{"product_id":"gate-3","title":"Gate","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Soseki is the representative modern Japanese novelist, a figure of truly national stature' Haruki Murakami\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A sensitive, skilfully written novel by the most widely read Japanese author of modern times'\u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Soseki's prose is so delicate that each page is like looking at a set of dreamy watercolours'\u003ci\u003eTelegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHumble clerk Sosuke and his wife Oyone live in a modest house at the bottom of a cliff. Oyone was once married to another man; now her adultery seems to hang over the couple's marriage like a curse. Despite multiple pregnancies, they have no living children; and once affluent, Sosuke finds his income growing ever smaller. They are left with little besides each other and a beautiful painted screen to remind them of better days.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen a series of crises rocks this shabby but harmonious domestic existence. Sosuke's wastrel brother moves in; the couple find themselves forced to sell the screen to buy winter shoes; and Oyone's ex-husband is rumoured to be visiting a wealthy neighbour at the top of the cliff. Beset by reminders of his flaws and failures, Sosuke runs away to a temple, hoping to escape into enlightenment. But can he learn what the monks have to teach him? Will he return to Oyone changed - at all? One of the great works of the literature of indecision, this is also one of the founding texts of modern Japanese letters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart of the Pushkin Press Classics series: timeless storytelling by icons of literature, hand-picked from around the globe. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTranslated by Francis Mathy\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWith an introduction by Damian Flanagan\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNatsume Soseki (1867-1916) was one of Japan's most prominent novelists of the Meiji Era. After studying in England on a government scholarship, Soseki taught English literature at Tokyo University, but the immense success of his satirical novel \u003ci\u003eI Am a Cat\u003c\/i\u003e led to his own career as a writer. A highly influential figure viewed as the father of modern Japanese letters, from 1984 until 2004 his portrait appeared on the front of the Japanese 1,000-yen note. Pushkin Press publishes several of his major novels, including \u003ci\u003eKokoro\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Three-Cornered World\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Pushkin Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57258509599064,"sku":"9781805332510","price":17.5,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9781805332510_41512e25-5b90-406f-8416-4de9f77731a2.jpg?v=1781087421","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/gate-3","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}