Kokoro

'Exactly what you would ask a novel to be' SpectatorIn the seaside city of Kamakura, a student is drawn to an enigmatic older man who swims at the same beach. The man becomes his Sensei. Against a backdrop of the rapid modernisation of Japan, their relationship endures - until one day, the young man receives a letter that divulges the full story of his Sensei's past. One of Japan's most admired and bestselling modern classics, Kokoro is a psychologically rich, delicately drawn meditation on loneliness, desire and duty. Part of the Pushkin Press Classics series: timeless storytelling by icons of literature, hand-picked from around the globe. Translated by Edwin McClellan. Natsume Soseki (1867-1916) was one of Japan's most prominent novelists of the Meiji Era. After studying in England on a government scholarship, Soseki began a career at Tokyo University as a scholar of English literature before later devoting himself to his writing. He is best known for his works I Am a Cat, Kusamakura, Botchan and his unfinished work Light and Darkness. From 1984 until 2004, his portrait appeared on the front of the Japanese 1,000-yen note.

“Soseki is the representative modern Japanese novelist, a figure of truly national stature.”  — Haruki Murukami

One of the best-selling novels of all time in Japan: a modern classic about love, loneliness and profound social change

A classic of modern Japanese literature, with over 7 million copies sold in Japan alone, told through the relationship between a young man and an enigmatic elder.

Left alone in the seaside city of Kamakura, a young student is drawn to an enigmatic older man who swims at the same beach. He makes the older man''s acquaintance, and soon comes to refer to him as Sensei.

As their friendship grows, the young student becomes more and more intrigued by the secrets that haunt Sensei, the mysteries of his past that have compromised his present. Against the backdrop of the end of the Meiji era and the rapid modernisation of Japanese life, their relationship endures despite the distance that Sensei maintains - until one day, the young man receives a letter that divulges the full story of his past.

One of the most popular and admired works of Japanese literature, Kokoro is a profound yet intimate picture of a changing Japan, and a timeless meditation on love, honour and friendship.