Kokoro

by Sōseki Natsume | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 9780720612974 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingDelphi_Readerwing of Delphi - Δελφοί , Fokida Greece on 5/27/2023
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
2 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingDelphi_Readerwing from Delphi - Δελφοί , Fokida Greece on Saturday, May 27, 2023
This book starts its journey with BookCrossing from Delphi, Greece
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" On one level a meditation on the changing face of Japanese culture and its attitudes towards honor, friendship, love, and death as well as a sly subversion of all of these things, this novel centers around the friendship between the narrator and the man he calls Sensei, who is haunted by mysterious events in his past. As the friendship grows and the narrator learns more about the man he so admires, he is increasingly intrigued by his hidden history. The Sensei refuses to divulge anything until the narrator is called away to look after his sick father, and the truth is finally revealed amidst tragic circumstances. "


~~~~~~To the person who found this book:~~~~~~

Welcome to BookCrossing.com, where we are trying to make the whole world a library!

If you have not already done so, please make a journal entry so we know this book has found a new home. Drop a few lines on where and how you found this book and what you thought of it. You don't need to join BookCrossing and you can remain completely anonymous. However, I encourage you to join so that you can follow this book's future travels. It's fun and free, and your personal information will never be shared or sold.

This book is now yours, and you can keep it if you choose, although I would love you to read and then share it. You can pass it on someone you know or release it once again in the wild, leaving it on a park bench, a phone booth, a hostel lobby...wherever you think it's suitable for the book to continue its journey. If you pass it along, please make a release note to let others know where you left it.

I hope you enjoy the book!


Journal Entry 2 by wingDelphi_Readerwing at Delphi - Δελφοί , Fokida Greece on Thursday, June 22, 2023
I was curious about this Japanese "classic" but while I found it more multi-layered than it seemed at first sight, it didn't touch me much and I thought that sometimes it dragged a lot.

My main problem about the first part of the book was that I couldn't really see why the narrator worshiped the "Sensei" so much and how their strong bond formed. The author seemed to say, but didn't really show where all this came from.

The second part of the book took a different turn, but I hoped it would be more fitting to the story on a more down to earth sense. It led to the third part in theory but in practice it led nowhere at the end.

The third and final part of the book was kind of very predictable after a while. It had some interesting twists and turns in an intellectual kind of way, but it was longwinded and I thought that Sensei's actions didn't make much sense.

I don't have to like the characters of a book in order to enjoy it, but something felt completely off most of the time.Maybe there are cultural differences here, but the plot didn't convience me much. Maybe Soseki tried to touch on human nature or some situations or some other thing topical at the time and era, but most of the time this was a rather neutral read for me, -if not boring and repetitive.

Also while I try to take into account the social norms and circumstances a book is written in, all the repetition of "the women this, the men that", the sexism of the era, started to get on my nerves after a while.

There were some clever twists that I liked and I did read Kokoro in two afternoons, but I don't think this is something that enthused me much or will stay with me for long. I am glad I read it though and after I finished it I read the introduction, which shed a bit more light on the book its self and on its significance in Japanese culture/literature too.

I am curious to see what future readers will make of this...
6½/10

Journal Entry 3 by wingDelphi_Readerwing at Classics Sweepstakes, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, July 4, 2023

Released 8 mos ago (7/4/2023 UTC) at Classics Sweepstakes, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Kokoro got itchy feet and wants to trot the globe. So for a start off it goes to meet the winner of the Classic Sweepstakes - Round 14 .
And then... Who knows?

Good Luck my book and Don't forget to write your news from time to time!

Journal Entry 4 by Andrasthe at Klagenfurt, Kärnten Austria on Wednesday, July 12, 2023
thank you kindly :)

Are you sure you want to delete this item? It cannot be undone.