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“My morality is probably very different from that of young people today. But different though it may be, it is my own. It is not some rented clothing I have borrowed to suit the moment. This is why I believe it will be of some use to you, a young man just starting out in life.��

After leaving his family home in the countryside to attend university in the bustling city of Tokyo, the young narrator of this novel is lonely and uninspired until he encounters an older gentleman whom he refers to as ‘Sensei�� (teacher). Sensei, who the protagonist from the offset describes as unapproachable and aloof, piques the curiosity of the young fellow and begrudgingly accepts the new youthful presence in his life. It seems unclear as to what drew the narrator to Sensei in the first instance; Sensei’s apathetic, dispassionate nature paired with his lack of vocation and intense antipathy towards the human race, makes him a bitter and off-putting presence. To the young narrator, however, Sensei—and his secrets—inexplicably draws the narrator, and the reader, in.

The book is split into three parts. The first two are written from the perspective of the student, largely describing his infatuation and regular interactions with Sensei, his studies and correspondence with his family back in the village, and last third is a letter from Sensei to his young companion, explaining the secret behind his unusual social etiquette.

Timeless and evocative, Kokoro (Japanese for “the heart of things��) is a novel that chiefly explores change and the tension that manifests from change. This is likely due to the fact that the novel itself was written in 1914, just after the end of Japan’s Meiji era (1868-1912) which was a marker of great sociological, technological and industrial change. As with any nation undergoing modernisation, there manifests a conflict between the old/traditional way of life and the ‘modern�� way of life, both of which often have contrasting, contradictory values. Sōseki perfectly captures this dichotomy by exemplifying the rising tension between old and new through the interactions of his characters both with each other and the world around them.

The narrator, a young independent man, presents an almost feverish eagerness to understand the antisocial figure whom he went out of his way to befriend.

“Sensei was, in a word, still opaque to me. I could not rest until I had moved beyond this state and entered a place of clarity. Any break in relations with him would cause me anguish.��

The tension between old and new is depicted largely through the narrator’s interactions with both his elders and his environment. The narrator, now accustomed to the modern life in Tokyo, finds simple village life at odds with his progressive views and individualistic mentality. Sōseki continuously prompts the reader to pause and reflect on how such a change can be brought about in such a short space of time—are our preferences and values shaped by our environment or are they innate, with a change in environment being the very thing that brings to surface those innate values and beliefs?

The prose was simple, descriptive and remarkable. I was impressed by both the beauty of the translation and the beauty of the story itself. Translations rarely do justice to a work in its original language, but I feel as though this got very close to reflecting the author’s original story and the nature of the characters.

Emotions such as guilt, loss and regret are presented in such a way that the reader is readily able to put him or herself in the character’s shoes and experience the burdens of a past life. I found myself deeply sympathetic with the outcome of the story and it drove home the the importance of opening up to others.

Side note near the end the Qur’an is mentioned which I wasn’t expecting at all lol.