Chaos and Order in the Works of Natsume Sо̄seki

Studies of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University

by Angela P. Yiu

This is the first full-length study in English of Natsume Soseki (1867-1916), one of modern Japan's most revered writers. It is a critical examination of a split that runs deep in the discursive space of Soseki's writings as order (narrative control and form) grapples with the forces of chaos (existential loneliness and unfathomable fear). Displaying a profound appreciation for the key attributes and complex cultural significance of Soseki's work, Angela Yiu argues that, although Soseki by nature and temperament desired control and order, his writing betrays a dark, romantic voice that speaks of something cavernous and amorphous. Chaos and Order examines the way Soseki reinterprets existing literary forms and formulates a language to express the duality within him. To illustrate the tension between chaos and order in Soseki's creative process, Yiu analyzes six novels (Nowaki, Gubijinso, Kofu, Sorekara, Kojin, and Michikusa), a collection of literary essays (Garasudo no naka), a series of lectures and critical writings, and Soseki's Chinese poetry (kanshi). The problems of closure, the subversion of forms, critical and poetic languages, and narrative structures and personae are examined in each of the genres. By integrating Soseki's critical writing and lectures into a discussion of his fiction, this study provides startling syntheses and insights while portraying a distinct and individual artistic and intellectual consciousness-one that greatly influenced the development of modern Japanese fiction. The Introduction, which contains a survey of current Soseki studies in Japan, will be an especially valuable reference for students of Japanese literature.

264 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1998

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re ready for a deep dive on Sōseki with text analyses that pull from philosophy and psychology, then this is the book for you!

I’ve only read Yume-jūya by Sōseki and that was for a Japanese language class. Anytime Yiu mentions that work I wrote down her paragraphs.

I think I’m most interested in Yiu’s process for putting this book together. It feels like a giant PhD dissertation expanded into a whole book via research grants. Although I sometimes found the language she uses to be a bit hard to understand, I appreciated how much detail and care she put into her research.

After I read each chapter (six total), I’d go to the notes section at the back of the book. I 100% recommend reading the notes which sometimes have information just as interesting as the main text itself.

From the Chapter 1 notes on p.201, Yiu writes “Unless otherwise stated, all quotations are taken from this edition and are my translations from the Japanese; volume and page numbers will hereafter be given in the text.” It’s in those notes that I learned that “sz” stands for Soseki zenshū 17 volumes published by the Iwanami shōten in 1974. Yiu includes so many good passages from Sōseki’s work and they’re all cited with “sz.” I’m pretty sure she has read all 17 volumes of this Sōseki omnibus in Japanese. Then she translated the passages she wanted to use in this book herself, likely because his works weren’t as widely available in English back in the late 1990s when this was written. My favorite passages that Yiu translated were from Sōseki’s first part in a series of four lectures in 1911 titled “Doraku to shokugyō” (Pleasure and occupation).

As for the central concept, Yiu does a great job discussing the chaos-order paradox: they seem like complete opposites, but both can be true at once. See the following three quotes for examples.

“Ultimately, the world of Kōjin is populated by confused, self-centered, and emotionally desiccated individuals, and the chaos in their lives cries out for order.” p. 143

“Where we find order and peace in Garasudo no naka, we find chaos and fear, nightmares and decay in Michikusa. Juxtaposing these two works reveals the tension between order and chaos ever present in Sōseki’s works and also allows the narrative voices to overlap, one amplifying the other and, in doing so, enriching our understanding of who Sōseki really is.” p. 157

“Repetition creates a false sense of order and structural control in a narrative overrun with emotional chaos.” p. 175

I really want to read Gurasudo no naka and Michikusa together because of the way Yiu puts them together. We live in contrasts. Both of them together seem directly opposing, yet only the two of them together make a whole. It’s yin/yang. Plus they were both written in 1915 within several months of each other about one year before his death.

Here’s some things I learned about Sōseki from this work:
-He had a lot of regrets about missed chances at love
-He was a critic of naturalism because it was missing that key component that holds moral judgment.
-His childhood was ROUGH. I mean, no wonder so many chaos and order topics were in his novels. He likely craved stability when moved from his adoptive parents’ home and found out people he thought were his grandparents were actually his parents.
-He had a friend that he truly respected and includes him as a vitally important character in The Wayfarer

I don’t want to write too much about the ending but it was breathtaking the way Yiu brought this book to an end! Her last statement about Sōseki at the end of his life perfectly describes what the Kurosawa film Dreams was all about.

[Chōkōdo Shujin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough study of one of the world's finest novelists.

[Chris Kiraly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end of this analysis looks at Soseki's kanshi rather than light and shadow, which is an interesting bookend. There's a lot in here for Michikusa and Sore Kara, not much of Sanshiro or Kokoro, so you're millage will vary depending on your Soseki knowledge. Excellent read though if you're interested in the "modernization" of Japanese literature.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting analysis of samples of Soseki's novels, essays/lectures, and poems.