Sōseki Natsume Libros

Natsume Sōseki (1867-1916), novelista innovador de la era Meiji con títulos como Soy un gato, Sanshiro, Las hierbas del camino o El caminante, colaboró con el célebre poeta de haiku Masaoka Shiki en la revista de haiku Hototogisu («El cuclillo»). Sōseki cultivó esta breve forma poética durante prácticamente toda su vida. Su poesía evolucionó desde un estilo florido y abigarrado hacia una mayor interiorización y personalidad. Sōseki asumió el concepto tradicional de «gusto refinado» del tanka y le otorgó un sentido más pleno hacia la «compasión universal» -de raigambre en gran parte budista-, e incrementando su humanismo. Esta voluntad de inmersión en la naturaleza y huida del protagonismo se hará patente en muchos de sus haikus. Otros rasgos destacables de su estilo son: cierta dosis de humor y ocasionalmente de surrealismo.

Ninguna biblioteca de literatura japonesa estaría completa sin Kokoro, la novela más lograda de Natsume Sōseki, la más profunda y la última que completó antes de su muerte. Coincidiendo con el centenario de su aparición, Impedimenta publica una nueva traducción de la obra maestra de Sōseki, que prefiguraría la de autores de la importancia de Akutagawa, Kawabata o Murakami. Kokoro ("corazón", en japonés) narra la historia de una amistad sutil y conmovedora entre dos personajes sin nombre, un joven y un enigmático anciano al que conocemos como "Sensei". Atormentado por trágicos secretos que han proyectado una larga sombra sobre su vida, Sensei se abre lentamente a su joven discípulo, confesando indiscreciones de sus días de estudiante que han dejado en él un rastro de culpa, y que revelan, en el abismo aparentemente insalvable de su angustia moral y su lucha por entender los misterios del amor y el destino, el profundo cambio cultural de una generación a la siguiente que caracterizó el Japón de principios del siglo XX.

Si hay un observador privilegiado que pueda conocer a fondo cada recoveco de una ciudad y escudriñar a las personas que habitan en ella, tiene que ser un gato. Natsume Soseki (1867-1916) ofrece en esta obra maestra de la literatura japonesa un hilarante retrato de su tiempo -la modernizadora era Meiji- visto a través de los ojos de un felino callejero de Tokio. Adoptado a su pesar por el profesor Kushami, el orgulloso gato no dejará de quejarse y de analizar con un humor sarcástico el comportamiento de los personajes que desfilan por la casa, una muestra perfecta de la excéntrica burguesía japonesa.

Exploring the themes of loneliness and isolation, this novel delves into the transition from Meiji society to modern Japan. It is structured in three parts, focusing on the narrator's relationship with the reclusive "Sensei," his return home after graduating, and a revealing letter from Sensei that uncovers his deep-seated guilt and loss of faith in humanity. This poignant narrative offers insight into the complexities of human emotions and relationships, making it a significant work by Natsume Soseki.

Originally published in Japanese with the romanized title of Meian.

An NYRB Classics Original A humble clerk and his loving wife scrape out a quiet existence on the margins of Tokyo. Resigned, following years of exile and misfortune, to the bitter consequences of having married without their families’ consent, and unable to have children of their own, Sōsuke and Oyone find the delicate equilibrium of their household upset by a new obligation to meet the educational expenses of Sōsuke’s brash younger brother. While an unlikely new friendship appears to offer a way out of this bind, it also soon threatens to dredge up a past that could once again force them to flee the capital. Desperate and torn, Sōsuke finally resolves to travel to a remote Zen mountain monastery to see if perhaps there, through meditation, he can find a way out of his predicament. This moving and deceptively simple story, a melancholy tale shot through with glimmers of joy, beauty, and gentle wit, is an understated masterpiece by one of Japan’s greatest writers. At the end of his life, Natsume Sōseki declared The Gate, originally published in 1910, to be his favorite among all his novels. This new translation captures the oblique grace of the original while correcting numerous errors and omissions that marred the first English version.

In The Three-Cornered World , an artist leaves city life to wander in the mountains on a quest to stimulate his artistic endeavors. When he finds himself staying at an almost deserted inn, he becomes obsessed with the beautiful and strange daughter of the innkeeper, who is rumored to have abandoned her husband and fallen in love with a priest at a nearby temple. Haunted by her aura of mystery and tragedy, he wants to paint her. As he struggles to complete his picture and sove the enigma of her life, his daily conversations with those at the inn and the village provide clues and inspiration toward solving the mysteries she presents. Natsume Soseki examines each event and scene in this story in minute detail, creating balanced pictures in each small situation. Interspersed with philosophies of both the East and West, Soseki's writing blends two very different cultures and presents the unique world of an artist struggling with his craft and his environment. An evocative picture of the daily life in a mountain village of the times, The Three-Cornered World provokes thought and images equally.

Exploring themes of love, honor, and despair, this collection of ten vignettes presents a dream-world where fantastic and tragic events unfold. Each story captures a unique essence, blending modernist and impressionistic styles that reflect both stark realism and a deeper emotional resonance. The narratives invite readers to ponder the complexities of human experience, evoking a sense of universal connection through their exquisite sensibility. This classic work marks a significant moment in Japanese literature, showcasing Natsume Soseki's profound insight into life and feeling.

A rediscovered Japanese modernist classic, translated by renowned Murakami translator Jay Rubin and with a new introduction by Murakami himself.

"A Japanese writer of genius."—Japan Quarterly Soseki Natsume is considered to be one of Japan's most beloved and respected authors. And Then is ranked as one of his most insightful and stirring novels. Daisuke, the protagonist, is a man in his twenties who is struggling with his personal purpose and identity as well as the changing social landscape of Meiji-era Japan. As Japan enters the Twentieth Century, ancient customs give way to western ideals, and Daisuke works to resolve his feelings of disconnection and abandonment during this time of change. Thanks to his father's wealth, Daisuke has the luxury of having time to develop his philosophies and ruminate on their meaning while remaining intellectually aloof from traditional Japanese culture and the demands of growing industrialization. Then Daisuke's life takes an unexpected turn when he is reunited with his college friend and his sickly wife. At first, Daisuke's stoicism allows him to act according to his intellect, but his intellectual fortress begins to show its vulnerabilities as his emotions start to hold greater sway over his inner life. Daisuke must now weigh his choices in a culture that has always operated on the razor's edge of societal obligation and personal freedom.