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242 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1906
991 people are currently reading
15.2k people want to read
About the author
Natsume S¨seki
825?books3,046?followersNatsume S¨seki (ÏÄÄ¿ Êþʯ), born Natsume Kinnosuke (ÏÄÄ¿ ½ðÖ®Öú), was a Japanese novelist. He is best known for his novels Kokoro, Botchan, I Am a Cat and his unfinished work Light and Darkness. He was also a scholar of British literature and composer of haiku, kanshi, and fairy tales. From 1984 until 2004, his portrait appeared on the front of the Japanese 1000 yen note. In Japan, he is often considered the greatest writer in modern Japanese history. He has had a profound effect on almost all important Japanese writers since.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,897 reviews
May 23, 2019
¡±Now that I thought about it, though, I realized that most people actually encourage you to turn bad. They seem to think that if you don't, you'll never get anywhere in the world. And then on those rare occasions when they encounter somebody who's honest and pure-hearted, they look down on him and say he's nothing but a kid, a Botchan. If that's the way it is, it would be better if they didn't have those ethics classes in elementary school and middle school where the teacher is always telling you to be honest and not lie. The schools might as well just go ahead and teach you how to tell lies, how to mistrust everybody, and how to take advantage of people. Wouldn't their students, and the world at large, be better off that way?¡±
Natsume Soseki, the author of this work, was so revered in Japan his face appeared on the 1000 Yen currency.
Botchan has grown up under the protective wing of a family servant named Kiyo. She is a fallen aristocrat who pins her hopes on Botchan making something of himself so she can continue to be his servant until she dies. She certainly has an exaggerated sense of Botchan¡¯s character, but because she considers him her son we can forgive her having such misconceptions.
He goes to the University of Tokyo of Physics and emerges with a degree in math, not because he likes math, but because he could pass the classes. Like a lot of young people he had no idea of what he wants to do, but I do have to give him credit for at least doing something while he was trying to figure out what to do.
He believes his best characteristics are common sense and a good grounding in morals, but they are somewhat offset by being impulsive, judgemental, and naive.
Botchan accepts a job teaching in the countryside far away from Tokyo. The adjustment is difficult mainly because he loses the fawning presence of Kiyo and he quickly alienates most of his coworkers by being condescending and overly critical of them. The same alienation occurs with the students who stalk him through the village and make fun of his eating habits. He likes to eat...a lot.
Botchan didn¡¯t want to be a teacher. He was an indifferent student and became an indifferent teacher. I¡¯m alarmed at the number of teachers I meet that never liked school, but fell into teaching for lack of other options. Most of our teachers in the United States come from the bottom third of graduates. I found some data from 2001, but more recent polling shows that the percentages from each third have not changed significantly. The breakdown for these graduates who became teachers is as follows: 23 percent came from the ¡°top third;¡± 47 percent from the ¡°bottom third;¡± and 29 percent from the ¡°middle third.¡± In most European countries teachers come from the top third of graduates. That makes more sense to me. Part of our problem in the States people from the top third of graduates discover they can make much more money in the private sector with a smaller work load than they can teaching. In Europe teachers are among some of the best paid people in the country. That makes sense to me as well.
I digress, but this trend has been of concern to me and Botchan would probably fall into that bottom third category.
Botchan gives his colleagues nicknames. The principal becomes The Badger. The assistant principal is Red Shirt. There is also Porcupine, Hanger On, and The Squash face. Giving nicknames is a form of silent rebellion and makes him feel superior to most everyone in the echoing halls of his own head. There is a woman named Madonna, a beautiful woman that even the indifferent Botchan takes notice of.
¡±I¡¯m not any good at describing what makes a woman gorgeous, so I won¡¯t try, but this one was definitely absolutely gorgeous. Somehow just looking at her made me feel like I was cradling a ball of crystal that had been warmed in perfume in my palm.¡±
The Madonna causes friction between the academics as they vie for her attention. It reminds me of when I was at the University of Arizona taking classes in the English department. Edward Abbey had been teaching there during part of my time there. I could never get into his class which was generally loaded with graduate students. Abbey¡¯s wife was ¡°allegedly¡± sleeping with several teachers in the department. One was the highest paid member of the staff due to his ability to publish and the other was an ex-Jesuit monk. During one famous faculty meeting they came to blows. My money was on the Jesuit. It was difficult sitting in class looking at this notorious black eye at the front of the room and not laughing over the source of that injury.
The longer Botchan teaches his pride becomes more and more battered from a barrage of disappointments. His predetermined idea of how the universe is supposed to work becomes more cynical.
¡±People operate on their likes and dislikes, not on logic.¡±
Natsume Soseki
This book is one of the best selling, best loved books of all time in Japan. It was published in 1906, but continues to be a source of amusement for new generations of Japanese readers. It is certainly a study in morality about the struggles between people with differing views of what living an honorable life means. Botchan is sure that his view of the universe is the correct one and those that interpret things different receive his disdain. It is excusable in a 22 year old and my hope is in the pages beyond this book that were never written that he learns more tolerance for the fallacies of others. My interest level increased the deeper I advanced in the book. I went from not really caring for Botchan to actually starting to understand him and even began to root for him. This is an early work by Natsume Soseki and I am very curious to read his later, more mature work.
Natsume Soseki, the author of this work, was so revered in Japan his face appeared on the 1000 Yen currency.
Botchan has grown up under the protective wing of a family servant named Kiyo. She is a fallen aristocrat who pins her hopes on Botchan making something of himself so she can continue to be his servant until she dies. She certainly has an exaggerated sense of Botchan¡¯s character, but because she considers him her son we can forgive her having such misconceptions.
He goes to the University of Tokyo of Physics and emerges with a degree in math, not because he likes math, but because he could pass the classes. Like a lot of young people he had no idea of what he wants to do, but I do have to give him credit for at least doing something while he was trying to figure out what to do.
He believes his best characteristics are common sense and a good grounding in morals, but they are somewhat offset by being impulsive, judgemental, and naive.
Botchan accepts a job teaching in the countryside far away from Tokyo. The adjustment is difficult mainly because he loses the fawning presence of Kiyo and he quickly alienates most of his coworkers by being condescending and overly critical of them. The same alienation occurs with the students who stalk him through the village and make fun of his eating habits. He likes to eat...a lot.
Botchan didn¡¯t want to be a teacher. He was an indifferent student and became an indifferent teacher. I¡¯m alarmed at the number of teachers I meet that never liked school, but fell into teaching for lack of other options. Most of our teachers in the United States come from the bottom third of graduates. I found some data from 2001, but more recent polling shows that the percentages from each third have not changed significantly. The breakdown for these graduates who became teachers is as follows: 23 percent came from the ¡°top third;¡± 47 percent from the ¡°bottom third;¡± and 29 percent from the ¡°middle third.¡± In most European countries teachers come from the top third of graduates. That makes more sense to me. Part of our problem in the States people from the top third of graduates discover they can make much more money in the private sector with a smaller work load than they can teaching. In Europe teachers are among some of the best paid people in the country. That makes sense to me as well.
I digress, but this trend has been of concern to me and Botchan would probably fall into that bottom third category.
Botchan gives his colleagues nicknames. The principal becomes The Badger. The assistant principal is Red Shirt. There is also Porcupine, Hanger On, and The Squash face. Giving nicknames is a form of silent rebellion and makes him feel superior to most everyone in the echoing halls of his own head. There is a woman named Madonna, a beautiful woman that even the indifferent Botchan takes notice of.
¡±I¡¯m not any good at describing what makes a woman gorgeous, so I won¡¯t try, but this one was definitely absolutely gorgeous. Somehow just looking at her made me feel like I was cradling a ball of crystal that had been warmed in perfume in my palm.¡±
The Madonna causes friction between the academics as they vie for her attention. It reminds me of when I was at the University of Arizona taking classes in the English department. Edward Abbey had been teaching there during part of my time there. I could never get into his class which was generally loaded with graduate students. Abbey¡¯s wife was ¡°allegedly¡± sleeping with several teachers in the department. One was the highest paid member of the staff due to his ability to publish and the other was an ex-Jesuit monk. During one famous faculty meeting they came to blows. My money was on the Jesuit. It was difficult sitting in class looking at this notorious black eye at the front of the room and not laughing over the source of that injury.
The longer Botchan teaches his pride becomes more and more battered from a barrage of disappointments. His predetermined idea of how the universe is supposed to work becomes more cynical.
