Autobiographical or just first person?

[rainkaimaramon]

Just curious, does watashi shosetsu mean first person (narrative) novel or autobiographical novel, or is it one of those things that means both.

[KyleGoetz]

It's not a first-person narrative. From the Wikipedia-JA article (私小説 - Wikipedia) on 私小説:

その名称から、「私」と一人称で語られるものとする誤 解があるが、三人称のものも多い。

(because of the name, "私" is often read mistakenly as "first-person," but there are many third-person 私小説, too")

[masaegu]

Originally Posted by rainkaimaramon

Just curious, does watashi shosetsu mean first person (narrative) novel or autobiographical novel, or is it one of those things that means both.

Where did you get that reading? It is not correct.

私小説 (= autobiographical novel) has two readings:
１．　ししょうせつ
２． わたくししょうせつ　

And 私小説 does not mean a first person (narrative) novel.

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by masaegu

Where did you get that reading? It is not correct.

I think it's safe to say probably 99% of Japanese learners are unaware that the correct 常用漢字 reading of 私 is わたくし and not わたし. Probably 95% have never even heard of わたくし.