Rediscovering Natsume Soseki: Natsume Soseki

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: The book consists of a long introduction written by Inger Brodey, discussing Soseki's works and life, and devoting some attention to the work translated in the body of the book: Soseki's "Travels in Manchuria and Korea". This book has never before been translated into English, unfortunately for good reason. Brodey mentions in the introduction that Japanese critics have generally not been very friendly to the work, deriding it as being a work mainly about Soseki's daily petty concerns and personal health as he travels through Manchuria. (The narration ends before Soseki reached Korea. No-one would be surprised, I think, if Soseki had been disappointed with his own work and decided to end it early since it was achieving nothing of real value.) These were my sentiments exactly; its narrative is tedious and lacking in any development.

I myself am a great admirer of Soseki's works and literary achievements, but this book will add nothing to his reputation and will be ignored.