¡±People operate on their likes and dislikes, not on logic.¡±
Natsume Soseki
This book is one of the best selling, best loved books of all time in Japan. It was published in 1906, but continues to be a source of amusement for new generations of Japanese readers. It is certainly a study in morality about the struggles between people with differing views of what living an honorable life means. Botchan is sure that his view of the universe is the correct one and those that interpret things different receive his disdain. It is excusable in a 22 year old and my hope is in the pages beyond this book that were never written that he learns more tolerance for the fallacies of others. My interest level increased the deeper I advanced in the book. I went from not really caring for Botchan to actually starting to understand him and even began to root for him. This is an early work by Natsume Soseki and I am very curious to read his later, more mature work.
July 1, 2018
PURA DIVERSI?N.
Si no hab¨¦is le¨ªdo nada de Soseki empezad por 'Botchan' y no os arrepentir¨¦is.
Es una lectura ligera pero llena de chispa que satiriza la experiencia de un joven profesor dando clase en una peque?a ciudad de provincias.
Me lo he pasado genial. Super recomendado!!!
Ya van 3 libros que leo de Soseki y est¨¢ claro que seguir¨¦ con ¨¦l ?
June 2, 2022
[Edited, pictures added 6/2/22]
This book from 1906, translated from the Japanese, is kind of a ¡°Tom Brown at Oxford¡± set in Japan, and, in fact, the author did attend British schools, so maybe that¡¯s where he got the idea for the book.
A young man from Tokyo finds a job as a math teacher in a boys¡¯ school out in the boondocks. He is a complete and total (insert your favorite anatomical word here, I¡¯ll say - ass). He is arrogant, looks down on the villagers, finds fault with everyone, talks down to his servants and landlords, can¡¯t make friends, etc.
Naturally he is the perfect target for pranks by the boys and intrigues by his colleagues to get rid of him. He seems oblivious to it all.
So of course, there is a lot of opportunity for humor in this setting and it is basically a humorous book. ¡°I always disliked one subject as much as another.¡± and ¡°¡remember when someone apologizes to you, he doesn¡¯t really mean it, and therefore you should only pretend to forgive him. The only way to make someone really apologize is to beat him until he truly regrets what he¡¯s done.¡±
The book is kind of a Japanese classic, shown frequently in adaptations on television. I found it interesting for the local color of Japan in the late 19th-early 20th century.
During his relatively short life (1867-1916) the author wrote about two dozen novels and became Japan¡¯s most famous author. He is credited with bringing the modern realistic novel into Japanese literature. Haruki Murakami said he is his favorite writer. He is most famous for a trilogy: Sanshiro, And Then, and The Gate, of which I have read the last two.
Japanese schoolboys, early 1900s, from alamy.com
The author on Japanese currency from bbc.co.uk
This book from 1906, translated from the Japanese, is kind of a ¡°Tom Brown at Oxford¡± set in Japan, and, in fact, the author did attend British schools, so maybe that¡¯s where he got the idea for the book.
A young man from Tokyo finds a job as a math teacher in a boys¡¯ school out in the boondocks. He is a complete and total (insert your favorite anatomical word here, I¡¯ll say - ass). He is arrogant, looks down on the villagers, finds fault with everyone, talks down to his servants and landlords, can¡¯t make friends, etc.
Naturally he is the perfect target for pranks by the boys and intrigues by his colleagues to get rid of him. He seems oblivious to it all.
So of course, there is a lot of opportunity for humor in this setting and it is basically a humorous book. ¡°I always disliked one subject as much as another.¡± and ¡°¡remember when someone apologizes to you, he doesn¡¯t really mean it, and therefore you should only pretend to forgive him. The only way to make someone really apologize is to beat him until he truly regrets what he¡¯s done.¡±
The book is kind of a Japanese classic, shown frequently in adaptations on television. I found it interesting for the local color of Japan in the late 19th-early 20th century.
During his relatively short life (1867-1916) the author wrote about two dozen novels and became Japan¡¯s most famous author. He is credited with bringing the modern realistic novel into Japanese literature. Haruki Murakami said he is his favorite writer. He is most famous for a trilogy: Sanshiro, And Then, and The Gate, of which I have read the last two.
Japanese schoolboys, early 1900s, from alamy.com
The author on Japanese currency from bbc.co.uk
April 24, 2023
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February 22, 2015
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November 22, 2016
Botchan is like Japan's Tom Sawyer. It is read by schoolchildren across the country and has been the subject of innumerable TV sketches and parodies ever since Soseki wrote it early in the 20th Century. It is a coming-of-age story ripe with sarcasm and very entertaining to read. There is also a comic book version (or more). It is an early masterpiece of Soseki that does not have the depth of I Am A Cat but yet has the power of his prose to make a lasting impression and - since it is long before his more depressive period - show the strength of human nature.
January 4, 2022
Japon edebiyat? ile ilk tan??ma i?in uygun bir kitap olabilir. Olduk?a basit ve kolay okunur-yormayan bir anlat?m? var. ?nsanlar? neden sevmedi?inizi hat?rlatmas? da art?s?. :)
3,5/5
3,5/5
January 7, 2024
????? ????? ? ???? ???. ?????? ???? ?? ???????? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ???????? ?????? ? ?? ?????? ??? ?????? ????? ???. ?????? ?? ????? ??? ????? ????? ?? ?? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ????? ? ???? ????? ???? ?? ?? ?? ????? ??????. ??? ????.
September 28, 2020
A rough diamond in Japan
In every country, people treasure certain images of themselves, whether they are accurate or not. In general, among numerous peoples like the Chinese, Japanese, French, Russians, or English, there are so many personality types as to make such images totally stereotypical. In real life, we have to take people as we find them, not stick them into boxes. But in literature, from time to time, an author creates a character that so pleases the readers---perhaps because they identify with him so much---that he (the character) is immediately assigned a place in the national pantheon. BOTCHAN, the title character of the novel of the same name, is one of them. Created by Natsume Soseki in the early years of the 20th century, Botchan still delights each subsequent generation with his honest, sincere naivet¨¦. He is a young Japanese man who may not understand much of what's happening around him, but he stands by his simple principles, dispensing with all unnecessary formality, falseness, and fakery. In a society where politesse, social obligation and a certain measure of conformity are highly stressed, it must be a pleasure to read the tale of a young man who says what he thinks, refuses to behave politely, and consistently acts as he decides best. If he is not much of a rebel by American or European standards, he is a much beloved "straight shooter" by tighter Japanese measure. This book has been popular in Japan since its first publication and I would guess the reason is that Botchan's behavior mirrors what Japanese would 'like to be' more than the way they actually are. The rough diamond is a stock character in Japanese films and television shows from Mifune Toshiro's many "scungy-but-good hearted" samurai to the wildly-popular Tora-san. Westerners may not find much of a plot in BOTCHAN, but it is amusing, well-written, and enjoyable. It is a window on an older Japan far from bullet trains, animated adventures, and monsters that insist on attacking Tokyo. It is the story of a new young teacher in an isolated provincial town. I strongly recommend it for anyone, young or old. Botchan is one of those characters who will live forever in world literature.
In every country, people treasure certain images of themselves, whether they are accurate or not. In general, among numerous peoples like the Chinese, Japanese, French, Russians, or English, there are so many personality types as to make such images totally stereotypical. In real life, we have to take people as we find them, not stick them into boxes. But in literature, from time to time, an author creates a character that so pleases the readers---perhaps because they identify with him so much---that he (the character) is immediately assigned a place in the national pantheon. BOTCHAN, the title character of the novel of the same name, is one of them. Created by Natsume Soseki in the early years of the 20th century, Botchan still delights each subsequent generation with his honest, sincere naivet¨¦. He is a young Japanese man who may not understand much of what's happening around him, but he stands by his simple principles, dispensing with all unnecessary formality, falseness, and fakery. In a society where politesse, social obligation and a certain measure of conformity are highly stressed, it must be a pleasure to read the tale of a young man who says what he thinks, refuses to behave politely, and consistently acts as he decides best. If he is not much of a rebel by American or European standards, he is a much beloved "straight shooter" by tighter Japanese measure. This book has been popular in Japan since its first publication and I would guess the reason is that Botchan's behavior mirrors what Japanese would 'like to be' more than the way they actually are. The rough diamond is a stock character in Japanese films and television shows from Mifune Toshiro's many "scungy-but-good hearted" samurai to the wildly-popular Tora-san. Westerners may not find much of a plot in BOTCHAN, but it is amusing, well-written, and enjoyable. It is a window on an older Japan far from bullet trains, animated adventures, and monsters that insist on attacking Tokyo. It is the story of a new young teacher in an isolated provincial town. I strongly recommend it for anyone, young or old. Botchan is one of those characters who will live forever in world literature.
