The 210th Day

The 210th Day reveals another facet of Soseki’s skills. Written almost entirely in dialogue form, it demonstrates Soseki’s vivid imagination and his gift for striking images. It follows two friends’ attempt to climb the rumbling Mount Aso as it threatens to erupt – recording their banter abouth their backgrounds, behaviors, and reactions to the things they see along the way. The 210th Day combines Eastern and Western genres – the Western autobiography and the traditional Japanese literary diary – into a work with a unified theme and atmosphere.

Author Biography: Natsume Soseki(1867-1916), novelist and scholar of English literature, is widely considered the foremost novelist of the Meiji period (1868-1914). Among his works, I Am a Cat and Master Darling are especially well-known in Japan.