Shishosetsu
The emergence or reclassification of the individual in this new political world is a theme of Meiji literature. In this period, the form of the Japanese autobiographical novel (shishosetsu) also became popular.
The Japanese literary establishment considered shishosetsu pure literature. Its hallmarks of authenticity, emotional disclosure, and a means to know about the author are the criteria by which all novels and literature are judged.
Major Works
| Year | Author | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 1876 | Mark Twain | Adventures of Huckleberry Finn |
| 1877 | Leo Tolstoy | Anna Karenina |
| 1902 | Joseph Conrad | Heart of Darkness |
| 1913 | Marcel Proust | Swann’s Way |
Pure but borrowed
The word for novel–shosetsu–was a word chosen by early Meiji students of Western Literature to render “novel” in Japanese. However, “shosetsu” does not imply length or even genre: essays, memoirs, and other reflective forms can be considered shosetsu. The shi- (“I”) shosetsu (“novel”) seems to have been named after the German “Ich-Roman,” which is a first-person, full-length account of the narrator’s experiences. While the Japanese autobiographical novel has some similarities to the Western coming-of-age novel, it does have certain distinct characteristics.