June 18, 2022
No habia leido aun al autor, aunque tengo Kokoro pendiente, pero me decidi a empezar por este y la verdad que ha sido un acierto, es una historia muy facil de entender, sin palabras complejas, sin muchos tecnicismos y bastante cortita.
Es una historia de un joven de Tokio, al que destinan a la isla de Shikoku a dar clases de Matem¨¢ticas ya que es profesor. Durante su estancia, va a conocer a otros profesores a los que ira poniendo motes ( algo que me ha resultado super curioso y divertido). Se dara cuenta de lo complicado que es adptarse a un nuevo lugar y a una nueva situaci¨®n, pero le har¨¢ aprender que no tiene que fiarse de todo lo que le dicen, y no juzgar a las personas sin conocerlas.
Es una historia muy agil y muy amena, una novela de personajes sin grandes giros. Me ha gustado el el caracter del protagonista, ese comienzo de rebeldia frente a sus alumnos pero tambien ese car¨¢cter ingenuo.
Una novela que recomiendo si quieres empezar a leer algo de esta cultura. Rapido, agil y entretenido.
Es una historia de un joven de Tokio, al que destinan a la isla de Shikoku a dar clases de Matem¨¢ticas ya que es profesor. Durante su estancia, va a conocer a otros profesores a los que ira poniendo motes ( algo que me ha resultado super curioso y divertido). Se dara cuenta de lo complicado que es adptarse a un nuevo lugar y a una nueva situaci¨®n, pero le har¨¢ aprender que no tiene que fiarse de todo lo que le dicen, y no juzgar a las personas sin conocerlas.
Es una historia muy agil y muy amena, una novela de personajes sin grandes giros. Me ha gustado el el caracter del protagonista, ese comienzo de rebeldia frente a sus alumnos pero tambien ese car¨¢cter ingenuo.
Una novela que recomiendo si quieres empezar a leer algo de esta cultura. Rapido, agil y entretenido.
March 28, 2019
¡°?ocuklu?umdan beri tam bir kaybedendim.¡± c¨¹mlesiyle ba?l?yor K¨¹?¨¹k Bey. Kendisinden umudunu kesen ailesini zamans?z yitiren,bir yere tutunmaktan ?ekinen; en sonunda ?areyi ??retmen olmakta bulan biri dad?s?n?n Botchan¡¯?.
.
??retmen olarak gitti?i ilk yerde i?ler biraz kar???yor. Ne ??renciler ne de ??retmenler kabulleniyor ¡®yeni gelen¡¯i.Bu s¨¹re? boyunca yeni ??retmenin akl?nda ise sadece Kiyo var. Fedakar ve ona g¨¹venen tek ki?i olan dad?s?..
.
S¨seki g¨¹ndelik olan? anlat?yor gibi g?r¨¹nd¨¹?¨¹nde; sat?r aralar?na gizliyor edebi g¨¹c¨¹n¨¹. D?n¨¹?¨¹m s¨¹recindeki Japonya¡¯y?, bir samuray?n lokantaya ?evrilen evi ¨¹zerinden anlamland?rabiliyoruz ?rne?in.
Kat? kurallar?n ??z¨¹l¨¹p esnedi?ini, ancak bu esnekli?in fazla bol geldi?ini de g?r¨¹yoruz..S¨seki basitlikteki g¨¹zelli?i her defas?nda parlat?yor.
.
Mariko Erdo?an ve H¨¹seyin ?zkaya ortak ?evirisini okuyoruz. ?ns?z olarak sunulan, ?a?da? Japon edebiyat?n?n do?u?u ¨¹zerine Sel?uk Esenbel ?al??mas? da bir di?er g¨¹zel detay~
.
??retmen olarak gitti?i ilk yerde i?ler biraz kar???yor. Ne ??renciler ne de ??retmenler kabulleniyor ¡®yeni gelen¡¯i.Bu s¨¹re? boyunca yeni ??retmenin akl?nda ise sadece Kiyo var. Fedakar ve ona g¨¹venen tek ki?i olan dad?s?..
.
S¨seki g¨¹ndelik olan? anlat?yor gibi g?r¨¹nd¨¹?¨¹nde; sat?r aralar?na gizliyor edebi g¨¹c¨¹n¨¹. D?n¨¹?¨¹m s¨¹recindeki Japonya¡¯y?, bir samuray?n lokantaya ?evrilen evi ¨¹zerinden anlamland?rabiliyoruz ?rne?in.
Kat? kurallar?n ??z¨¹l¨¹p esnedi?ini, ancak bu esnekli?in fazla bol geldi?ini de g?r¨¹yoruz..S¨seki basitlikteki g¨¹zelli?i her defas?nda parlat?yor.
.
Mariko Erdo?an ve H¨¹seyin ?zkaya ortak ?evirisini okuyoruz. ?ns?z olarak sunulan, ?a?da? Japon edebiyat?n?n do?u?u ¨¹zerine Sel?uk Esenbel ?al??mas? da bir di?er g¨¹zel detay~
January 18, 2018
Short review: it's a Japanese Catcher in the Rye
Japanese literature has been one of the first genres I remember reading and loving ¡ª I fell in love with books when I read my first Murakami. Since then, I have ventured and looked for other Japanese authors and have found some that have appealed to me. This is my first Natsume Soseki novel, but sad to say, I am not overly impressed by it as I first thought I would be.
Botchan (or "boy master") tells us of a coming of age story of a mischievous boy born in a somewhat wealthy family from Tokyo. The first few chapters of the book entails of his experiences during childhood and how he was not favored as much as his older brother by his parents, and that the only person who cared for him was Kiyo, his servant.
In later parts of the book, Botchan's college and young adult life are expanded on. He eventually moves into the country from the city to work as a teacher, and naturally, this situation made him a target by his students (and some peer/fellow teachers) to play tricks on him. During this time, he maintains a close relationship with Kiyo through letters.
I must add that although most (if not all) of the characters besides the main one are very unlikeable ¨C the protagonist ¨C for me, was not a character that I ended up loving either. Having grown from a rich family, he looked down on the villagers and even gave nicknames to some of them. He can be a prick, and that in a way reminded me of Holden Caufield from Catcher in the Rye.
All in all, this was a light and funny read. In the end though, I feel that I am lost at what the author is trying to tell me or what to make out of it. Not a memorable first read from the author but that will not hinder me from picking up another novel of his.
PS
I am amazed that I have read something written in 1906. Over 100 years ago!
Credits to the translator. I think he did a splendid job.
Japanese literature has been one of the first genres I remember reading and loving ¡ª I fell in love with books when I read my first Murakami. Since then, I have ventured and looked for other Japanese authors and have found some that have appealed to me. This is my first Natsume Soseki novel, but sad to say, I am not overly impressed by it as I first thought I would be.
Botchan (or "boy master") tells us of a coming of age story of a mischievous boy born in a somewhat wealthy family from Tokyo. The first few chapters of the book entails of his experiences during childhood and how he was not favored as much as his older brother by his parents, and that the only person who cared for him was Kiyo, his servant.
In later parts of the book, Botchan's college and young adult life are expanded on. He eventually moves into the country from the city to work as a teacher, and naturally, this situation made him a target by his students (and some peer/fellow teachers) to play tricks on him. During this time, he maintains a close relationship with Kiyo through letters.
I must add that although most (if not all) of the characters besides the main one are very unlikeable ¨C the protagonist ¨C for me, was not a character that I ended up loving either. Having grown from a rich family, he looked down on the villagers and even gave nicknames to some of them. He can be a prick, and that in a way reminded me of Holden Caufield from Catcher in the Rye.
All in all, this was a light and funny read. In the end though, I feel that I am lost at what the author is trying to tell me or what to make out of it. Not a memorable first read from the author but that will not hinder me from picking up another novel of his.
PS
I am amazed that I have read something written in 1906. Over 100 years ago!
Credits to the translator. I think he did a splendid job.
June 9, 2018
I really enjoyed this one - a bit odd, but very funny! It's a kind of coming of age story, looking at a young man from Tokyo dealing with the gossipy strange world of a small town when he moves there to be a teacher. It kind of reminds me of Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh.
