Chapter 9 Metafictional Pleasures
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Abstract
In chapter 9, “Metafictional Pleasures,” Satō Yukiko works with kusazōshi that are replete with what we would easily label metafiction. The close reading of several kusazōshi reveals a number of patterns in a type of fictional writing that self-consciously draws attention to its status as an artefact. The argument put forward is a powerful one: “in kibyōshi metafiction is employed to create a communal space that brings together author and readers.” The chapter explores the ramifications of this argument, and the intellectual potential is significant. It shows that the study of metafiction can, and must, be freed from the postmodern insistence on questioning the relationship between fiction and reality. Theoretical ruminations produced in the West at a specific point in time can be productively adopted to study Japanese texts but engagement with Japanese texts has the potential to change the theoretical discourse. A gem for any reader interested in expanding the understanding around metafiction.