A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR.
“Soseki” Natsume was born in Ushigome, on January 5, 1867. After graduating from Tokyo Imperial University, he taught in the Middle Schools of Matsuyama and Kumamoto. Later he was appointed a professor of Kumamoto No. 5 High School. In 1900 he was ordered to England by the Department of Education to prosecute his studies. On coming home in 1903 he was given a chair of Literature In Tokyo Imperial University.
He resigned his university post in 1907 and immediately accepted a position in the Tokyo Asahi Shimbun newspaper. From about 1909, he began to ail from ulceration of the stomach, and the subsequent seven years he spent in hospital and going to spas for a change of air, until the disease carried him in 1916, he having never recovered fully from its attack. He was in his fiftieth year when he died.
Chronology of Soseki’s works:NameYearMiscellaneous:London Shosoku(London Letters)1901London Toh(The Tower of London)1905Eijitsu Shohin(Long Day Miscellany)1909Critical Essays:Bungaku-ron(Literature, an essay)1907Bungaku Hyoron(Literary Criticisms)1909Asahi(Reprints from the Asahi)1911Bunten-to Geijutsu(Art and The Department of Education Exhibition of Art)1912Novels:Wagahaiwa Neko-de Aru(I Am A Cat)1909–1906Botschan(Botchan)1906Nowaki(A Blast Of Fall Wind)1907Gubijinso(The Corn-poppy)1907Sanshiro(Sanshiro)1908Sorekara(Next)1909Mon(The Gate)1910Higan-sugi Made(Until After the Equinox)1912Kokoro(The Heart)1914Mei-An(Light and Shade) not finished1915