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This Japanese classic by literary superhero Natsume Soseki is not easy to access for a Westerner of the 21st century, as it subtly deals with perceptions of silence, guilt and loyalty that are deeply connected to Japanese culture. The novel has three parts: The first two are presented through the perspective of a young student who is adrift in his life and looking for direction which he hopes to receive from an older man whom he calls Sensei. The narrator is in a state of transition: He moved to Tokyo from the countryside and is now ashamed of his roots, he wonders what he should do with his life after graduation, and his father is terminally ill. At the same time, history is hard at work: The Meji era ends as the Emperor dies, and kills himself on the day of his master's funeral - out of loyalty and because of an old guilt that has tortured him for years.

In this general turmoil, the narrator turns to the enigmatic Sensei, a reclusive man who seems to have no real occupation, but strong opinions on traditional values. Sensei is married with no children and regularly visits the grave of an old friend without giving away what their connection was. When the narrator travels home to be with his dying father, he receives a confessional letter from Sensei - and that letter makes for the whole second half of the book.

Of course Sensei, like General Nogi Maresuke, was plagued by a feeling of guilt connected to his dead friend, and his reclusive lifestyle was a way of self-punishment. Sensei sees himself as a product of the Meji era, a living relict after the death of the Emperor - but is he, though? And that's what makes this text interesting: Of course it deals with questions of changing customs and mores, with tradition and modernity, but it also shows how the narrator and Sensei (two unreliable perspectives!) use these factors to rationalize behaviors that might have completely different roots. What really attracts the narrator to Sensei? Did Sensei really fail his friend because he has also been failed before? What is morality, what responsibilty?

A great classic by Haruki Murakami's favorite author, complex and deep, but rendered in a quiet, clear language.