleges in the world.
In that European power situation, some Japanese novelists are known to fans as Yukio Mishima or Haruki Murakami.
I’m pleased if someone knows SOSEKI NATSUME, who wrote many splendid books through Meiji Era of Japan, and he is said to be the Japan’s greatest novelist ever among pure literature fans.
SOSEKI NATSUME works has great sense of intelligence and wit. His debut work, Wagahaiwa Neko de aru ( I’m a cat ), has funny aspect of story told by the cat, at the same time, the cat observes sharply the world of human. His approach to human nature was continued to his next work, Bocchan ( A Boy).
If we are asked what the best work of Soseki is, maybe many would answer “Kokoro ( Heart )”. In this work, the character’s pshycological inner conflict is written very clearly and we readers are introduced into his mental world of moral, tenderness, friendship, love and desire. This should be called a Masterpiece of Japanese literature. If we are allowed to recommend something for new readers of Japanese books, SOSEKI works are on the top selection as far as I’m concerned.
Maybe it’s hard to find the translation of his works, that makes distance from the world literature fans.
Again, as Japanese good novelists often are, Soseki is also very good at using just necessary words for the expression of story. His words are a little old fashioned for us modern readers, but the variation and depth of the selected words by Soseki always beat us with the irreplaceable importance. His words reaches our deeper mind and his story moves us with clear explanation of his intelligent words.
He loved British literature and studied in UK when he was young. But I don’t know how many people in UK know him actually today.
Until he died 49 years old of stomach ulser, he continued writing and remained works from him are real treasure of Japan still.
As a footnote, he is a model of present 1000 yen bill of Japan.
