Book Description
Botchan, like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or The Catcher in the Rye, is a classic of its kind, a sly, funny, poignant tale about a young mans rebellion against the system. Since its original publication 100 years ago, it has enjoyed a timeless popularity among Japanese readers both
young and old, making it, according to Donald Keene, probably the most widely read novel in modern Japan.
The setting is Japan's deep south, where the author himself spent four years teaching English in a middle school. Into this conservative world, with its social proprieties and established pecking order, breezes Botchan, down from the big city, with scant respect for either his elders or his noisy
young charges; and the result is a chain of collisions large and small.
Most of the story seems to occur in summer, against the drone of cicadas and the sting of mosquitoes. And in every way this is a summer book--light, sunny, and fun to read. Here, in a lively new translation much better suited to the American reader, Botchan should continue to entertain even those
who have never been near the sunlit island on which these calamitous episodes take place.
Customer Reviews:
wiil remind readers of The Catcher in the Rye .......2007-04-01
In Japan Botchan grew up knowing his father thought he was a worthless wastrel; his mother, who died when he was young, expected him to be a failure; his effeminate older brother only hated him. He expected to be disinherited so nothing stood in his way to dare to defy the restrictive demands of the social order except perhaps the housekeeper Kiyo who loves him like the way a mother does by cherishing their offspring.
However shocking all the nay-sayers, Botchan actually graduates from the university although his dad was dead before he could see this unlikely miracle occur. He accepts a job teaching math somewhere in remote Shikoku; a monster geographical change for an urban dweller like him. Botchan quickly assumes these rubes are beneath his intelligence especially because of his big city lifestyle where he learned true survival skills. He treats students, peers, superiors, parents, and other locals as inferior beings giving each a derogatory nickname and making it doubtful that the cause of this class warfare will survive a year of rustification.
This Japanese version will remind readers of The Catcher in the Rye (perhaps a better way to look at this is The Catcher in the Rye is an Americanized version of Botchan as the Japanese classic was written over four decades earlier than Salinger's novel). This insightful classic provides a deep look at Japanese society circa 1906. The story line is a one sitting fast read as the lead character mocks everyone causing universal disdain. Readers enjoy this superb amusing translation that provides a powerful glimpse at Japanese customs through the actions of and reactions towards an arrogant antagonist.
Harriet Klausner
Umeji Saski's translation is absolutely horrible.......2006-12-22
I am a professional translator, and have read many novels by Natsume Soseki. This is the first (and last) translated by Umeji Saski. It is from 1922 and is PAINFUL to read. An example: "Will that do? Yes; but it makes me too much trouble," thought I. Is there not something which coming out so smoothly gives me no pains and yet makes Kiyo happy to read?"
Many of the other comments on this book must be about the original or about one of the other translations available. Unfortunately, this was the only translation available at my library.
An Honest Soul in a Dishonest Place.......2006-10-06
"Botchan" is named for the main character of the book, a school teacher who accepts a job in a country side town teaching a bunch of teenagers. Botchan's encounters with the people around him produce some interesting escapades and results, all very amusing and humorous.
A lot of the humour is carried in the names that Botchan assigns the different people around him. Those with little knowledge of Japanese meanings for names will still be ok, as the Introduction provides an adequate explanation for us. The vice principal is called "Badger" by Botchan, and the name fits the character like a glove. Other names are equally suitable, as is even Botchan's. Botchan's very direct and openly honest approach is certainly out of step with those around him
The translation has been executed exceptionally well, and hangs together as if the book had been written by a native-speaker of English. There are only a couple of points at which I noticed something unusual about the language. Overall, the English is contemporary and very well written.
"Botchan" is simply just good fun to read, though it also serves as an indictment on the attitudes and world in which Soseki lived. Some of those criticisms that Botchan levels at people would still apply equally well today.
This book is definitely a little different, but it has a lot to offer. I enjoyed it all the way through, and had a good giggle in places.
Great fun.......2006-04-16
A simply marvelous book. A great introduction to a masterful writer.
The Cohn translation is a much easier read than the Saski. His language is much more natural and more accessible to American readers.
the most famous didactic novel.......2006-02-28
Natsume Souseki(1867-1916. His real name is Natsume Kinnosuke. Natsume is his family name. Kinnosuke is his personal name) is
the most popular novelist in Japan. Almost all Japanese people
love him because he and his novels have a strong sense of justice and morals.
And We Japanese all know this novel(at least its title).
