The Essence of Novels

Tsubouchi Shoyo's theory on novels. Published by Shogetsudo from September 1885 (Meiji 18) to April 1886. Nine volumes in total. Published in May 1886 in a combined edition of two volumes. Author's name: Tsubouchi Yuzo. This is Japan's first systematic theory on novels, organized based on the knowledge he gained from his exploration of novels during his time at Tokyo University, from British documents and the Britannica. The first volume is a section on principles. Through the basic recognition that novels are the pinnacle of literature that has developed alongside the development of human knowledge and culture, and that the observation of the human world that novels make possible, the author emphasizes the independence and necessity of novels. The center of the five chapters is "The Focus of the Novel." The aim of the novel to illuminate the principles of cause and effect in life and the structure of the human world through the imitation of "human feelings," making it a critique of life, captures the framework of modern novels. The second volume is a section on technique. There are six chapters on style, adaptation, protagonist theory, etc. There is a latent consideration to support the fiction of a novel with the veracity of its description. It was a leading factor in the development of modern Japanese novels, but it remains significant in the depth of its theory, which attempts to measure the depth of the human world by depicting human psychology.

[Nakamura Kan]

"Modern Japanese Literature Series 1: Shoyo Tsubouchi and Other Works" (1971, Chikuma Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

坪内逍遙(しょうよう)の小説論。1885年（明治18）9月～86年4月、松月堂刊。全9冊。86年5月、上下2巻の合本刊行。著者名坪内雄蔵。東京大学時代からの小説探求をイギリスの諸文献、『ブリタニカ』などから得た知識をもとに組織した日本最初の体系的小説論である。上巻は原理編。人知と文化の発達とともに発達してきた文学の頂点にたつ小説、その小説によって可能となる人間世界の観察、という基本認識を通し、小説の自立と必要を強調した。全5章の中心が「小説の主眼」。「人情」の模写を通して人生の因果の理法と人間界の構造を照出し、人生批評たらしめるという主旨は、近代小説の骨格をとらえている。下巻は技術編。文体、脚色、主人公論など6章。小説という虚構を描写の真実性で支える配慮が潜在している。日本近代小説展開の導因となったが、人間心理の描出をもって人間世界の深さを計ろうとする理論深度に、不変の意義がある。

［中村　完］

『『現代日本文学大系1　坪内逍遙他集』（1971・筑摩書房）』

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