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Botchan

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( 15,517 ratings, 2,033 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Botchan by Natsume Soseki is a humorous tale following a young Tokyoite who becomes a teacher in a rural Japanese town. Faced with the challenges of small-town life and surrounded by quirky colleagues, he navigates his new environment with a blend of naivety and stubborn integrity. The novel explores themes of morality and modernisation, wrapped in light-hearted satire.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this novel if you appreciate stories about rebellion and integrity, set against the backdrop of Japanese society. It's a humorous and insightful tale of a young man's struggles with authority and his quest to navigate moral dilemmas in a stifling, traditional environment. The author's sharp wit and the protagonist's straightforward nature combine to create a compelling read for those interested in cross-cultural reflections on honour and personal values.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

New in Penguin Japanese Classics - Japan's favourite novel about growing up and finding yourself.

Introducing Penguin Japanese Classics - a collection of some of Japan's most celebrated and ground-breaking 20th-century writers, with covers inspired by Japanese art and design. Taking us from a sun-drenched affair in a seaside town to an underground 'ark' full of shadows and eccentrics, with stops at mountains of skulls, lonely apartments, and boarding school dormitories, this series is perfect for new and long-time readers of Japanese literature.

Botchan is a modern young man from the Tokyo metropolis, sent to the ultra-traditional Matsuyama district as a Maths teacher after the death of his parents. Cynical, rebellious, and immature, Botchan finds himself facing several tests, from the pupils, the staff, and from his own as-yet-unformed nature, as he finds his place in the world. Beloved by readers in Japan, Botchan is as funny, poignant, and memorable as it was when first published.

'Full of appealing characters... vividly portrayed and unique' - Harumi Murakami

Translated by J. Cohn

Series: Japanese Classics

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  • Botchan
    New in Penguin Japanese Classics - Japan's favourite novel about growing up and finding yourself. Introducing Penguin Japanese Classics - a collection of some of Japan's most celebrated and ground-breaking 20th-century writers, with covers inspired by Japanese art and design. Taking us from a sun-drenched affair in a seaside town to an underground 'ark' full of shadows and eccentrics, with...
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Botchan by Natsume Soseki is celebrated for its humour and engaging narrative. The story's spirited protagonist and lively pace resonate well with readers of all ages, making it an appealing choice for parents, teachers, and students.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241675281

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 November 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Translated by J. Cohn

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 9.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 134g

Pages: 176

About the Author

Natsume Soseki (Author) Natsume Soseki (1867-1916) is often considered the greatest modern Japanese novelist. In 1900, his government sent him to England for two years as 'Japan's first Japanese English literary scholar', but he had a miserable time there. Returning to Japan, he wrote his greatest novels, including Botchan, Sanshiro and Kokoro, as well as essays, haiku, and kanshi.

Also by Natsume Soseki

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    "Soseki is the representative modern Japanese novelist, a figure of truly national stature." - Haruki Murakami The father of modern Japanese literature's best-loved novel, in its first new English translation in half a century. No collection of Japanese literature is complete without Natsume Soseki's Kokoro, his most famous novel and the last he completed before his death. Published here in...
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  • Sanshiro
    Jay Rubin's translation of Soseki's cherished novel, new to Penguin Classics. One of Soseki's most beloved works of fiction, the novel depicts the 23-year-old Sanshiro leaving the sleepy countryside for the first time in his life to experience the constantly moving 'real world' of Tokyo, its women and university. In the subtle tension between our appreciation of Soseki's lively humour...
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  • Botchan
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    $2600
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  • Kokoro
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  • Sanshiro
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  • The Gate
    A humble clerk and his loving wife scrape out a quiet existence on the margins of late-Meiji Tokyo. Resigned, following years of exile and misfortune, to the bitter consequences of having married without their families' consent, and unable to have children of their own, Sosuke and Oyone find the delicate equilibrium of their household upset by a new obligation to...
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