The plot of this novel is simple and straightforward.
The hero in this novel has a strong sense of justice.
It's attractive. Strong Buy!
Book Description
The Meija Era (1868-1912) brought Japan into the Modern Age. Contemporary writer, Soseki Natsume, expressed the feelings of the time through his classic Botchan which Sekikawa explores through an adult story that Taniguchi illustrates with exquisite and elegant detail forming a transparent window onto this time of turbulent (and sometimes violent) change in Japanese society.
Book Description
The Meija Era (1868-1912) brought Japan into the Modern Age. Contemporary writer, Soseki Natsume, expressed the feelings of the time through his classic Botchan which Sekikawa explores through an adult story that Taniguchi illustrates with exquisite and elegant detail forming a transparent window onto this time of turbulent (and sometimes violent) change in Japanese society.
Average customer rating:
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THE TIMES OF BOTCHAN volume 2 (of 10)
Taniguchi
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The Meija Era (1868-1912) brought Japan into the Modern Age. Contemporary writer, Soseki Natsume, expressed the feelings of the time through his classic Botchan which Sekikawa explores through an adult story that Taniguchi illustrates with exquisite and elegant detail forming a transparent window onto this time of turbulent (and sometimes violent) change in Japanese society.
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Kids learn how to build the five Social Competencies Assets: planning and decision making, interpersonal competence, cultural competence, resistance skills, and peaceful conflict resolution. Stories, tips, and ideas help them get along better with others and stay true to themselves.
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Early intervention is now accepted as essential in helping children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) to cope with the future demands of daily living, education and long-term independence. Choosing the most suitable intervention strategy is difficult because there are a large number of theories, including TEACCH, Floor-time and ABA, and each child with autism presents differently. In this book, the authors argue that theory must be combined with data in order for it to be used effectively in developmental intervention. Aimed at professionals, as well as parents who want to be more involved in their child's development, the authors explain how to write basic developmental goals, how to collect data and analyse it and how to use the results of analysis to inform the next round of intervention decisions.
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Kids learn how to build the six Support Assets: Family Support, Positive Family Communication, Other Adult Relationships, Caring Neighborhood, Caring School Climate, and Parent Involvement in Schooling. Stories, tips, and ideas bring them closer to their families and strengthen other important relationships in their lives.
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Tidewater Virginia Families: Generations Beyond Adding the Families of
Virginia Lee Hutcheson Davis
Manufacturer: Genealogical Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Book Description
When Tidewater Virginia Families was published by GPC in 1990 it was considered a landmark publication, so powerful a contribution to Virginia genealogy that it was numbered among a handful of genealogical compendia that would command the respect and admiration of all serious genealogists. In the intervening eight years enough new material has turned up to warrant publication of this supplement, Generations Beyond. But this is no mere addendum. In fact, to the forty Tidewater Virginia families treated in the original publication, no fewer than eleven new families have been added. In addition, the supplement includes vignettes and anecdotes of family life, descriptions and locations of family homes and burial sites, extensions of sibling lines, identification of neighbors, county maps, a place name index, and, where necessary, corrections and updates to the original volume. As in the original publication, all families tie in with the earliest Hutcheson, Peatross, Butler, and Lee settlers in the colony of Virginia, and in each instance the family history, its vital statistics, and the events of the time are reported, as are brief accounts of collateral issue in each generation. With the benefit of myriad sources both in print and manuscript, Mrs. Davis has once again managed to create a microcosmic genealogy of Tidewater Virginia, which includes the counties of Amherst, Caroline, Charles City, Dinwiddie, Elizabeth City, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Gloucester, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, Isle of Wight, James City, King William, Lancaster, Mathews, Northumberland, Prince William, Prince George, Spotsylvania, Surry, Sussex, and York.
Customer Reviews:
Genealogist's Handbook.......2007-07-18
For those of us researching our heritage one of the most helpful books was written by Virginia Lee Hutcheson Davis. Check to see if your ancestor is listed in her books & if so add it to your reference collection. These books are especially good if you are researching your line for information to enter
historical organizations.
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Manufacturer: International Medical News Group
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This digital document is an article from Family Practice News, published by International Medical News Group on February 1, 2004. The length of the article is 682 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Adding a procedure can help ward off burnout.(Career Tracks)
Author: Doug Brunk
Publication:
Family Practice News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 2004
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This digital document is an article from Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, published by Thomson Gale on September 1, 2005. The length of the article is 745 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
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Author: D. Hollander
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