A Fictional Commons: Natsume Soseki and the Properties of Modern Literature

In A Fictional Commons, Michael K. Bourdaghs examines how Natsume Sōseki's literary and theoretical works explored the contradictions and ambiguities of new forms of ownership in Japan, featuring narratives about inheritance, thievery, and the struggle for material wealth. He discusses Sōseki's engagement with thinkers from his own era and how his work anticipates critical responses to global capitalism.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 24 September 2021
Publisher: Duke University Press

In Japan, modernity unfolded in similar ways to other regions, accompanied by novel forms of ownership. In his insightful book titled "A Fictional Commons," Michael K. Bourdagh delves into the literary and theoretical works of Natsume Sōseki (1867–1916), widely recognized as Japan's preeminent modern novelist. Through his writings, Sōseki skillfully exploited the complexities and uncertainties that permeated this emerging system. Many of his works revolve around narratives that explore inheritance, theft, and the relentless pursuit of material wealth, while also envisioning alternative modes of owning and sharing. For Sōseki, literature served as a platform for introspection and contemplation, transcending the boundaries of private property. Bourdagh engages in a captivating dialogue with thinkers from Sōseki's era, including William James and Mizuno Rentarō, the author of Japan's pioneering copyright law. He further discusses how Sōseki's work anticipates the ideas of theorists such as Karatani Kōjin and Franco Moretti. As Bourdagh meticulously reveals, Sōseki both appropriated and challenged notions of ownership and subjectivity, thereby theorizing literature as a critical response to the rise of global capitalism.

In Japan, modernity unfolded in similar ways to other regions, accompanied by novel forms of ownership. In his insightful book titled "A Fictional Commons," Michael K. Bourdagh delves into the literary and theoretical works of Natsume Sōseki (1867–1916), widely recognized as Japan's preeminent modern novelist. Through his writings, Sōseki skillfully exploited the complexities and uncertainties that permeated this emerging system. Many of his works revolve around narratives that explore inheritance, theft, and the relentless pursuit of material wealth, while also envisioning alternative modes of owning and sharing. For Sōseki, literature served as a platform for introspection and contemplation, transcending the boundaries of private property. Bourdagh engages in a captivating dialogue with thinkers from Sōseki's era, including William James and Mizuno Rentarō, the author of Japan's pioneering copyright law. He further discusses how Sōseki's work anticipates the ideas of theorists such as Karatani Kōjin and Franco Moretti. As Bourdagh meticulously reveals, Sōseki both appropriated and challenged notions of ownership and subjectivity, thereby theorizing literature as a critical response to the rise of global capitalism.

Weight: 476g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478013693