February 20, 2016
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?? ??????? ???????? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ??????? ?????? ?. ?. ??????? ??????? "?????? ?? ??? ???????" ... ???? ???????? ????? ... ???? ?? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ??????? ??? ???? ????? ??? ??? ????? "??????" ??? ?? ????? "?????? ?? ??? ???????" ??? ???? ?? ????? ??? ??????? ... ??? ???? ???????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ????? ?????? ?????? ????? ????? ????? ??? ???? ????? "??????" ?? ???? ??? ????? ?? ????? ???? "?????? ?? ??? ???????"... ??? ????? ??? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ??????? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ??????? ??????
?????? ??? ?? ?????????? ??? ??? ????? ??????? ?????? ??? ?? ???????? ???? ????? ???? ???? ????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ???? ????
???? ?? ????? ?????? ??? ?? ??????? ??????? ??????? ... ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???? ?? ????? ???? ?????
?? ??? ???? ?? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ?????? ????? ???? "???? ?????" ???? ???? ... ???? ????? ????? ???????? ?????? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ... ???? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ??????? ???? ???????? ?????? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???? ????? ... ?? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???? ?????? ???? ??
?????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???????? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ??? ... ????? ??????? ???????? ??????? ??????? ???????? ?????? ??????... ??? ??? ?? ????? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?? ????? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??? ???????
?????? ???? ?? ???? ??????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ????
????? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ????? ?? ????? ??????
April 22, 2017
Now that I thought about it, though, I realized that most people actually encourage you to turn bad. They seem to think that if you don't, you'll never get anywhere in the world. And then on those rare occasions when they encounter somebody who's honest and pure-hearted, they look down on him and say he's nothing but a kid, a Botchan. If that's the way it is, it would be better if they didn't have those ethics classes in elementary school and middle school where the teacher is always telling you to be honest and not lie. The schools might as well just go ahead and teach you how to tell lies, how to mistrust everybody, and how to take advantage of people. Wouldn't their students, and the world at large, be better off that way?
This is a wonderful, though often very frustrating read. It¡¯s not frustrating because it is difficult, far from it (the translation is quite the page turner) but because I found myself nodding at the above quote. I did somewhat look down upon our unnamed narrator (known only as Botchan)¡ and I admire the character in equal parts. The book is a morality story that shows the reader (or at least this reader) their own unpleasant side.
I found his character childish. I sat there the entire time feeling that, had I known him in real life, I would find him insufferable and wouldn't be able to stand to be around him. He's loud, brash and seems to think he's always in the morally right... and with a few exceptions brought on by misunderstandings, he is in the the right. That said, he is often right in a way that goes against society and the way one is supposed to act. At times I would root for him and others cringe and feel that awkward embarrassment that sitcoms seem to thrive on. That moment when the character does something baffling, everyone recognizes it, and you just laugh awkwardly.
Though it is frustrating, Natsume S¨seki has also caught so much truth in these actions that I can't help but be impressed. He understands human nature, good and bad, putting them on display from all characters. It is unsurprising that the novel is a classic in Japan (often cited as one of the author's most popular books and frequently found in school curriculum). It is a classic that has lost none of its charm since it was published over 100 years ago.
Now I do want to say a bit about the translation. Overall, it is wonderful, very readable and accessible to modern English reading audiences. That said, I question a few bits. First off, the principal's nickname is translated as "Badger" rather than "Tanuki." The translator states in his introduction that this was to be more accessible to English readers who may not know what a tanuki is... but in changing this he defeats part of the point of said nickname. A tanuki in Japanese myths is often a master of disguise or shapeshifting creature, this ties in with the principal's golden tongue, able to mislead or at least argue around the topic, distracting and laying blame where it should not be while keeping the school's reputation. I find badger does not bring to mind any of these connotations, and indeed makes me think of a different sort of personality. This wouldn't be that bothersome if the translator was going entirely for an English speaking audience and hoping they wouldn't need to look anything up, yet he leaves the often used phrase "na moshi" untranslated. I had knowledge of a tanuki, but had no clue what that meant and had to look it up online. This is what I found:
"Na moshi (?¤Ê¤â¤·) is the Matsuyama dialect's equivalent of de gozaimasu-ne (?¤Ç¤´¤¶¤¤¤Þ¤¹¤Í), a phrase that doesn't quite translate into English. Think of it as a formal way to say desu-ne (?¤Ç¤¹¤Í), for which there is no good English equivalent. "Isn't it?" comes close."
So yes, this could remain untranslated, and used frequently, but the nicknames could be changed rather unsuitably for the ease of English speaking audiences. I personally find that quite baffling.
In closing: despite some questionable aspects to the translation, and a few truly cringe worthy moments from our protagonist, I found this a delightful read. There are some genuinely comedic moments, that capture our human interactions with each other quite well, both the good and the bad. It shows us people are the same everywhere, suffering from many of the same flaws. It's an entertaining read and well worthy of its classic status.
June 8, 2020
"???? ????? ??? ????? ??? ????? ????? ??????? ?? ???? ??????? ????? ?? ??? ??? ????? ?? ???????? ??????? ??????? ??? ???? ???????? ???? ???".???? ?????? ??? "????" ??????? ???????? ??? ??? ???? -??? ?? ????- ??? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ????? ????? ?????? ?????? ????? ????????..
?????? ??? ????????? ?? ???????? ??? ?????? ??????? ????????? ???? ??????? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ????? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ??????????? ????????? ?????? ????????. ??? ?????? ?????? ?? ???? ???????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ??? ????????? ?????? ???????? ??? ???? ??????? ??????? ????? ???? ??????? ?????????.
"?? ?? ???? ????? ????? ?? ???? ???? ???????? ????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ?????".
"?? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ??????? ???? ?????? ??????? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???????".
?? ???? ????? ???????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ?? ??? ????? ??????? ?? ???????? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ??????? ????? ??? ????? ???????? ??? ???? ????? ????? ??????? ?????? ??? ???? ??????? ??????? ?????? ???? ???????? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ??? ?????!
?? ?? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ???? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ???".
"?? ??? ????? ???????? ?????? ????? ???? ?????????? ???? ???? ??? ?? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??? ??????".
"??? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ????? ????? ??????? ????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?????".
"???? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ?????? ????? ???? ???????! ??? ??? ????? ??????? ????? ??? ?????? ?????? ??????".
??? ???? ?????? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ???????? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ??????? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ?????? ???? ???????? ?? ?????????
????? ?????? ???? ?? ???? -?????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ??? ???????? ???????-: ???? ???????? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ?????? ????? ????? ?????? ??? ?????? ??????? ?? ??????? ???: "???? ?? ?????? ?? ????? -???? ??????? ?????? ??????- ??? ??? ??? ?????? ?????? ??????? ???? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ????? ????? ???????..."? "... ????? ???????? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ??? ????? ?????..."
??? ?????? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ?????? ??????.
??????? ??????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ????: ??? ????? ?? ??? ??????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ???? ????? ??????? ??????? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ???????? ???? ?????? ??????? ??? ??????? ??????? ???????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ????? ?? ??? ???????? ????? ?? ??????? ???? ????? ?????? ???????! "?????? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ???????! ??? ???? ???????! ?? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ?? ??? ?? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???? ?????" ???????? ???? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ??????? ???? ??????? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ??? ??? ???.
December 19, 2023
Qui¨¦n no conoce a alguien como este Botchan: narcisista, ofendible en grado extremo, brutalmente honesto. Pero hay algo en su inapelable sentido de justicia y en esa ingenuidad de creerse un maravilloso regalo para el resto de la Humanidad, que lleva a que resulten queribles (OK, no es cierto, la mayor¨ªa no son queribles. Pero este es el personaje de un libro)
Botchan es un joven de Tokio que llega a como profesor de matem¨¢ticas a una escuela secundaria en una peque?a ciudad, en una remota provincia de Jap¨®n. La tosquedad y la simpleza de ese ¨¢mbito rural, sus r¨²sticos alumnos y sus siempre criticables colegas, lo sacar¨¢n continuamente de sus casillas. Y no es dif¨ªcil sacarlo de sus casillas. Irritable y socialmente torpe, ser¨¢ blanco de chismes en el infierno grande que son los peque?os pueblos.
Un cl¨¢sico muchas veces comparado con Tom Sawyer (supongo que en lo cl¨¢sico) y con el Guardi¨¢n entre el Centeno, entre otras. Personalmente, el protagonista me recuerda un poquito a Ignatius Reilly de "La conjura de los necios". Desesperante y divertido. Si, si, porque es un personaje de libro.
