Botchan by Natsume Soseki
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1kidzdoc
Botchan was written by Soseki in 1905, and it is widely considered to be one of the most important works of Japanese literature, as it was one of the first modern works that touches on the conflict between traditional values and beliefs found in remote Japanese villages, and the influence of the West and a modern society in a major city such as Tokyo.
The narrator is a young man of slight build but feisty spirit who has recently graduated from university with a degree in physics, who has been hired to teach mathematics in a middle school in a small rural town. Botchan is guided by his personal moral code and sense of duty, which is exceeded only by his self importance and pomposity. Almost immediately he runs afoul of several of the students in his classes, who torment him with blackboard comments and juvenile tricks. He subsequently angers his immediate supervisor, the principal of the school, and several of his fellow teachers, who conspire against him and his supervisor. Botchan strikes out against his accusers and foes, as he longs to return to Tokyo and to the old woman who served as the family maid during his troubled childhood, as she is the only person who nurtured and believed in him.
Despite its short length of 92 pages, Botchan was a tedious read that seemed at least twice as long as it actually was. Not recommended.
The narrator is a young man of slight build but feisty spirit who has recently graduated from university with a degree in physics, who has been hired to teach mathematics in a middle school in a small rural town. Botchan is guided by his personal moral code and sense of duty, which is exceeded only by his self importance and pomposity. Almost immediately he runs afoul of several of the students in his classes, who torment him with blackboard comments and juvenile tricks. He subsequently angers his immediate supervisor, the principal of the school, and several of his fellow teachers, who conspire against him and his supervisor. Botchan strikes out against his accusers and foes, as he longs to return to Tokyo and to the old woman who served as the family maid during his troubled childhood, as she is the only person who nurtured and believed in him.
Despite its short length of 92 pages, Botchan was a tedious read that seemed at least twice as long as it actually was. Not recommended.
2technodiabla
I have not read Botchan yet. Perhaps I won't. Your opinion is consistent with others I've seen. I liked Kokoro quite a bit and it was a quick read. I wouldn't give up on Soseki. What translation did you read BTW?
3kidzdoc
>2 technodiabla: Let's see...I downloaded the free version onto my Kindle, which was translated by Yasotaro Mori in 1918 and revised by J.R. Kennedy the following year.
I'm glad to hear that you liked Kokoro, as I'm planning to read it, and The Three-Cornered World, next month. I'll save I Am a Cat until March.
I'm glad to hear that you liked Kokoro, as I'm planning to read it, and The Three-Cornered World, next month. I'll save I Am a Cat until March.
