Reflections in a glass door : memory and melancholy in the personal writings of Natsume Soseki / Marvin Marcus.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Natsume, Sōseki, 1867-1916.

Contributor:

Marcus, Marvin, 1944-

Standardized Title:

Essays. English. Selections

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Japanese literature--20th century.

Japanese literature.

Japanese essays--20th century.

Japanese essays.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (296 p.)

Place of Publication:

Honolulu : University of Hawai'i Press, c2009.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Much has been written about Natsume Soseki (1867-1916), one of Japan's most celebrated writers. Known primarily for his novels, he also published a large and diverse body of short personal writings (shohin) that have long lived in the shadow of his fictional works. The essays, which appeared in the Asahi shinbun between 1907 and 1915, comprise a fascinating autobiographical mosaic, while capturing the spirit of the Meiji era and the birth of modern Japan.In Reflections in a Glass Door, Marvin Marcus introduces readers to a rich sampling of Soseki's shohin. The writer revisits his Tokyo childhood, recalling family, friends, and colleagues and musing wistfully on the transformation of his city and its old neighborhoods. He painfully recounts his two years in London, where he immersed himself in literary research even as he struggled with severe depression. A chronic stomach ailment causes Soseki to reflect on his own mortality and what he saw as the spiritual afflictions of modern Japanese: rampant egocentrism and materialism. Throughout he adopts a number of narrative voices and poses: the peevish husband, the harried novelist, the convalescent, the seeker of wisdom. Marcus identifies memory and melancholy as key themes in Soseki's personal writings and highlights their relevance in his fiction. He balances Soseki's account of his Tokyo household with that of his wife, Natsume Kyoko, who left a straightforward record of life with her celebrated husband. Soseki crafted a moving and convincing voice in his shohin, which can now be pondered and enjoyed for their penetrating observation and honesty, as well as the fresh perspective they offer on one of Japan's literary giants.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: The Glass Doors of Natsume Sōseki

Chapter 1. London Underground: A Rhetoric of Melancholy

Chapter 2. Babashita Traces: Memories and the City

Chapter 3. Shōhin Episodes: In Search of a Meiji Upbringing

Chapter 4. Burdens of Domesticity: The Writer and His Family

Chapter 5. Inside Glass Doors: The Writer at His Desk

Chapter 6. Literary Portraits: Mentors, Protégés, and Eccentrics

Chapter 7. Zōshigaya and Beyond: Re-membering Sōseki

Afterword

A Sōseki Chronology

Notes

Selected Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 28. Aug 2019)

Each chapter contains portions of some of Soseki's essays on a particular topic published at various times in his life. The selections are embedded within the editor's narration of Soseki's life and the circumstances of his writing.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780824871352

0824871359

9780824864095

0824864093

9781441620095

1441620095

OCLC:

647928375