Botchan es un joven de Tokio que llega a como profesor de matem¨¢ticas a una escuela secundaria en una peque?a ciudad, en una remota provincia de Jap¨®n. La tosquedad y la simpleza de ese ¨¢mbito rural, sus r¨²sticos alumnos y sus siempre criticables colegas, lo sacar¨¢n continuamente de sus casillas. Y no es dif¨ªcil sacarlo de sus casillas. Irritable y socialmente torpe, ser¨¢ blanco de chismes en el infierno grande que son los peque?os pueblos.
Un cl¨¢sico muchas veces comparado con Tom Sawyer (supongo que en lo cl¨¢sico) y con el Guardi¨¢n entre el Centeno, entre otras. Personalmente, el protagonista me recuerda un poquito a Ignatius Reilly de "La conjura de los necios". Desesperante y divertido. Si, si, porque es un personaje de libro.
March 21, 2023
I¡¯m not usually a fan of books that don¡¯t have a lot of dialogue. Description is only good when the writer draws you in immediately which thankfully did. That being said I definitely liked the beginning of the book more than the latter. The beginning had an interesting story but once ¡°Botchan¡± got to Matsuyama it got tedious and I began to lose interest.
Was going to give the book four stars but opted for the three based on the predictable ending.
Was going to give the book four stars but opted for the three based on the predictable ending.
February 14, 2015
Botchan's story of his life as a middle-school teacher in the Japanese countryside is simple and entertaining.Botchan a complete stranger to compliments and praises in his childhood grows to be a loner with a 'I don't care' attitude.He gets confused or rather angry with the subtle manipulations he experiences later in life. The only emotional attachment he has and loves is that with his childhood maid Kiyo, who never stops from showering motherly love and praises on him.
The writings concentrates on the innocence and lack of insight experienced by a rookie when encountered with seasoned players(in this case teachers).Although the slow paced narration made me lose patience, it was quickly recovered with peals of laughter brought by the humorous incidents played in the school.The politics and manipulative aspects of the school were interesting and agreeable. It is a quick read. The best part about reading a classic is that it makes you understand the foundation of a culture and its attributes.
The writings concentrates on the innocence and lack of insight experienced by a rookie when encountered with seasoned players(in this case teachers).Although the slow paced narration made me lose patience, it was quickly recovered with peals of laughter brought by the humorous incidents played in the school.The politics and manipulative aspects of the school were interesting and agreeable. It is a quick read. The best part about reading a classic is that it makes you understand the foundation of a culture and its attributes.
December 5, 2019
Cuando le¨ª en la sinopsis que este libro se comparaba con El guardi¨¢n entre el centeno sent¨ª bastante curiosidad y lo cierto es que no me ha defraudado la historia. Un libro que se podr¨ªa encuadrar perfectamente dentro de los c¨¢nones de la literatura juvenil pero que no defraudar¨¢ a lectores adultos. Irreverente, descarado, poco serio... y adem¨¢s escrito hace m¨¢s de un siglo. Una historia hilarante y delirante con personajes de lo m¨¢s pintoresto y grotesco a la vez, con un humor distinto al que estamos habituados en occidente.
Una historia con una cr¨ªtica social muy fuerte detr¨¢s mostrando los contrastes y contradicciones en la sociedad japonesa de principios del siglo XX.
Me ha parecido una historia divertida pero tambi¨¦n es cierto que puede resultar chocante porque no estamos habituados a este tipo de literatura.
Una historia con una cr¨ªtica social muy fuerte detr¨¢s mostrando los contrastes y contradicciones en la sociedad japonesa de principios del siglo XX.
Me ha parecido una historia divertida pero tambi¨¦n es cierto que puede resultar chocante porque no estamos habituados a este tipo de literatura.
March 5, 2023
It's never too late to achieve the traditional education of a Japanese high school student, is it? I wonder if they still read this one.
This Japanese classic is roughly the equivalent of Catcher in the Rye, in that it is now considered YA and pokes fun at received wisdom. However, Botchan (the nickname of the protagonist) is so sweet, to my eyes¡ª the rebellion is so delicately muted, so Japanese, that at most the book reads as gentle humour.
This Japanese classic is roughly the equivalent of Catcher in the Rye, in that it is now considered YA and pokes fun at received wisdom. However, Botchan (the nickname of the protagonist) is so sweet, to my eyes¡ª the rebellion is so delicately muted, so Japanese, that at most the book reads as gentle humour.
March 19, 2017
Introduction
--Botchan
--Botchan
October 27, 2018
This is lauded as the Japanese "Catcher in the Rye". I agree with this assessment. I have been trying to decide which one I hated less. Hated might be a strong word. Nevertheless, like the character of Holden Caufield, Botchan is very candid, na?ve, and narrates with a "fuckall" flair. From what I remember, Botchan seems a lot more close minded and discriminative, as opposed to Holden's lack of intelligence and mental problems. Holden is more against society in general, whereas Botchan has a moral code to which he feels he needs to adhere. Despite his personality flaws, he has a respectable position that he voices well: "I realized that most people actually encourage you to turn bad, They seem to think that if you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll never get anywhere in the world. And then on those rare occasions when they encounter somebody who¡¯s honest and pure-hearted, they look down on him and say he¡¯s nothing but a kid, a Botchan. If that¡¯s the way it is, wouldn¡¯t it be better if they didn¡¯t have those ethics classes in elementary school and middle school where the teacher is always telling you to be honest and not to lie. The schools might as well just go ahead and teach you how to tell lies, how to mistrust everybody, and how to take advantage of people. Wouldn¡¯t their students, and the world at large, be better off that way?"
The narrator is unnamed. The literal translation is "young master", but is used somewhat ironically, since he does not come from a rich or prestigious family. His mother died when he was young, and his father died some years after that, leaving Botchan the minimal six hundred yen inheritance. Aside from its literal meaning, Botchan can be used to indicate naivety, which I would definitely say our protagonist is. This is one of the most frustrating things about his character. How gullible he is, believing pretty much what everyone says, then immediately reacting based solely on his emotions. He even voices to the reader how he does not care about logic, because we all listen to our emotions anyway. That may be true to some extent for some individuals, but the fact that does not even try to recognize the flaw in his reasoning is frustrating. His other character flaw is his closed mindedness. To the point that in the event that I were to meet him in real life, I would have a difficult time not giving him a piece of my mind. Not very nicely. I respect his candidness, but the pervasive discrimination and persistent negativity were unacceptable. He always has something negative to say about everything, and seems genuinely surprised when he sees the positive.
A great example of the difficulty inherent in appreciating a book to its full extent when the protagonist is unlikable, even hateable. Whereas Holden Caufield had me irked and therefore uninterested in his story, Botchan had me passionately infuriated with who he was, his thoughts, and philosophies, ironically leading me to being highly involved in his story. I will say that, unlike the "against the system" theme in "Catcher in the Rye" (which held minimal interest to me), I relished the interesting take on the themes of morals and personal integrity in "Botchan". It also addresses the classical themes of Japanese literature (giri, burden of duty versus ninjo, human feeling), in addition to individual struggle, loneliness, and questions of social direction and cultural identity.
In the end, what really makes this book successful is the characters. On the one hand, Botchan's (mostly) derogatory nicknaming of all of the other characters is one of the things that I disliked about his personality. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that it gives the story flair and humor.
Compared to other translations I have seen, this one by Glenn Anderson seems to be a better one. Notable is the afterword in which he explains his meticulous choice of Nicknames for each of the characters, and what each of the original words actually mean. He uses different words than past translations, and I felt they were much closer the original meaning. A great example why translating is such an art.
**** Spoilers ****
via Wikipedia:
Botchan (young master) is the first-person narrator of the novel. He grows up in Tokyo. His parents favor his older brother, who is quiet and studious. Botchan is also not well regarded in the neighborhood. Kiyo, the family's elderly maidservant, is the only one who finds anything redeeming in Botchan's character.
After Botchan's mother passes away, Kiyo devotes herself fervently to his welfare, treating him from her own allowance with gifts and favors. Botchan initially finds her affection onerous, but over time he grows to appreciate her dedication, and she eventually becomes his mother figure and moral role model.
Six years after his mother's death, as Botchan is finishing middle school, his father falls ill and passes away. His older brother liquidates the family assets and provides Botchan with 600 yen before leaving to start his own career. Botchan uses this money to study physics for three years. On graduating, he accepts a job teaching middle school mathematics in Matsuyama on the island of Shikoku.
