Kokoro

Sōseki Natsume's masterpiece, Kokoro (meaning "heart" or "mind"), explores the subtle relationship between a young university student and an older, reclusive man he calls "Sensei." Divided into three parts, the novel shifts from the young man's observations of Sensei's cynicism and withdrawal from society to a dramatic final section: a lengthy confession letter from Sensei. The letter reveals a haunting past betrayal involving love and friendship that doomed Sensei to a lifetime of guilt and isolation, set against the cultural transition of Japan's Meiji era.