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Today the term "Japanese literary classics" implies such texts as
the Man'yoshu, Kojiki, Tale of Genji, Tale of the Heike, Noh drama,
and the works of Saikaku, Chikamatsu, and Basho, which are
considered the wellspring and embodiment of Japanese tradition and
culture. Most of these texts, however, did not become "classics"
until the end of the nineteenth century, in a process closely
related to the emergence of Japan as a modern nation-state and to
the radical reconfiguration of notions of literature and learning
under Western influence. As in Europe and elsewhere, the
construction of a national literature and language with a putative
ancient lineage was critical to the creation of a distinct
nation-state. This book addresses the issue of national identity
and the ways in which modern European disciplinary notions of
"literature" and genres played a major role in the modern
canonization process. These "classics" did not have inherent,
unchanging value; instead, their value was produced and reproduced
by various institutions and individuals in relation to
socio-economic power. How then were these texts elevated and used?
What kinds of values were given to them? How was this process
related to larger social, political, and religious configurations?
This book, which looks in depth at each of the major "classics,"
explores these questions in a broad historical context, from the
medieval period, when multiple canons competed with each other,
through the early modern and modern periods. Throughout, the essays
focus on the roles of schools, commentators, and socio-religious
institutions, and on issues of gender. The result is a new view of
the transformation of the Japanese canon and its intimate
connection with the issue of national and cultural identity.
Narrating the Self examines the historical formation of modern
Japanese literature through a fundamental reassessment of its most
characteristic form, the 'I-novel, ' an autobiographical narrative
thought to recount the details of the writer's personal life thinly
veiled as fiction. Closely analysing a range of texts from the late
nineteenth century through to the present day, the author argues
that the 'I-novel' is not a given form of text that can be
objectively identified, but a historically constructed reading mode
and cultural paradigm that not only regulated the production and
reception of literary texts but also defined cultural identity and
national tradition. Instead of emphasising, as others have, the
thematic and formal elements of novels traditionally placed in this
category, she explores the historical formation of a field of
discourse in which the 'I-novel' was retroactively created and
defined.
Today the term "Japanese literary classics" implies such texts as
the Man'yoshu, Kojiki, Tale of Genji, Tale of the Heike, Noh drama,
and the works of Saikaku, Chikamatsu, and Basho, which are
considered the wellspring and embodiment of Japanese tradition and
culture. Most of these texts, however, did not become "classics"
until the end of the nineteenth century, in a process closely
related to the emergence of Japan as a modern nation-state and to
the radical reconfiguration of notions of literature and learning
under Western influence. As in Europe and elsewhere, the
construction of a national literature and language with a putative
ancient lineage was critical to the creation of a distinct
nation-state. This book addresses the issue of national identity
and the ways in which modern European disciplinary notions of
"literature" and genres played a major role in the modern
canonization process. These "classics" did not have inherent,
unchanging value; instead, their value was produced and reproduced
by various institutions and individuals in relation to
socio-economic power. How then were these texts elevated and used?
What kinds of values were given to them? How was this process
related to larger social, political, and religious configurations?
This book, which looks in depth at each of the major "classics,"
explores these questions in a broad historical context, from the
medieval period, when multiple canons competed with each other,
through the early modern and modern periods. Throughout, the essays
focus on the roles of schools, commentators, and socio-religious
institutions, and on issues of gender. The result is a new view of
the transformation of the Japanese canon and its intimate
connection with the issue of national and cultural identity.
The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature provides, for the
first time, a history of Japanese literature with comprehensive
coverage of the premodern and modern eras in a single volume. The
book is arranged topically in a series of short, accessible
chapters for easy access and reference, giving insight into both
canonical texts and many lesser known, popular genres, from
centuries-old folk literature to the detective fiction of modern
times. The various period introductions provide an overview of
recurrent issues that span many decades, if not centuries. The book
also places Japanese literature in a wider East Asian tradition of
Sinitic writing and provides comprehensive coverage of women's
literature as well as new popular literary forms, including manga
(comic books). An extensive bibliography of works in English
enables readers to continue to explore this rich tradition through
translations and secondary reading.
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