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A review by spyralnode
And Then by 吴树文, Natsume Sōseki, Norma Moore Field
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was extremely pleasantly surprised by 'And Then' by Natsume Sōseki. Sōseki is an author who is much more appreciated in his home country of Japan than abroad, unlike Kawabata who I read earlier this year through the magnificent 'Snow Country'. It's deeply introspective, psychological and reflective - it's a novel of thought and meditation.
The afterword of my volume suggests that this is intended as part of a trilogy with 'Sanshirō' first, this as the middle book, and 'The Gate' last. They each approach different periods in life, young adult, adult and middle-age, so I understand that there shouldn't be any confusion if you read them out of order.
We are set in Meiji period Tokyo, when Japanese ideals are starting to conflict with the modernised Western ones. The main protagonist, Deisuke, is 30, living off of his father, brother and sister-in-law, with two servants and no occupation. Faced with continuous pressures from his family to get married and get a job, Deisuke explores his philosophy of life. Should one do a job without any affinity, how does that speak about one's morality? How should marriage be viewed - legally, social? This question becomes especially relevant as Deisuke reignites a friendship with his friend's wife, Michiyo, who he still regrets not pursuing romantically.
I really enjoyed being alongside Deisuke on his moral dilemma. Don't get me wrong, he displays a lot of privilege, and even his friends and family comment on it. He is considered someone who just goes through the motions without any deep preoccupations, anything bringing him honour, and is criticised for enjoying life a little too much. I agree that, if he were faced with the struggles of poverty, his relationship with money (where he just expects things to resolve themselves), would look widely different. At the same time, he wants to demonstrate that he is a modern man, that marriage is no longer an expectation for him, but at the same time he ignores reconciling what this will mean for the relationship with his family or how he would sustain his new family.
The moments of meditation, almost monologues that characters shared with each other, are smartly interspersed in the plot. It doesn't read old fashioned in the slightest, and if you enjoy Tokyo, this will be a treat. In that sense it almost makes me think of what 'Mrs.' by Virginia Woolf does with London - you're on the streets, looking at the trees, the buildings, going into the bookshop, smelling the flowers, it was so nostalgic for me and evoked many memories of places I've visited and loved. It paints the dynamic feeling very well, enveloping both its traditional arts like kabuki as well as modern ones such as the business world of sugar. This juxtaposition between old and new is present throughout.
A beautiful read, I'd recommend it highly if you're into Japanese literature.
The afterword of my volume suggests that this is intended as part of a trilogy with 'Sanshirō' first, this as the middle book, and 'The Gate' last. They each approach different periods in life, young adult, adult and middle-age, so I understand that there shouldn't be any confusion if you read them out of order.
We are set in Meiji period Tokyo, when Japanese ideals are starting to conflict with the modernised Western ones. The main protagonist, Deisuke, is 30, living off of his father, brother and sister-in-law, with two servants and no occupation. Faced with continuous pressures from his family to get married and get a job, Deisuke explores his philosophy of life. Should one do a job without any affinity, how does that speak about one's morality? How should marriage be viewed - legally, social? This question becomes especially relevant as Deisuke reignites a friendship with his friend's wife, Michiyo, who he still regrets not pursuing romantically.
I really enjoyed being alongside Deisuke on his moral dilemma. Don't get me wrong, he displays a lot of privilege, and even his friends and family comment on it. He is considered someone who just goes through the motions without any deep preoccupations, anything bringing him honour, and is criticised for enjoying life a little too much. I agree that, if he were faced with the struggles of poverty, his relationship with money (where he just expects things to resolve themselves), would look widely different. At the same time, he wants to demonstrate that he is a modern man, that marriage is no longer an expectation for him, but at the same time he ignores reconciling what this will mean for the relationship with his family or how he would sustain his new family.
The moments of meditation, almost monologues that characters shared with each other, are smartly interspersed in the plot. It doesn't read old fashioned in the slightest, and if you enjoy Tokyo, this will be a treat. In that sense it almost makes me think of what 'Mrs.' by Virginia Woolf does with London - you're on the streets, looking at the trees, the buildings, going into the bookshop, smelling the flowers, it was so nostalgic for me and evoked many memories of places I've visited and loved. It paints the dynamic feeling very well, enveloping both its traditional arts like kabuki as well as modern ones such as the business world of sugar. This juxtaposition between old and new is present throughout.
A beautiful read, I'd recommend it highly if you're into Japanese literature.