Kusamakura

Kusamakura (1906) is Natsume Soseki's third novel and has been recently re-translated (2008) by Meredith McKinney. the original English translation was done by Alan Turney in 1965 and he saw fit to change the title to "The  Three-Cornered-World," McKinney returned to the original title. I see this book as something as a turning point for Soseki in that he is transitioning from his comedic style (which is at it speak in the novel that precedes this one-Botchan) to a more philosophic and contemplative style that would be seen in later books such as Kokoro and The Gate. It is essentially a plot-less novel, an artist goes to an abandoned onsen town and has various conversations with people. The most spirited conversations are with the recently divorced daughter of the owner of the ryokan that the artist is staying at. She is something of a free spirit and iconoclast in her thinking. The artist writes haikus and muses on art and aesthetics. There are comedic scenes throughout-usually conversations the artist has with various people for example there's a  conversation he has with an old Tokyo-ite who now lives in the onsen town and another where he suggests that people in Tokyo are they types of people that catalogue the number of farts people have. despite the fact that there are no developments or plot, the novel is a pleasant mediation on beauty and art with some comedic asides.