Riflessioni preliminari per un’analisi narratologica dello sharebon di Santō Kyōden

Sharebon’s existence as a literary format within the larger phenomenon of gesaku is not only a matter of taxonomy, but a key to analyzing the creative process behind these texts. Especially in the case of kaiwatai (dialog-based) sharebon, they possess similar bibliographical characteristics, common paratextual rhetoric, systems of narrative indices, and a shared narrative structure and expressive style; despite a strong tendency toward novelty, kaiwatai sharebon authors rarely crossed these borders. Some of the characteristics of kaiwatai sharebon can be seen in other gesaku texts, but they seldom share the same significance: for instance, the extensive use of textual allusion has different purposes in kaiwatai sharebon and kibyoshi. The internal cohesion of the format compels my analysis to focus on the style of the literary trends and casts doubt on any view that places too much emphasis on the style of the author.