Soseki Natsume's Kokoro: The Manga Edition: The Heart of Things

by Natsume Sōseki, Makiko Itoh (Translator), Nagi Yoshizaki (Adapter)

A timeless psychological study of a young man's deep alienation from society

Set in the early 20th century, Kokoro opens with a chance encounter on a beach near Tokyo that irrevocably links a young student to a man he simply calls Sensei ("Teacher"). Intrigued by Sensei's aloofness, the student calls upon him with increasing frequency. Eventually, Sensei and his beautiful wife open their home and their lives to him. Only later does the student learn the devastating secret that has haunted Sensei since his youth.

Kokoro has sold millions of copies in Japan where it is taught in schools and is a perennial favorite. Its lucid prose and universal themes of friendship, betrayal and the struggle for meaning in a changing world have made it popular internationally as well. This English-language manga version will make the book accessible to a new generation of foreign readers.

The manga includes depictions of suicide and may not be suitable for some readers.

Genres: Manga

192 pages, Paperback

Published April 23, 2024

About the author

Natsume Sōseki (夏目 漱石), born Natsume Kinnosuke (夏目 金之助), was a Japanese novelist. He is best known for his novels Kokoro, Botchan, I Am a Cat and his unfinished work Light and Darkness. He was also a scholar of British literature and composer of haiku, kanshi, and fairy tales. From 1984 until 2004, his portrait appeared on the front of the Japanese 1000 yen note. In Japan, he is often considered the greatest writer in modern Japanese history. He has had a profound effect on almost all important Japanese writers since.

Reviews

[Bella Azam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 4 January in Japan 2024

Thank you to Tuttle Publishing and Edelweiss Book for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Do i still tear up by the time I finished this? I did yes and still so sad 😭😭😭.
Full RTC

[Leila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I wish I bought more of the manga retellings of classic books it reminds me of the shakespeare ones i’d read as a kid

[Remxo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The manga adaptation of Sōseki's influential novel from the early 20th century. It's a tragic and timeless morality tale about the betrayal of a friendship and the subsequent corruption of a man's soul.

I am struggling for words to describe Nagi Yoshizaki's art. Bland or generic sound too negative... Modest and unassuming might be the best way to describe her style. The drama is definitely there in the dialogues and the plot, but the art is too understated to have any real emotional impact. Perhaps I will read the novel.

[tsukibookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

TW: Suicide

Adding another book to the Tuttle Japanese Classics in Manga series. I have been enjoying this series these days and been wanting to read more books in the collection.

I haven't read Kokoro before so this is my first experience with it. I've been wanted to read it but never got a chance to do so. When I figured that there would be a manga edition, I immediately wanted to read it as soon as possible.

Like I've always said, this manga edition really helps people to understand the story better, to grasp the meaning that the author wanted to tell. It tells the story in just few pages without losing the essence of the story itself. The retelling remains faithful to the original work, so it's very first-time-readers friendly. Hats off!

Kokoro filled with alienation, love, friendship betrayal, jealousy, grief, loneliness, and sense of defeat. Through this book I could feel every feeling. The illustrations helped me understand the feelings of the characters. It captured the moments very well. Kokoro also described the turning point, a brand new era, a moment where the world slowly changing. I think this book depicted the situation through its narrative very well.

Kokoro is one of the most popular novel in Japan, a true Classics, written by one of the greatest Japanese author, Natsume Soseki. And I'm loving it. After this book, I really want to read the novel version.

If you want to read a Japanese Classics in easier-to-understand way, or if you want to try reading Japanese Classics for the first time but not quite sure if you would understand the story, you should try Tuttle Japanese Classics in Manga series. It brings Japanese Classics to new readers closer and more accessible.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Tuttle Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange of honest review.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to get this giveaway copy at the end of the ALA conference. Thank you Tuttle! I loved this Soseki novel when I read it in my twenties. It was interesting to revisit this story years later in the graphic novel format. I still like the story, but it didn’t move me as it did when I read the novel. I attribute this to being more removed from the culture of Japan, knowing the outcome and the difference between longer prose and the short sentences of graphic novels. Still, this is a story with themes that are true today - the mark of an enduring classic.

[Rami Hamze · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Most people are ordinary, then when it really matters they turn into bad people... I may have won through cunning, but as a human being, i lost.'

A dear book by a dear author. This manga (TUTTLE) edition is okay but a little rushed in both plot and art.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. For a good part of this, I would never have expected to give it four stars; however, I found myself drawn into the story. It ended very abruptly, and I didn't really like the illustrations. In particular, I don't understand why all the women had light hair.
TW: Suicide

[Lucy Kirby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not what I was expecting at all, but I did enjoy parts of the story.

[Bruno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nada a apontar, versão em manga bastante fiel ao livro original.

[Co]

😮. 👍.

[Warren Tutwiler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good adaptation of a sad, but excellent, story. Looking forward to reading the novel.

[Kenochson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So did I just read another double doomed yaoi again, and had tears at the end? Japanese Literature has to stop.