Botchan's tenure in Matsuyama turns out to be short (less than two months) but eventful. His arrogance and quick temper immediately lead to clashes with the students and staff. The students retaliate excessively by tracking his every movement in the small town and traumatizing him during his 'night duty' stay in the dormitory.
Mischief by the students turns out to be just the first salvo in a broader web of intrigue and villainy. The school's head teacher (Red Shirt) and English teacher (Uranari) are vying for the hand of the local beauty, and two camps have formed within the middle school staff. Botchan struggles initially to see through the guises and sort out the players. After several missteps, he concludes that Uranari and the head mathematics teacher (Yama Arashi) hold the moral high ground in the conflict. Red Shirt, who presents himself as a refined scholar, turns out to be highly superficial and self-serving.
As the story progresses, Red Shirt schemes to eliminate his rivals. He begins by having Uranari transferred to a remote post on the pretext of furthering his career. Next he uses a contrived street brawl and his newspaper connections to defame both mathematics teachers (Botchan and Yama Arashi) and to force Yama Arashi's resignation.
Botchan and Yama Arashi realize that they cannot beat the system, so they scheme a way to get even. They stake out Red Shirt's known haunt, an inn near the hot springs town, and catch him and his sidekick Nodaiko sneaking home in the morning after overnighting with geisha. With his usual eloquence, Red Shirt points out that they have no direct proof of any wrongdoing. Botchan and Yama Arashi overcome this technicality by pummeling both Red Shirt and Nodaiko into submission on the spot.
After dispensing justice with his fists, Botchan drops a letter of resignation into the mail and immediately heads for the harbor. He returns to Tokyo, finds employment, and establishes a modest household with Kiyo. When Kiyo passes away, he has her respectfully interred in his own family's grave plot.
The narrator is unnamed. The literal translation is "young master", but is used somewhat ironically, since he does not come from a rich or prestigious family. His mother died when he was young, and his father died some years after that, leaving Botchan the minimal six hundred yen inheritance. Aside from its literal meaning, Botchan can be used to indicate naivety, which I would definitely say our protagonist is. This is one of the most frustrating things about his character. How gullible he is, believing pretty much what everyone says, then immediately reacting based solely on his emotions. He even voices to the reader how he does not care about logic, because we all listen to our emotions anyway. That may be true to some extent for some individuals, but the fact that does not even try to recognize the flaw in his reasoning is frustrating. His other character flaw is his closed mindedness. To the point that in the event that I were to meet him in real life, I would have a difficult time not giving him a piece of my mind. Not very nicely. I respect his candidness, but the pervasive discrimination and persistent negativity were unacceptable. He always has something negative to say about everything, and seems genuinely surprised when he sees the positive.
A great example of the difficulty inherent in appreciating a book to its full extent when the protagonist is unlikable, even hateable. Whereas Holden Caufield had me irked and therefore uninterested in his story, Botchan had me passionately infuriated with who he was, his thoughts, and philosophies, ironically leading me to being highly involved in his story. I will say that, unlike the "against the system" theme in "Catcher in the Rye" (which held minimal interest to me), I relished the interesting take on the themes of morals and personal integrity in "Botchan". It also addresses the classical themes of Japanese literature (giri, burden of duty versus ninjo, human feeling), in addition to individual struggle, loneliness, and questions of social direction and cultural identity.
In the end, what really makes this book successful is the characters. On the one hand, Botchan's (mostly) derogatory nicknaming of all of the other characters is one of the things that I disliked about his personality. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that it gives the story flair and humor.
Compared to other translations I have seen, this one by Glenn Anderson seems to be a better one. Notable is the afterword in which he explains his meticulous choice of Nicknames for each of the characters, and what each of the original words actually mean. He uses different words than past translations, and I felt they were much closer the original meaning. A great example why translating is such an art.
**** Spoilers ****
via Wikipedia:
Botchan (young master) is the first-person narrator of the novel. He grows up in Tokyo. His parents favor his older brother, who is quiet and studious. Botchan is also not well regarded in the neighborhood. Kiyo, the family's elderly maidservant, is the only one who finds anything redeeming in Botchan's character.
After Botchan's mother passes away, Kiyo devotes herself fervently to his welfare, treating him from her own allowance with gifts and favors. Botchan initially finds her affection onerous, but over time he grows to appreciate her dedication, and she eventually becomes his mother figure and moral role model.
Six years after his mother's death, as Botchan is finishing middle school, his father falls ill and passes away. His older brother liquidates the family assets and provides Botchan with 600 yen before leaving to start his own career. Botchan uses this money to study physics for three years. On graduating, he accepts a job teaching middle school mathematics in Matsuyama on the island of Shikoku.
Botchan's tenure in Matsuyama turns out to be short (less than two months) but eventful. His arrogance and quick temper immediately lead to clashes with the students and staff. The students retaliate excessively by tracking his every movement in the small town and traumatizing him during his 'night duty' stay in the dormitory.
Mischief by the students turns out to be just the first salvo in a broader web of intrigue and villainy. The school's head teacher (Red Shirt) and English teacher (Uranari) are vying for the hand of the local beauty, and two camps have formed within the middle school staff. Botchan struggles initially to see through the guises and sort out the players. After several missteps, he concludes that Uranari and the head mathematics teacher (Yama Arashi) hold the moral high ground in the conflict. Red Shirt, who presents himself as a refined scholar, turns out to be highly superficial and self-serving.
As the story progresses, Red Shirt schemes to eliminate his rivals. He begins by having Uranari transferred to a remote post on the pretext of furthering his career. Next he uses a contrived street brawl and his newspaper connections to defame both mathematics teachers (Botchan and Yama Arashi) and to force Yama Arashi's resignation.
Botchan and Yama Arashi realize that they cannot beat the system, so they scheme a way to get even. They stake out Red Shirt's known haunt, an inn near the hot springs town, and catch him and his sidekick Nodaiko sneaking home in the morning after overnighting with geisha. With his usual eloquence, Red Shirt points out that they have no direct proof of any wrongdoing. Botchan and Yama Arashi overcome this technicality by pummeling both Red Shirt and Nodaiko into submission on the spot.
After dispensing justice with his fists, Botchan drops a letter of resignation into the mail and immediately heads for the harbor. He returns to Tokyo, finds employment, and establishes a modest household with Kiyo. When Kiyo passes away, he has her respectfully interred in his own family's grave plot.
February 13, 2022
Ana karakter tam bir salak gen? erkek kafas?. ?st¨¹ne ?ap?alcas?na kibirli, ta?ral?lar? k¨¹?¨¹k g?ren ¨¹st s?n?f havas? var. Ama ayn? karakterin salakl???n?n ?z bilinciyle konu?mas?, tecr¨¹belerinden ??renmesi ve sa?lam bir d¨¹r¨¹stl¨¹k anlay??? olmas? ?ok ho?uma gitti. ?st¨¹ne olaylar 20 yy ba?lar?nda modernle?me sanc?lar? ?eken Japonya'da ge?iyor ki Natsume Soseki romanlar?n en sevdi?im ?zelli?idir arka plandaki Japon modernle?me sanc?lar?. Bizdekine ?ok benzer. Ger?i T¨¹rk edebiyat?n?n ayn? d?nem yazarlar?n?n da eserlerinde erkekler de ayn? ?ekilde salak, eril ve kibirli olsa da, do?rusu b?ylesi kara mizahi bir salakl?k ?zbilinci ve d¨¹r¨¹stl¨¹k ?vg¨¹s¨¹ yok. ?ok ?irin bir k?sa roman.
December 13, 2010
Sungguh.
Saya hidup kembali.
Telah lama saya merindukan sebuah bacaan seperti ini. sungguh. ini seperti bertemu kembali dengan kekasih yang telah lama terpisahkan. oh betapa melegakannya. sungguh.
Jauh sebelum membaca buku ini, saya telah sadar dan yakin kalau akan membuat saya masuk dan terlempar kedalam karyanya. dan ini terbukti langsung lewat buku ini. jika boleh beranalogi, membaca Botchan ini seperti menaiki pesawat jet melintasi khatulistiwa di sore hari yang cerah. yang artinya hhmm.. saya juga tidak tahu, tapi itu yang saya rasakan, yaaahh.. gitulah..
