Complicit Fictions: The Subject in the Modern Japanese Prose Narrative

Published in 1993 by the University of California Press, Complicit Fictions: The Subject in the Modern Japanese Prose Narrative emerged during a period of significant transition in Japanese literary studies. James A. Fujii, a professor of Japanese literature, crafted this work to challenge established Western perceptions of Japanese modernity, specifically focusing on how the concept of the 'subject' was constructed through the rapid integration of Western literary forms during the Meiji era.

Fujii’s design approach is deeply rooted in critical theory and historical context, centering on authors such as Natsume Soseki and Futabatei Shimei. By analyzing the interplay between narrative structures and the changing socio-political landscape of late 19th and early 20th-century Japan, Fujii sought to reveal how authors navigated the tensions of identity in a modernizing state. The work is widely regarded in academic circles as a foundational text for scholars interested in the intersection of post-colonial theory and modern Japanese fiction.