---
product_id: 324329222
title: "Penguin Group Botchan - Book"
price: "VT6625"
currency: VUV
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 5
url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/324329222-penguin-group-botchan-book
store_origin: VU
region: Vanuatu
---

# Penguin Group Botchan - Book

**Price:** VT6625
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** Penguin Group Botchan - Book
- **How much does it cost?** VT6625 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
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## Description

Buy Penguin Group Botchan - Book by Soseki, Natsume, Cohn, J., Cohn, J. online on desertcart.ae at best prices. ✓ Fast and free shipping ✓ free returns ✓ cash on delivery available on eligible purchase.

Review: This book,despite being written over 100 years ago,is still so fresh & crisp that the joy of reading becomes a memorable experience. This was my first experience of reading Natsume Sōseki & I’m already delighted! Botchan is a rock star!!
Review: "Botchan" means Young Master and carries the same mix of affection and condescension as the English term. We never find out the narrator and protagonist's real name, only the moniker his family's loyal maid uses. Like Soseki himself, Botchan is the unfavored son of an old and pedigreed Tokyo family who leaves the capital for a teaching position at a middle (i.e., high) school in a castle town in the boondocks. (Though never named, the town is unmistakably Matsuyama, a Shikoku city known for its castle and hot springs.) Though Botchan describes his youthful self as a hellraiser, he is unprepared for the rural thugs he is expected to teach, some of whom are bigger than he is and all of whom are ruder. Even more problematic are his colleagues at the school, who are almost without exception a bunch of lying schemers. Will Botchan make it through the school year without falling into cynicism and despair? Doubtful, but his humor and Tokyo determination egg him on: "To give up at this point would have been a disgrace....If people were to hear that I allowed this pack of snot-nosed brats to make a fool of me...I would never live it down. I'm not made of the same stuff as those peasants were, of that you can be sure." Sometimes described as "The Catcher in the Rye" of Japan, "Botchan" predates it by half a century yet seems fresher and still modern 112 years years after its publication. It's also very funny--in fact, it reminded me of Kingsley Amis's "Lucky Jim," surely the gold standard of the academy novel. While it suffers from an abrupt and unsatisfying ending, it's worthwhile for anyone interested in Japanese literature, or modern Japan generally.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #249,937 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #335 in Asian Literature #1,533 in European Literature #2,315 in Humorous Fiction |
| Customer reviews | 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (115) |
| Dimensions  | 1.27 x 12.7 x 19.3 cm |
| Edition  | Reprint |
| ISBN-10  | 014139188X |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0141391885 |
| Item weight  | 124 g |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 160 pages |
| Publication date  | 4 October 2012 |
| Publisher  | Penguin Classics |
| Reading age  | 18 years and up |

## Images

![Penguin Group Botchan - Book - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71+gWnldo0L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review
*by S***I on 13 January 2021*

This book,despite being written over 100 years ago,is still so fresh & crisp that the joy of reading becomes a memorable experience. This was my first experience of reading Natsume Sōseki & I’m already delighted! Botchan is a rock star!!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review
*by H***N on 6 June 2017*

"Botchan" means Young Master and carries the same mix of affection and condescension as the English term. We never find out the narrator and protagonist's real name, only the moniker his family's loyal maid uses. Like Soseki himself, Botchan is the unfavored son of an old and pedigreed Tokyo family who leaves the capital for a teaching position at a middle (i.e., high) school in a castle town in the boondocks. (Though never named, the town is unmistakably Matsuyama, a Shikoku city known for its castle and hot springs.) Though Botchan describes his youthful self as a hellraiser, he is unprepared for the rural thugs he is expected to teach, some of whom are bigger than he is and all of whom are ruder. Even more problematic are his colleagues at the school, who are almost without exception a bunch of lying schemers. Will Botchan make it through the school year without falling into cynicism and despair? Doubtful, but his humor and Tokyo determination egg him on: "To give up at this point would have been a disgrace....If people were to hear that I allowed this pack of snot-nosed brats to make a fool of me...I would never live it down. I'm not made of the same stuff as those peasants were, of that you can be sure." Sometimes described as "The Catcher in the Rye" of Japan, "Botchan" predates it by half a century yet seems fresher and still modern 112 years years after its publication. It's also very funny--in fact, it reminded me of Kingsley Amis's "Lucky Jim," surely the gold standard of the academy novel. While it suffers from an abrupt and unsatisfying ending, it's worthwhile for anyone interested in Japanese literature, or modern Japan generally.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review
*by T***U on 4 October 2019*

Written in very plain language and is very accessible. Botchan’s struggle is every man’s struggle.

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*Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu*
*Store origin: VU*
*Last updated: 2026-02-22*