Botchan akan menyuguhkan kejujuran dunia yang keras, semua hal terlihat pelan namun sebenarnya semua ini berjalan sangat cepat, kesadaranmu akan membuat semua realitas terasa pelan dan mencekam. bagaimana tidak, banyak konflik disuguhkan dengan pedas dan dingin disini. tidak enak namun sangat indah. kau akan menyaksikan banyak hal yang saling bersinggungan dan tidak jarang saling menikam dan bertabrakan. tolong jangan berbohong bukankah manusia menyukai ini, menyaksikan sebuah kehancuran dan penderitaan adalah sebuah tontonan yang kita sukai. itu kenapa begitu banyak berita kriminal dan bencana disiarkan di TV, ratingnnya tinggi. serius lho..
Jika kamu belum membaca buku dan bertanya "bagaimana cerita buku ini?" hhmm.. saya hanya bisa menjawab "jangan pedulikan ceritanya". siapa yang akan peduli dengan cerita Botchan ini, ceritanya terlalu biasa dan sangat sederhana, ini hanya cerita tentang kehidupan dan pemberontakan akan realitas yang ada. semua orang pasti mengalaminya, namun masalahnya apakah kita bisa melihat dunia dengan cara seperti di Botchan ini, apakah kita bisa selalu jujur seperti tokoh utama dalam buku ini, apakah kita bisa menolak semua hasutan dan kemunafikan seperti yang disajikan dengan sangat gemilang oleh penulis buku ini, apakah kita bisa menjadikan idealisme sebagai harga mati, apakah kita bisa memberikan rasa sayang yang tulus dan berjanji untuk tetap setia, apakah kita bisa tetep kuat saat semua orang mencoba menjatuhkan? jika jawabannya tidak, cobalah belajar dari buku tipis ini. seperti kata mendiang ayahku, "buku adalah guru terbaik"
Oke, saya sadar, saya tahu kalau review ini kedengaranya berlebihan dan bertele-tele, namun seperti inilah kejujuran yang bisa saya berikan untuk buku ini. terima kasih.
NB: untuk yang telah pernah membaca buku ini diharapkan komentarnya, semoga kita bisa berbincang-bincang, bercakap-cakap, atau kemungkinan terburuk, saling mencela :D
Saya hidup kembali.
Telah lama saya merindukan sebuah bacaan seperti ini. sungguh. ini seperti bertemu kembali dengan kekasih yang telah lama terpisahkan. oh betapa melegakannya. sungguh.
Jauh sebelum membaca buku ini, saya telah sadar dan yakin kalau akan membuat saya masuk dan terlempar kedalam karyanya. dan ini terbukti langsung lewat buku ini. jika boleh beranalogi, membaca Botchan ini seperti menaiki pesawat jet melintasi khatulistiwa di sore hari yang cerah. yang artinya hhmm.. saya juga tidak tahu, tapi itu yang saya rasakan, yaaahh.. gitulah..
Botchan akan menyuguhkan kejujuran dunia yang keras, semua hal terlihat pelan namun sebenarnya semua ini berjalan sangat cepat, kesadaranmu akan membuat semua realitas terasa pelan dan mencekam. bagaimana tidak, banyak konflik disuguhkan dengan pedas dan dingin disini. tidak enak namun sangat indah. kau akan menyaksikan banyak hal yang saling bersinggungan dan tidak jarang saling menikam dan bertabrakan. tolong jangan berbohong bukankah manusia menyukai ini, menyaksikan sebuah kehancuran dan penderitaan adalah sebuah tontonan yang kita sukai. itu kenapa begitu banyak berita kriminal dan bencana disiarkan di TV, ratingnnya tinggi. serius lho..
Jika kamu belum membaca buku dan bertanya "bagaimana cerita buku ini?" hhmm.. saya hanya bisa menjawab "jangan pedulikan ceritanya". siapa yang akan peduli dengan cerita Botchan ini, ceritanya terlalu biasa dan sangat sederhana, ini hanya cerita tentang kehidupan dan pemberontakan akan realitas yang ada. semua orang pasti mengalaminya, namun masalahnya apakah kita bisa melihat dunia dengan cara seperti di Botchan ini, apakah kita bisa selalu jujur seperti tokoh utama dalam buku ini, apakah kita bisa menolak semua hasutan dan kemunafikan seperti yang disajikan dengan sangat gemilang oleh penulis buku ini, apakah kita bisa menjadikan idealisme sebagai harga mati, apakah kita bisa memberikan rasa sayang yang tulus dan berjanji untuk tetap setia, apakah kita bisa tetep kuat saat semua orang mencoba menjatuhkan? jika jawabannya tidak, cobalah belajar dari buku tipis ini. seperti kata mendiang ayahku, "buku adalah guru terbaik"
Oke, saya sadar, saya tahu kalau review ini kedengaranya berlebihan dan bertele-tele, namun seperti inilah kejujuran yang bisa saya berikan untuk buku ini. terima kasih.
NB: untuk yang telah pernah membaca buku ini diharapkan komentarnya, semoga kita bisa berbincang-bincang, bercakap-cakap, atau kemungkinan terburuk, saling mencela :D
June 7, 2016
Bug¨¹n tesad¨¹fen rutin kitap?? gezmelerinde, uzun s¨¹redir arad???m, yeni bask?s? yap?lmad??? i?in edinemedi?im 'K¨¹?¨¹k Bey'i buldum ve eve gelince elimdeki kitaplar? b?rak?p okumaya ba?lad?m. Hayat?n bana ufak bir s¨¹rprizi oldu bu.
Natsume Soseki, Meiji Restorasyonu d?neminde edebiyatta, Japon romanc?l???n?n modernle?mesi i?in ?ok saba sarf etmi? bir isim. T¨¹rk?e'ye hen¨¹z iki eseri kazand?r?lm?? durumda. Di?eri de 'G?n¨¹l (Kokoro)'. Ancak bu kitaplar?n bask?s?n? bulabilmek mucize gibi bir ?ey. Di?er kitaplar? neden ?evrilmiyor, Soseki'nin sat?? olarak bir n¨¹fuzu olmaz gibi mi geliyor bilmiyorum. Asl?nda iyi bir yay?nevi taraf?ndan Japon Edebiyat?n?n en ?nemli isimlerinden biri olan Soseki'nin b¨¹t¨¹n eserleri yay?mlansa ne g¨¹zel olur.
Kitaba gelecek olursam, tipik bir ge?i? d?nemi eseri. Bizim T¨¹rk Edebiyat?m?zda Re?at Nuri G¨¹ntekin'in '?al?ku?u' ile kapatt??? idealist bo?lu?u, Soseki'de Japon Edebiyat?nda kapatm??. Ancak Soseki idealist oldu?u kadar ayn? zamanda realist de. Karakterleri ve ak??? o kadar sade ve ger?ek i?lemi? ki okurken cidden ?ok keyif ald?m. Ya?ar Kemal'in baz? k?sa romanlar?nda g?r¨¹len sadelik ve i?tenlik var 'K¨¹?¨¹k Bey'de.
Sonu Japon romanc?l???nda olumsuzlama olarak tan?mlansa da bence ?ok ger?ek ve okuyucuyu memnun edecek ?ekilde tasarlanm??. Ben ?ok keyif ald?m.
8/10
Natsume Soseki, Meiji Restorasyonu d?neminde edebiyatta, Japon romanc?l???n?n modernle?mesi i?in ?ok saba sarf etmi? bir isim. T¨¹rk?e'ye hen¨¹z iki eseri kazand?r?lm?? durumda. Di?eri de 'G?n¨¹l (Kokoro)'. Ancak bu kitaplar?n bask?s?n? bulabilmek mucize gibi bir ?ey. Di?er kitaplar? neden ?evrilmiyor, Soseki'nin sat?? olarak bir n¨¹fuzu olmaz gibi mi geliyor bilmiyorum. Asl?nda iyi bir yay?nevi taraf?ndan Japon Edebiyat?n?n en ?nemli isimlerinden biri olan Soseki'nin b¨¹t¨¹n eserleri yay?mlansa ne g¨¹zel olur.
Kitaba gelecek olursam, tipik bir ge?i? d?nemi eseri. Bizim T¨¹rk Edebiyat?m?zda Re?at Nuri G¨¹ntekin'in '?al?ku?u' ile kapatt??? idealist bo?lu?u, Soseki'de Japon Edebiyat?nda kapatm??. Ancak Soseki idealist oldu?u kadar ayn? zamanda realist de. Karakterleri ve ak??? o kadar sade ve ger?ek i?lemi? ki okurken cidden ?ok keyif ald?m. Ya?ar Kemal'in baz? k?sa romanlar?nda g?r¨¹len sadelik ve i?tenlik var 'K¨¹?¨¹k Bey'de.
