Foreword Summary

Soseki Natsume was born in Tokyo in 1867 and studied English literature at the Imperial University. After teaching in Japan and England, Soseki wrote many novels, but none with more impact than Kokoro, written in 1914, two years after the death of Emperor Meiji. Soseki expresses the loneliness individuals experience in a world of waning traditions.

Foreword Analysis

Edwin McClellan, the translator of the novel, gives insight into the author of Kokoro. Mr. McClellan believes through understanding Soseki Natsume in addition to the prominent figures in the novel, the reader will gain better understanding of Sensei and his story. Perhaps in explanation if one finds the text simple and without poetical flow, Mr. McClellan says he hopes the translation reads as simply and poetically as the original version.