Irmela Hijiya-Kirschnereit brings a sophisticated and graceful method of analysis to this English translation of her book on the shishosetsu, one of the most important yet misunderstood genres in Japanese literature. Thorough and insightful, this study of the Japanese version of the I-novel provides a means of researching and interpreting the tradition of the genre, linking it to forms of autobiographical fiction as well as to cultural assumptions of the classical period of Japanese history. Hijiya-Kirschnereit provides a model of systematic inquiry into literary traditions that will stimulate American and English Japanologists, providing a much-needed bridge between German Japanologists and the rest of the field.

About the Author
Irmela Hijiya-Kirschnereit is Professor of Japanese Literature at Freie Universitat Berlin.

Reviews
In detail and thoroughness of research, this book is the last European word on the Japanese I-novel... If you want to explore every angle on the subject, and to be introduced to the full range of Japanese studies of it, here is your authoritative guide. -- Sydney Giffard * Asian Affairs *



Book Information
ISBN 9780674773196
Author Irmela Hijiya-Kirschnereit
Format Hardback
Page Count 450
Imprint Harvard University, Asia Center
Publisher Harvard University, Asia Center
Weight(grams) 721g