Sonu Japon romanc?l???nda olumsuzlama olarak tan?mlansa da bence ?ok ger?ek ve okuyucuyu memnun edecek ?ekilde tasarlanm??. Ben ?ok keyif ald?m.
8/10
May 27, 2024
Botchan es un relato gracioso de las desventuras de un joven profesor de ciencias, nacido en Tokio y asignado a impartir clases en una provincia rural de Jap¨®n. El paso de los cap¨ªtulos muestra que la vida humana es disparatada y grotesca.
La escuela donde es asignado el protagonista la sociedad est¨¢ corrompida. Los personajes mienten, ocultan sus intenciones, son hip¨®critas, aparentan ser algo que no son.
Nuestro Botchan (ni?o mimado o se?orito en japon¨¦s) carece de astucia. Es enga?ado continuamente por los dem¨¢s profesores, por los alumnos y el entorno en que se mueve. Su terquedad le hace juzgar y actuar sin pensar; es impulsivo y sufre a consecuencia. Imposible no verse reflejado en ¨¦l y sentir empat¨ªa por un personaje tan c¨®mico.
Hasta ahora mis lecturas de autores japoneses eran solemnes, formales, con expresi¨®n de sentimientos profundos. Esta obra en cambio es carente de poes¨ªa, una sucesi¨®n de gags y entreveros de comedia muy frescos y divertidos.
La escuela donde es asignado el protagonista la sociedad est¨¢ corrompida. Los personajes mienten, ocultan sus intenciones, son hip¨®critas, aparentan ser algo que no son.
Nuestro Botchan (ni?o mimado o se?orito en japon¨¦s) carece de astucia. Es enga?ado continuamente por los dem¨¢s profesores, por los alumnos y el entorno en que se mueve. Su terquedad le hace juzgar y actuar sin pensar; es impulsivo y sufre a consecuencia. Imposible no verse reflejado en ¨¦l y sentir empat¨ªa por un personaje tan c¨®mico.
Hasta ahora mis lecturas de autores japoneses eran solemnes, formales, con expresi¨®n de sentimientos profundos. Esta obra en cambio es carente de poes¨ªa, una sucesi¨®n de gags y entreveros de comedia muy frescos y divertidos.
January 25, 2018
No har¨¦ una rese?a, pero como siempre dejo una cita, aqu¨ª est¨¢:
"Educar no es s¨®lo impartir conocimientos. Educar es tambi¨¦n forjar caracteres nobles, rectos y con fuertes principios, en los que no cabe la vulgaridad, la superficialidad y la arrogancia."
January 21, 2024
10th book of 2024.
A Japanese classic that feels, I guess by translation, contemporary. I had to keep reminding myself it was first published in 1906 and not the 50s or 60s. It's often called the Japanese The Catcher in the Rye, but I found it more to be the Japanese version of Waugh's Decline and Fall. Botchan, (Japanese for young master) is a troublesome kid (I guess Holden-like) that doesn't like listening to rules, going to school, or being anything but what he wants to be. He eventually graduates at 23-years-old and takes a teaching position. The story then begins, a montage of bad situations from disruptive and abusive children, terrible lodgings and landlords, and the campus novel classic problems of colleagues and bureaucracy. It's fun enough, but it's nothing special. Apparently it has been read and loved for decades in Japanese schools, and I get that; it would be fun to read as a kid at school and seeing all the antics, but not much above that.
A Japanese classic that feels, I guess by translation, contemporary. I had to keep reminding myself it was first published in 1906 and not the 50s or 60s. It's often called the Japanese The Catcher in the Rye, but I found it more to be the Japanese version of Waugh's Decline and Fall. Botchan, (Japanese for young master) is a troublesome kid (I guess Holden-like) that doesn't like listening to rules, going to school, or being anything but what he wants to be. He eventually graduates at 23-years-old and takes a teaching position. The story then begins, a montage of bad situations from disruptive and abusive children, terrible lodgings and landlords, and the campus novel classic problems of colleagues and bureaucracy. It's fun enough, but it's nothing special. Apparently it has been read and loved for decades in Japanese schools, and I get that; it would be fun to read as a kid at school and seeing all the antics, but not much above that.
September 3, 2020
¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡î
Natsume Soseki es un autor que todo amante de la literatura japonesa debe leer, o eso os recomiendo yo personalmente. Sus novelas se consideran grandes cl¨¢sicos y realmente tuve muchas dudas al escoger con cu¨¢l de ellas estrenarme. Finalmente me decid¨ª por ?Botchan?, una historia que ha resultado ser singular, divertida y breve.
Este libro trata sobre ¡°Botchan¡± (ni?o mimado en japon¨¦s) un joven profesor tokiota que es destinado a impartir clases a una escuela de una peque?a ciudad de provincias. All¨ª se tendr¨¢ que enfrentar a situaciones peliagudas pues los estudiantes del centro son muy gallitos y problem¨¢ticos. Tampoco se ver¨¢ arropado por el profesorado pues la mayor¨ªa demuestran ser malpensados e indudablemente hip¨®critas.
Nuestro protagonista es un tipo ingenuo, demasiado franco y sumamente recto. Siempre anda bastante malhumorado y juzga mucho a los dem¨¢s por su aspecto y sus ropajes. Por ello termina siendo el hazme re¨ªr de todos los lugare?os, incluidos sus alumnos que se aprovechan de su inocencia para abusar de ¨¦l.
As¨ª es como Natsume nos sumerge en una historia sat¨ªrica, divertida y tremendamente entretenida. A pesar de haber sido publicada en 1906 este es un texto de lo m¨¢s ligero, nos brinda una gran cr¨ªtica a las tradiciones japonesas (sus poes¨ªas, su arte y en general su cultura), siendo esto algo muy poco com¨²n en esa ¨¦poca.
En conclusi¨®n, es inevitable sentir y terminar desarrollando una gran simpat¨ªa hacia Botchan y disfrutar de esta experiencia que nos es narrada. Leer a este autor se ha convertido en una apuesta bastante segura y espero poder disfrutar pronto de otro de sus escritos. Lo m¨¢s seguro es que me decante por ?Soy un gato? o ?Kokoro?.
Natsume Soseki es un autor que todo amante de la literatura japonesa debe leer, o eso os recomiendo yo personalmente. Sus novelas se consideran grandes cl¨¢sicos y realmente tuve muchas dudas al escoger con cu¨¢l de ellas estrenarme. Finalmente me decid¨ª por ?Botchan?, una historia que ha resultado ser singular, divertida y breve.
Este libro trata sobre ¡°Botchan¡± (ni?o mimado en japon¨¦s) un joven profesor tokiota que es destinado a impartir clases a una escuela de una peque?a ciudad de provincias. All¨ª se tendr¨¢ que enfrentar a situaciones peliagudas pues los estudiantes del centro son muy gallitos y problem¨¢ticos. Tampoco se ver¨¢ arropado por el profesorado pues la mayor¨ªa demuestran ser malpensados e indudablemente hip¨®critas.
Nuestro protagonista es un tipo ingenuo, demasiado franco y sumamente recto. Siempre anda bastante malhumorado y juzga mucho a los dem¨¢s por su aspecto y sus ropajes. Por ello termina siendo el hazme re¨ªr de todos los lugare?os, incluidos sus alumnos que se aprovechan de su inocencia para abusar de ¨¦l.
As¨ª es como Natsume nos sumerge en una historia sat¨ªrica, divertida y tremendamente entretenida. A pesar de haber sido publicada en 1906 este es un texto de lo m¨¢s ligero, nos brinda una gran cr¨ªtica a las tradiciones japonesas (sus poes¨ªas, su arte y en general su cultura), siendo esto algo muy poco com¨²n en esa ¨¦poca.
En conclusi¨®n, es inevitable sentir y terminar desarrollando una gran simpat¨ªa hacia Botchan y disfrutar de esta experiencia que nos es narrada. Leer a este autor se ha convertido en una apuesta bastante segura y espero poder disfrutar pronto de otro de sus escritos. Lo m¨¢s seguro es que me decante por ?Soy un gato? o ?Kokoro?.
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