Kokoro

A sad, haunting little novel tracing the relationship of a young Japanese man with his reluctant mentor, Sensei, as they both deal with the cultural changes in Japan as the Meiji Restoration comes to a close.

The interior worlds of these characters are the most compelling feature of this book. Spare and realistic inner conversation drives the self-delusion and conflict avoidance that leaves these two men full of guilt and despair. There is no “happy” resolution at the end of this story. We are left to consider whether the same stories we tell ourselves about other people and their intentions might not be just the same kind of delusions these characters lived under.