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Botchan

By Natsume Soseki
Penguin Classics
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.64 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 15,521 ratings, 2,034 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 satirical novel following a young Tokyo man who becomes a maths teacher in a small rural Japanese town. The protagonist, known for his straightforwardness and sense of justice, struggles with the backwardness, deceptive colleagues, and local politics at his new school. His humorous yet tumultuous journey through these challenges reflects themes of integrity and cultural conflicts.
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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 book if you appreciate stories about rebellion and humour set in early 20th century Japan. It follows a spirited young teacher with a strong sense of justice navigating the complexities and absurdities of rural school life. Its candid commentary on social conventions offers both entertainment and insight.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Botchan is a modern young man from the Tokyo metropolis, sent to the ultra-traditional Matsuyama district as a Maths teacher after his the death of his parents. Cynical, rebellious and immature, Botchan finds himself facing several tests.

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

One of Japan's most treasured novels, new to Penguin Classics.

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 — prone to playing tricks on their new, naive teacher; the staff — vain, immoral, and in danger of becoming a bad influence on Botchan; and from his own as-yet-unformed nature, as he finds his place in the world. One of the most popular novels in Japan where it is considered a classic of adolescence, Botchan is as funny, poignant, and memorable as it was when first published, over 100 years ago.

In J. Cohn's introduction to his colourful translation, he discusses Botchan's success, the book's clash between Western intellectualism and traditional Japanese values, and the importance of names and nicknames in the novel.

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 considered one of the author's most entertaining works, noted for its humour and light-heartedness. Donald Keene describes it as Soseki's funniest work, while the Times Literary Supplement highlights its lively narrative and broad appeal to parents, teachers, and students.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141391885

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 October 2012

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Translated by J. Cohn
  • Introduction by J. Cohn

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 10.0mm

Width: 127.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 124g

Pages: 160

Collections

Best Sellers at Book Hero Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Fiction General Fiction In Stock Books In-Stock Fiction Books Literary Fiction Natsume Soseki New Release Fiction Penguin Black Classics Penguin Books Penguin Classics Penguin Classics: General Fiction

About the Author

Natsume Soseki (1867-1916) is one of the best-known Japanese authors of the 20th century and considered as the master of psychological fiction. He wrote 14 novels. As well as his works of fiction, his essays, haiku, and kanshi have been influential and are popular even today. J. Cohn studied Japanese at Cornell and Harvard universities, as well as in Japan, and now teaches Japanese literature at the University of Hawaii. He is the author of a study on the comic spirit in modern Japanese ficiton.

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