Jan Neruda

Czechoslovakian novelist, poet, and playwright. Born into a poor family in Prague, he worked hard to go to university, but due to financial difficulties he was unable to achieve his dream and became a reporter for a German-language newspaper. In 1860, he moved to a newly published Czech-language newspaper and worked as a journalist. Many of his works were published in the form of fejetons (short newspaper pieces), and more than 2,000 of them remain. He was also a prolific writer of art and theater criticism and travelogues. In particular, in his prose, he recorded the daily lives of ordinary people in a style that reflected the conversational Czech style of Prague, evoking the national spirit and paving the way for realism as a national literature. His short story collections include Arabesques (1864) and Miscellaneous People (1871), but his most famous work is Tales of the Little Quarter (1878), which depicts a memorable life story set in the town where he was born and raised. It is said that his translation of this work inspired the Chilean poet Neruda, who chose his pen name. Among his plays that were staged were Love for Sale (1859) and Francesca di Rimini (1860). He was also a leading poet, with collections of poems including Flowers of the Grave (1858), Song of the Universe (1878), Ballads and Romances (1883), and the posthumous Song of Friday (1896).

[Shu Iijima]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

チェコスロバキアの小説家、詩人、劇作家。プラハの貧しい家に生まれ、努力して大学に進んだが、経済的な事情のため志を得ず、ドイツ語新聞の記者となった。1860年には新規発行のチェコ語新聞に移り、ジャーナリストとして活躍した。作品の多くはフェイェトン（新聞用小品）の形で発表され、2000編以上も残されている。芸術・演劇批評や旅行記にも健筆を振るった。とくに散文では、プラハのチェコ語の会話体を反映させた文体で小市民の日常生活を記録し、民族精神を喚起し、国民文学としてのリアリズムへの道を開いた。短編集としては『アラベスク』（1864）、『さまざまな人びと』（1871）があるが、代表作は『小地区の物語』（1878）で、彼の生まれ育った町を舞台とする人生模様が印象的に描かれている。この作品の翻訳がチリの詩人ネルーダを感激させ、その筆名を選ばせたという。彼の戯曲のうち上演された劇は『売られた愛』（1859）、『フランチェスカ・ディ・リミニ』（1860）など。詩人としても一流であり、『墓場の花』（1858）、『宇宙の歌』（1878）、『バラードとロマンス』（1883）、死後出版の『金曜日の歌』（1896）などの詩集がある。

［飯島　周］

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