The Essential Akutagawa: Rashomon, Hell Screen, Cogwheels, A Fool's Life and Other Short Stories

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Overview

The stories of Akutagawa--like those of his peer and contemporary Franz Kafka--are intricate explorations of peculiar junctures of modern cosmopolitan subjectivity. Yet Kafka, though clearly positioned on the borders of dominant Western culture, still writes from within it. Akutagawa's singular difference lies in a set of confrontations that can be said to be truly alien. Eastern and Western, Ancient and Modern, Masculine and Feminine collapse in his extraordinarily innovative ...
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Overview

The stories of Akutagawa--like those of his peer and contemporary Franz Kafka--are intricate explorations of peculiar junctures of modern cosmopolitan subjectivity. Yet Kafka, though clearly positioned on the borders of dominant Western culture, still writes from within it. Akutagawa's singular difference lies in a set of confrontations that can be said to be truly alien. Eastern and Western, Ancient and Modern, Masculine and Feminine collapse in his extraordinarily innovative and lucid prose.

Akutagawa Ryunosuke was born in Tokyo in 1892. In spite of difficult beginnings--the early death of his mother and desertion by his father--he went on to become a brilliant student and avid reader of European literature. His early stories, including the famous "Rashomon" (with his "In a Grove", made into an Academy Award-winning film by Akira Kurosawa), were published before his graduation in 1916 and soon brought him international recognition. After graduation he married, had a family and later traveled to China. An increasingly severe depression led to his suicide at thirty five.

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781568860619
  • Publisher: Marsilio Publishers
  • Publication date: 6/28/1999
  • Pages: 240
  • Product dimensions: 5.38 (w) x 8.38 (h) x 0.63 (d)

Table of Contents

Foreword
Introduction
Rashomon 3
The Nose 11
Kesa and Morito 21
The Spider's Thread 29
Hell Screen 33
The Ball 71
Tu Tze-chun 79
Autumn Mountain 93
In a Grove 103
The Faint Smiles of the Gods 115
San Sebastian 129
Cogwheels 141
A Fool's Life 177
A Note to a Certain Old Friend 205
Bibliographic Note 207
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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 3, 2000

    one of the best japanese writers

    Although Akutagawa is not as famous as Mishima in the West, he is one of the best short story writers in Japan. His complicated life is reflected in his writings with his amazing creativity. The plot and the topics that he chooses are almost bizzare but cut into the core of humanity. He is good at revealing human weaknesses and evil but at the same time the readers will feel his love toward human beings. Stories such as hell screen and a fool's life show Akutagawa's deperate and painful cries for help as well as his confused feelings concerning lives of people in general. His sensitive approach and often strong images of human life adds the sense of reality to his unique imaginary and creative stories. Once you get caught into his mysterious stories, it is hard not to recommend them to other book lovers.

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