私し小しょう説せつ

also: わたくししょうせつ

し

しょ

う

せ

つ

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

I-novel; first-person novel

A genre of Japanese autobiographical fiction in which the author's personal experiences and emotions are narrated in the first person, often with a confessional tone.

田た山やま花か袋たいの『蒲ふ団とん』は日本にほんにおける私し小しょう

説せつ

の

先さき

駆が

け

と

さ

れる

。

Tayama Katai's 'Futon' is considered a pioneer of the I-novel in Japan.

私し小しょう説せつでは、作さく者しゃ自じ身しんの体たい験けんがそのまま描えがかれることが多おおい。

In I-novels, the author's own experiences are often depicted directly.

Kanji

私private, I, me
小little, small
説opinion, theory, explanation

Related words

自じ伝でん的てき小しょう説せつ
自伝的小説 is a broader term for autobiographical novels, while 私小説 specifically refers to the Japanese literary genre with a confessional, first-person style.
心しん境きょう小しょう説せつ
心境小説 is a subgenre of 私小説 that focuses more on the author's inner mental state and reflections rather than external events.

Written forms

私小説
- ししょうせつ
  Standard kanji form; the reading ししょうせつ is the most common.
- わたくししょうせつ
  Alternate reading, less common and somewhat formal or literary.
わたくししょうせつ

Etymology

Compound of 私 (I, private) and 小説 (novel). The term was coined in the early 20th century to describe a distinctive Japanese literary form.