Comments on: Japanese Culture Class #32 - Remembering Natsume Soseki http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/ Learn Japanese with Daily Podcasts from Tokyo Whether you are Japan-bound or a seasoned speaker, our lessons offer something for everyone. We incorporate culture and current issues into each episode to give the most informative, both linguistically and culturally, podcasts possible. For those of you with just the plane ride to prepare, check our survival phrase series at Japanesepod101.com. One of these phrases just might turn your trip into the best one ever! Yoroshiku O-negai Shimasu! Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:41:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.11 by: Daniel Beck http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-32037 Sat, 16 Dec 2006 23:14:31 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-32037 お疲れさまジョンさん！ Working on the Save Peter Campaign™ is hard work. :lol: お疲れさまジョンさん！

Working on the Save Peter Campaign™ is hard work. :lol:

]]> by: John C. Briggs http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-31993 Sat, 16 Dec 2006 19:53:27 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-31993 Peterさん, Did you say "synapsis"? I think you meant "synopsis", i.e. a summary. ジョン Peterさん,
Did you say “synapsis”? I think you meant “synopsis”, i.e. a summary.
ジョン

]]> by: Jason http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-29712 Mon, 11 Dec 2006 08:18:23 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-29712 我が輩 is a rather outdated first person pronoun. Like you said, it does carry a pompous connotation. である is the plain, more formal form of the copula だ/です. Except for relative clauses (ex. 学生である私, "I, who am a student"), it usually doesn't show up much in modern, "normal" Japanese. It seems to be commonplace in the military, though. I've never actually read any of the book, so I have no idea how difficult it is. 我が輩 is a rather outdated first person pronoun. Like you said, it does carry a pompous connotation. である is the plain, more formal form of the copula だ/です. Except for relative clauses (ex. 学生である私, “I, who am a student”), it usually doesn’t show up much in modern, “normal” Japanese. It seems to be commonplace in the military, though.

I’ve never actually read any of the book, so I have no idea how difficult it is.

]]> by: Alan http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-29697 Mon, 11 Dec 2006 06:14:04 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-29697 Jasonさん, I also thought of that reference to Azumanga. That way of saying 'I am a cat' is seriously weird. 吾輩は猫である。 I looked up 吾輩 which is just a pompous way of saying 'I'. The use of は rather than が with ある is probably to add emphasis. Using で with 猫 seems to me to be one of those 'by means of' usages. So the whole thing feels like '<i><b>I</b></i> exist by way of being a cat'. Is that right? Is the rest of the book similiarly difficult? Not that there's any chance of me tackling it in the near future (or at all more likely) (I notice that Natsukoさん didn't volunteer to help with reading こころ :wink: ) Jasonさん, I also thought of that reference to Azumanga. That way of saying ‘I am a cat’ is seriously weird. 吾輩は猫である。 I looked up 吾輩 which is just a pompous way of saying ‘I’. The use of は rather than が with ある is probably to add emphasis. Using で with 猫 seems to me to be one of those ‘by means of’ usages. So the whole thing feels like ‘I exist by way of being a cat’.

Is that right? Is the rest of the book similiarly difficult? Not that there’s any chance of me tackling it in the near future (or at all more likely) (I notice that Natsukoさん didn’t volunteer to help with reading こころ :wink: )

]]> by: NickT http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-29665 Mon, 11 Dec 2006 01:51:48 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-29665 Peterさん Out of interest, will you be reading it in English or Japanese? I would love to read Natsume Soseki in the original Japanese one day. In the meantime, I think I will try to get hold of some of his books in English. The cat one sounded particularly interesting. Peterさん

Out of interest, will you be reading it in English or Japanese?

I would love to read Natsume Soseki in the original Japanese one day. In the meantime, I think I will try to get hold of some of his books in English. The cat one sounded particularly interesting.

]]> by: Jason http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-29627 Sun, 10 Dec 2006 21:41:58 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-29627 Anytime I see or hear 我が輩は猫である, I can't help but think of Azumanga Daioh. Fans of the show will know why. Specifically this scene: http://tinyurl.com/yay255 I love Norio Wakamoto. Anytime I see or hear 我が輩は猫である, I can’t help but think of Azumanga Daioh. Fans of the show will know why. Specifically this scene:

http://tinyurl.com/yay255

I love Norio Wakamoto.

]]> by: Rob http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-29609 Sun, 10 Dec 2006 19:18:21 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-29609 Awesome! It's great seeing Jpod talking about literature! I'm a huge fan of Japanese literature, and think Soseki is pretty great. I've read everything I've come into contact with, and yes, I Am A Cat is available in English! Kokoro is also his most famous in the states as well. For anyone that likes Soseki, I HIGHLY recommend <b>Yukio Mishima</b> (三島 由紀夫), as I think he is the greatest writer of the 20th century. No joke, I think he should be regarded with the same respect as Soseki is for the Meiji era. Sadly, his ritual suicide is discussed more than his literary works. I noticed 春の雪 was made into a movie last year, so hopefully that opened some folks eyes up to his wonderful writing! Awesome! It’s great seeing Jpod talking about literature! I’m a huge fan of Japanese literature, and think Soseki is pretty great. I’ve read everything I’ve come into contact with, and yes, I Am A Cat is available in English! Kokoro is also his most famous in the states as well.

For anyone that likes Soseki, I HIGHLY recommend Yukio Mishima (三島 由紀夫), as I think he is the greatest writer of the 20th century. No joke, I think he should be regarded with the same respect as Soseki is for the Meiji era. Sadly, his ritual suicide is discussed more than his literary works. I noticed 春の雪 was made into a movie last year, so hopefully that opened some folks eyes up to his wonderful writing!

]]> by: Alain http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-29590 Sun, 10 Dec 2006 15:43:40 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-29590 I find Botchan so modern. I think it's 100 years later always the best book to read for people going to work in Japan, to understand relationship beetween superiors, colleagues,... I find Botchan so modern.
I think it’s 100 years later always the best book to read for people going to work in Japan, to understand relationship beetween superiors, colleagues,…

]]> by: Peter http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-29565 Sun, 10 Dec 2006 11:23:40 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-29565 I too have also started reading Kokoro! I also want to read I am a Cat! I've read the few free pages offered on Amazon.com, and it looks very interesting from what I can tell.:wink: I too have also started reading Kokoro! I also want to read I am a Cat! I’ve read the few free pages offered on Amazon.com, and it looks very interesting from what I can tell. :wink:

]]> by: Liz21 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-29528 Sun, 10 Dec 2006 06:26:40 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2006/12/09/japanese-culture-class-32-remembering-natsume-soseki/#comment-29528 Mark-san, Thanks for that link! I'm enjoying reading Kokoro, too!:grin: JapanesePod101.com team: Thanks for introducing this great author to us. Mark-san,
Thanks for that link! I’m enjoying reading Kokoro, too! :grin:

JapanesePod101.com team: Thanks for introducing this great author to us.

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