Episode 613 – I am a Cat

This week, we’re covering one of the most titanic names in Japanese literature–Natsume Soseki–and the work that propelled him to fame. How did the tale of a sardonic, anonymous cat transform a relatively unknown literature professor into arguably the most famous writer in modern Japanese history?

 

Sources

Ito, Aiko and Graeme Wilson. I am a Cat

Kobato, Chiroru. Soseki Natsume’s I am a Cat: The Manga Edition

Tony Malone’s excellent review and comparison of translations of I am a Cat

Images

Cover of one of the original combined versions of I am a Cat.