{"product_id":"9781805332510-the-gate","title":"The Gate","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\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\n\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\n\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\n\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\n\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\n\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\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57731678273910,"sku":"9781805332510","price":8.41,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/stand_41157973.jpg?v=1778120013","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781805332510-the-gate","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}