辻邦夫という小説家 Kunio Tsuji, a novelist

辻邦夫は、とりわけ好きという小説家ではない。

これまで読んだ小説といえば、『背教者ユリアヌス』と『西行花伝』くらいだろうか。

学習院ミュージアムで、展覧会が行われると聞いて、初めは行く気はなかったのだが、なぜか気になり、最終日に駆け込みで会場を訪ねてしまった。

旧制松本高校で過ごしていた頃の日記や、フランスに留学していた頃に描いていた日記やイラスト、『回廊にて』や『安土往還記』などの作品にまつわる展示などが行われていた。

妻の辻佐保子が、夫のことを”たえず書く人”と称したが、その言葉の通り、若い頃から亡くなるまでに残した膨大な日記の展示には驚かされた。

『背教者ユリアヌス』と『西行花伝』の展示もあった。

恥ずかしながら、『背教者ユリアヌス』と『西行花伝』の内容は、ほとんど覚えていない。

会場においてあった本を取ってみたが、まるで初めて読んでいるかのようにページをめくった。

どうして、この展覧会に足を運んでしまったのだろうか。

辻邦夫は、まだ旧制松本高校にいた頃に小説家を志していたが、戦争の結果、焦土と化した風景を目にして文学に絶望したという。

フランスに留学中に、再び文学への希望を取り戻し、帰国後に、『廻廊にて』を発表し、その後、次々に『背教者ユリアヌス』を含む、多くの歴史小説を発表した。

その間、35年にわたり、学習院大学で、フランス文学を教えていた。

辻邦夫が書いた小説そのものよりも、そうした生涯に、興味を持ったのかもしれない。

Kunio Tsuji isn't a novelist I particularly admire.

The only novels I've read by him are probably "Julian the Apostate" and "Saigyo Kaden".

When I heard about the exhibition at the Gakushuin Museum, I initially had no intention of going, but for some reason, I became curious and rushed to the venue on the last day.

The exhibition featured diaries from his time at the old Matsumoto High School, diaries and illustrations from his time studying in France, and exhibits related to works such as "In the Corridor" and "Azuchi Oukanki".

His wife, Sahoko Tsuji, described her husband as "a man who constantly writes," and true to that description, I was astonished by the vast amount of diaries he left behind from his youth until his death.

There were also exhibits on "Julian the Apostate" and "Saigyo Kaden".

To my embarrassment, I barely remember the contents of "Julian the Apostate" and "Saigyo Kaden".

I picked up a book that was on display at the venue and turned the pages as if I were reading it for the first time.

Why did I end up coming to this exhibition?

Kunio Tsuji aspired to be a novelist while still a student at Matsumoto High School (under the old system), but after witnessing the devastated landscape resulting from the war, he became disillusioned with literature.

While studying in France, he rediscovered his hope for literature, and after returning to Japan, he published "In the Corridor," followed by many historical novels, including "Julian the Apostate."

During that time, he taught French literature at Gakushuin University for 35 years.

Perhaps I was more interested in his life story than in the novels Kunio Tsuji wrote.