Hey all! Happy 2024! This is going to be a good year—I feel it in my bones! Personally, my creativity is at an all time high, and my life is everything I could hope it to be at 27. Isn’t that amazing?! Stay tuned for the content I will be creating this year *rubs hands* ..

Tell me. How are you? No really, email me!

We’re back with another book review because yes—I finished an amazing 12-chapter book in less than three weeks. That’s not phenomenal, but I like the momentum. Anyway, the name of this book is Kokoro, as you may have read, and it is a famous Japanese novel published in 1957. But before we get into the review, as usual, here are my favorite quotes from the book:

“But men are pretty helpless creatures, whether they are healthy or not, who can say how they will die, or when?”

“Since my past was experienced only by me,  I might be excused if I regarded it as my property.”

“For I was born an ethical creature”

“I was able to see women as the personification of beauty in this world”

“it is blood that moves the body…words are not meant for stirring air only. They are capable of moving quite a things.”

“You’ve met me after I’ve become soiled.”

“True love is not so far from religious faith”

“Control of passions”

“Who are we to judge the needs of another man’s heart?”

Yes, yes, short and sweet this time. I really wanted to focus on the story when reading this book, so I only wrote down quotes when I thought it absolutely necessary.

Anyhow, I wanted to share the excerpt on this book before I pollute you with my opinions. See below:

“Hailed by The New Yorker as "rich in understanding and insight," Kokoro—"the heart of things"—is the work of one of Japan's most popular authors. This thought-provoking trilogy of stories explores the very essence of loneliness and stands as a stirring introduction to modern Japanese literature.”

To me, Kokoro is a true representation of life. In fact, I believe we receive the most from an expression, or art—might have you, when it reflects one or many truths of life. Now, I know all these words sound vague because I have not given you much context of the book, but to be honest…I don’t want to tell you about the book at all. My dream is to be a bird flying over your interests just enough to make you want to read it, and join the know.

I will, however, tell you what this book has done for me.

This book is vaguely about the relationship between an old man, Sensei, and a college student. Through their relationship, many secrets are revealed. At times, I found myself liberated through the words of Soseki. I, a 27 year old woman who lives and feels more like a 48 year old widow, found myself agreeing with many of the sentiments of the bitter Sensei in the beginning of the book. I also saw a lot of myself in the college student—a young easy-going thoughtless being wanting to learn the secrets of life. This book reminded me of my college days when I wrote a poem to my grandmother that said, “give me my inheritance of heartaches—to teach and to release, so that I may find wisdom…” Hmmm, wisdom. This word is like an unsolvable rubik’s cube. There was a time where it was all I wanted, for the sake of savviness. Now, I understand well within myself that I have arrived, but it’s funny, because no one tells you the price of wisdom.

Moving along… Kokoro plays on the duality of innocence. I say duality because either you have it or you don’t, and for so long Soskei shielded us, even as readers from the truth of this world, our relations, and specifically of Sensei. I remember reading conversations between Sensei and his wife, and being frustrated with all of his secrets that even I did not know of. It seems, even I have been unveiled.

I know in writing this review, I find myself falling from philosophy to philosophy, but that is truly the space that this book puts you in. This book will also encourage you to get your affairs in order, as I find it to be just as practical as it is anything else. Overall, I thoroughly enjoy the simple language and palatable sentences, and though this book is Japanese, there weren’t too many references I didn’t understand. I did, however, find my Haitian ass looking up the Meiji Era (LOL), which was a very important time in Japanese history. It was a time of social, economical, and political change. Read more about this era here.

I’m going to stop here with the review because I really don’t want to give too much away, but I will be frank. This book was a bit of a boring read but definitely worth it! Please reach out with your thoughts if you do decided to pick up this book—I would love to hear from you.

Until next time, ciao! xx