Be Specific About Books In Pursuance Of I Am a Cat (I am a Cat #1-3)
| Original Title: | 吾輩は猫である [Wagahai wa Neko de Aru] |
| ISBN: | 080483265X (ISBN13: 9780804832656) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | I am a Cat #1-3 |
| Characters: | Chinno Kushami, Meitei, Mizushima Kangetsu, Kaneda Tomiko |
Natsume Sōseki
Paperback | Pages: 480 pages Rating: 3.71 | 7774 Users | 816 Reviews
Details Out Of Books I Am a Cat (I am a Cat #1-3)
| Title | : | I Am a Cat (I am a Cat #1-3) |
| Author | : | Natsume Sōseki |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 480 pages |
| Published | : | September 1st 2001 by Tuttle Publishing (first published 1905) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Cultural. Japan. Asian Literature. Japanese Literature |
Description Toward Books I Am a Cat (I am a Cat #1-3)
I am a cat. As yet I have no name.So begins one of the most original and unforgettable works in Japanese literature.
Richly allegorical and delightfully readable, I Am a Cat is the chronicle of an unloved, unwanted, wandering kitten who spends all his time observing human nature - from the dramas of businessmen and schoolteachers to the foibles of priests and potentates. From this unique perspective, author Sōseki Natsume offers a biting commentary - shaped by his training in Chinese philosophy - on the social upheaval of the Meiji era.
I Am a Cat first appeared in ten installments in the literary magazine Hotoguisu (Cuckoo), between 1905 and 1906. Sōseki had not intended to write more than the short story that makes up the first chapter of this book. After its great critical and popular success, he expanded it into this epic novel, which is universally recognised as a classic of world literature.
Rating Out Of Books I Am a Cat (I am a Cat #1-3)
Ratings: 3.71 From 7774 Users | 816 ReviewsDiscuss Out Of Books I Am a Cat (I am a Cat #1-3)
Cleverly narrated from the point of view of a very intelligent and observant feline, but far too long. I enjoyed it for the first hundred pages or so, but afterwards it started to get awfully boring.I've bought this book when the first Brazilian translation came out some years ago, but set it aside until 2011. Unfortunately, I can't say that I was impressed by it.Written by Natsume Sōseki back in 1905, Wagahai-wa neko-de aru tells the story of a cat who views the society which surrounds his Japanese master with great sardonic eyes. He mocks all and everyone, exposing their superficiality and futility disguised as knowledge. The main problem with this book is its length. The whole thing
'I am a Cat' is the the first of Natsume's "major works", and if this had been the first book of his I'd read, I regret to say it would've probably been my last. Natsume's wit and insight shine within a concisely written story. Here, the author keeps adding lengthy, indulgent, meandering chapters to his original short story, seemingly without any idea of how it would be read as a whole. The original premise of cat's observations of his master and cohorts has its initial, amusing moments. But
I just loved I Am a Cat. I recommend reading a bit each night, before sleep, for hilarious dreams. It took me ages to read because I decided that one can have too much of this very good thing it is most potent in small doses, which is how it was originally read, since it was published in installments. Admittedly, the translation is a bit disconcerting because it reads as if the Japanese have been cross-bred with the Victorian English. I would be very happy to read a fresh translation which
I think this was meant to be a funny read but I didnt find it that funny. .. It was interesting reading for a cats point of view of the humans foibles but then I also wondered at the limited & coloured viewpoint. Everybody appears to be ridiculous even the cats.It wasnt an auspicious beginning for the cat and its fate appears to continue to be undetermined as it remained un-named. It was useless and spent its time in spying upon people and writing down its observations. As a cat, of course,
For me, this was a rare DNF. Even for my Book Club, I can take only so much tedium. The book is actually a series of articles and I suspect that Soseki was being paid by the word, as he pads it out with so many of them. Somewhere in there, there might be something worth reading, though the mysogyny is horrible. At one stage the cat, who tells us about the people he lives with and those who visit the house, thinks to himself "What a spiteful bore he is." How very true.I got about half way through
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