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jamesdanielhorn 's review for:
Sanshirō
by Natsume Sōseki
A Japanese classic to be sure, Sanshirō is a delightful coming of age novel balanced with themes tradition vs modernity. For a book as old as this it manages to feel very modern, which in a way creates its own harmony with the theme.
There is something very relatable about our protagonist Sanshirō here, his wide-eyed innocence disintegrating before our eyes. The book is rife with symbolism from the food they eat to the happenstances Sanshirō describes as he goes from place to place. The book’s melancholy tone is usurped just enough to not be too much of a downer.
There are absolutely beautiful passages and while we credit these to Sōseki, we must also credit Jay Rubin for the translation.
This is an absolute essential for someone diving into turn of the century Japanese literature, not just for it’s depictions of life at that time, but for it’s depth and comments on those changes. Strongly recommended.
There is something very relatable about our protagonist Sanshirō here, his wide-eyed innocence disintegrating before our eyes. The book is rife with symbolism from the food they eat to the happenstances Sanshirō describes as he goes from place to place. The book’s melancholy tone is usurped just enough to not be too much of a downer.
There are absolutely beautiful passages and while we credit these to Sōseki, we must also credit Jay Rubin for the translation.
This is an absolute essential for someone diving into turn of the century Japanese literature, not just for it’s depictions of life at that time, but for it’s depth and comments on those changes. Strongly recommended.