Botchan [Paperback]

Soseki Natsume (Author), Shaw (Editor), Alan Turney (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1980

An amusing tale of a young man's rebellion against the system.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... will appeal to parent, teacher, and schoolchild alike." -- Times Literary Supplement

"At last Botchan is fun to read in English." -- Oliver Statler

"Soseki's lightest and funniest work." -- Donald Keene

Language Notes

Text: English, Japanese (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha America (June 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870113674
• ISBN-13: 978-0870113673
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #880,160 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Japanese novels ever! And its funny!, June 3, 2005

By 

Zack Davisson "japanreviewed" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Botchan: A Modern Classic (Hardcover)

Lighthearted. Fast moving. Hilarious. These are not adjectives usually associated with classic Japanese literature or with Natsume Soseki, an author whose image graces the 1,000 yen note in Japan. Soseki's intense novel "Kokoro" (which translates as "heart" or "spirit") is famed for its insight into the Japanese soul. But he was a young man once too, who laughed and loved and mocked, and this early comic novel is no less penetrating for its sense of humor.

"Botchan" is the classic City Mouse tale. Botchan is a Tokyo boy, through and through. Lazy, unmotivated, and spoiled by the housekeeper who raised him, he suddenly finds himself needing to make his own way in the world when his father dies and his older brother inherits the fortune. Thinking school is easier than work, Botchan takes his brother's offer to pay his way through university. Life is good so far, but even Botchan must graduate, and he finds himself educated and assigned as a middle school teacher in a rural town in the island of Shikoku, Japan's most rural island. Arrogant and sure of his superiority over the hicks, Botchan quickly runs afoul of the locals and winds up in a merry war with both students and co-teachers.

Reminiscent of the best of Mark Twain's yarns, "Botchan" is layers upon layers of wit and hijinks. A short, snappy novel, the narrator's own self-assurance blinds him from the mechanisms against him that are so obvious to the reader. All the townspeople are pure characters, each with their own Botchan-given nickname such as "Porcupine," "The Hanger-on" or "Redshirt." Twined into the story is Botchan's protective elderly maid, Kiyo, who's blind support and admiration of Botchan only feeds his swelled ego, yet adds a touching element of humanity to the tale.

Added to all this is Soseki's brilliant insight into the Japanese school system. Over 100 years later, little has changed and I laughed out loud as Botchan experienced things that I experience every day as a teacher at a Japanese high school. To see a Japanese person, especially one as revered as Soseki, voicing the very thoughts in my head is an absolute pleasure. Anyone wanting an authentic insiders look into Japanese society and culture would do much better laying down their copy of "The Enigma of Japanese Power" and picking up a copy of "Botchan."

J. Cohn's translation is perfect, preserving both the humor and the insight, and manages to portray the class differences of the Tokyo and Shikoku dwellers without resorting to cheap tricks like using Southern US accents and such. He must have a great sense of humor himself, and I look forward to more translations from him.

Insightful and penetrating, a window behind the hidden doors of Japan, "Botchan" is also hands-down the most entertaining Japanese novel I have ever read. Highly, highly recommended.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A rough diamond in Japan, April 14, 2001

By 

Robert S. Newman "Bob Newman" (Marblehead, Massachusetts USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Botchan (Paperback)

In every country, people treasure certain images of themselves, whether they are accurate or not. In general, among numerous peoples like the Chinese, Japanese, French, Russians, or English, there are so many personality types as to make such images totally stereotypical. In real life, we have to take people as we find them, not stick them into boxes. But in literature, from time to time, an author creates a character that so pleases the readers---perhaps because they identify with him so much---that he (the character) is immediately assigned a place in the national pantheon. BOTCHAN, the title character of the novel of the same name, is one of them. Created by Natsume Soseki in the early years of the 20th century, Botchan still delights each subsequent generation with his honest, sincere naiveté. He is a young Japanese man who may not understand much of what's happening around him, but he stands by his simple principles, dispensing with all unnecessary formality, falseness, and fakery. In a society where politesse, social obligation and a certain measure of conformity are highly stressed, it must be a pleasure to read the tale of a young man who says what he thinks, refuses to behave politely, and consistently acts as he decides best. If he is not much of a rebel by American or European standards, he is a much beloved "straight shooter" by tighter Japanese measure. This book has been popular in Japan since its first publication and I would guess the reason is that Botchan's behavior mirrors what Japanese would 'like to be' more than the way they actually are. The rough diamond is a stock character in Japanese films and television shows from Mifune Toshiro's many "scungy-but-good hearted" samurai to the wildly-popular Tora-san.

Westerners may not find much of a plot in BOTCHAN, but it is amusing, well-written, and enjoyable. It is a window on an older Japan far from bullet trains and animated violence. It is the story of a new young teacher in an isolated provincial town. I strongly recommend it for anyone, young or old. Botchan is one of those characters who will live forever in world literature.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humor gives insight into Japanese thought., September 18, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Botchan (Paperback)

This book is an international literary classic that gives readers in other cultures the opportunity to percieve the Japanese culture. It is the story of one arrogant, rash young man who seeks to go into teaching and discovers the world of burocracy and politics. Tied up in the story line are the fundamental Japanese values of honor, loyalty, efficiency and obedience. A delight for any reader seeking greater knowledge of their culture.