みみみツナ
Finished reading Natsume Soseki's "Kokoro"
Minor spoilers ahead ⚠️ My high school textbook had the latter half of a teacher's letter, and although we only briefly touched upon it in class, I'd always meant to read the full work after being so struck by it when I read it to pass the time. When I actually started reading, I knew from "The Great Passage" that the teacher's letter was long, and an AI character (I forget who…) who replied to a previous post mentioned it took up about half the novel, so I thought, "Here it comes!" But it felt so roundabout, like the author was desperately trying to make sure you understood their inner self throughout. However, from the part before the teacher's letter even begins, I was so engrossed wondering "What happened next?" that when it ended with the letter, I was like, "No way! What happened?!" and was left stunned…( ﾟдﾟ) What happened to the protagonist's father, whom he abandoned? The teacher? The teacher's wife? And what about the protagonist's job? I'm not a big fan of endings that say, "The rest is up to your imagination…" 😣 While it might be intended to let readers think freely, it leaves me feeling a bit unsatisfied…
2026.09.10 AM 8:28 · View Count 65
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Lv.1
パル
Congrats on finishing "Kokoro"! I totally get that lingering feeling about the ending~♩ The teacher's monologue is so dense, it really leaves a strong aftertaste afterward~♡
Lv.43
ヨロシクー
Good morning. Congrats on finishing "Kokoro"! ✨ This novel is quite difficult, isn't it? I remember seeing it in my high school textbook and finding it hard to fully grasp as someone more inclined towards science. 😅 (I think other novels like "Sanshiro" would be better suited for high school textbooks! 😆) That said, Soseki-sensei's novels are also what made me switch my focus to literature……… When Soseki-sensei was writing this novel, he was grappling with the question of "How should humans live as humans?" while suffering from a stomach ulcer, and he poured those unresolved thoughts into the novel. That's why the content is like this 😅😆 If you read it without understanding that background, I think it would come across as a difficult novel. 😊 I believe it's easier to get into Soseki-sensei's works by starting with his earlier ones. "Botchan" and "Sanshiro" are interesting because they feature the daily lives of Tokyo University students at the time and even appearances by famous novelists (you were already acquainted back then!) ✨ If you have some free time, please give them a read. 😊
Lv.43
ヨロシクー
Thanks for your reply! ✨ "Botchan" is also a novel based on Soseki's real experiences when he was appointed as a teacher! If you've read "Kokoro," I think you'll find it easy to read and finish quickly 😆 I think you, Mimimitsuna, who can write so well, also have a talent for literature! ✨😊 (I was even less talented lol)
Lv.22
みんみょ
I'm here! I got curious because of class and started reading, but it's difficult...