The Gate

By: Natsume Soseki, Pico Iyer - introduction, William F. Sibley - translator

Narrated by: Cindy Kay

An NYRB Classics Original

A humble clerk and his loving wife scrape out a quiet existence on the margins of Tokyo. Resigned, following years of exile and misfortune, to the bitter consequences of having married without their families' consent, and unable to have children of their own, Sosuke and Oyone find the delicate equilibrium of their household upset by a new obligation to meet the educational expenses of Sosuke's brash younger brother. While an unlikely new friendship appears to offer a way out of this bind, it also soon threatens to dredge up a past that could once again force them to flee the capital. Desperate and torn, Sosuke finally resolves to travel to a remote Zen Mountain monastery to see if perhaps there, through meditation, he can find a way out of his predicament.

This moving and deceptively simple story, a melancholy tale shot through with glimmers of joy, beauty, and gentle wit, is an understated masterpiece by one of Japan's greatest writers. At the end of his life, Natsume Soseki declared The Gate, originally published in 1910, to be his favorite among all his novels. This new translation captures the oblique grace of the original while correcting numerous errors and omissions that marred the first English version.

©2013 Copyright (translation) 2013 by William Sibley; Copyright (introduction) 2013 by Pico Iyer (P)2023 Tantor

Rivals Kokoro in many ways

Thank you for this work of literature!

The story is in contrast to Kokoro in which a man faces the consequences of his actions, against one who keeps doing them.

The first two chapters are appreciated for the added depth and background given to the story. It deepened my perspective on the culture about which many questions linger on my mind.

The entrance to the Zen temple, and the story being tied up with the practice, ties up the loose strands that remain of the lovers story and Sosuke’s take on life.

I loved this enough to keep listening to Natsume Soseki’s books. Highly recommended for all listeners and kudos for great narration!