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fabrice44's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not sure I got what half of the story where trying to tell. Sometimes, the novel stopped and I was dumbstruck by the story I've just read. Like what the heck just happened ?
Unfortunately, I know nothing about Japanese literature and very little about this country culture. It is very likely I'm missing the core of this book.
Unfortunately, I know nothing about Japanese literature and very little about this country culture. It is very likely I'm missing the core of this book.
lindzlovesreading's review against another edition
5.0
These collections of stories may have broken me.
I realise the way the collection was edited and structured it's going for that kind of impact, and yes it hook line and sinker. Short story collection by their very nature are hit and miss, the way the author writes something, how the reader reacts to the piece. As Murakami writes in his introduction, this collection is a best of for Akuagawa. And, yeah, Akutagawa is good, really good, really really good.
Classic Akutagawa, has this modern sensibility with the traditional stories of Japan. But it's more than that, there is an undercurrent of bitterness, sadness, frustration, cynisim and the pure joy of writing. So when you get to the later more autobiographical, something like Spinning Gears feels more raw than it would if I hadn't read Rashamon or Hell Screen. But Life of a Stupid Man and Spinning Gears might be one of the best discriptions of depression and anxiety I have read. Just the fear, frustration, the constant flow of ideas, arrogance and the apathy all rolled into one.
But then there are the stories such as in the Bamboo Grove, Hell Screen, Green Onions or even Horse Legs which are all sad, tragic but wonderful, then you get these little strange stories in between, which still give texture and rise and fall to the collection. But throughout the stories, Akutagawa wears himself on the writing's sleave. And that is the cherry of the sundae, I felt like I got to know a version of Akutagawa that felt a little more honest than other authors.
I realise the way the collection was edited and structured it's going for that kind of impact, and yes it hook line and sinker. Short story collection by their very nature are hit and miss, the way the author writes something, how the reader reacts to the piece. As Murakami writes in his introduction, this collection is a best of for Akuagawa. And, yeah, Akutagawa is good, really good, really really good.
Classic Akutagawa, has this modern sensibility with the traditional stories of Japan. But it's more than that, there is an undercurrent of bitterness, sadness, frustration, cynisim and the pure joy of writing. So when you get to the later more autobiographical, something like Spinning Gears feels more raw than it would if I hadn't read Rashamon or Hell Screen. But Life of a Stupid Man and Spinning Gears might be one of the best discriptions of depression and anxiety I have read. Just the fear, frustration, the constant flow of ideas, arrogance and the apathy all rolled into one.
But then there are the stories such as in the Bamboo Grove, Hell Screen, Green Onions or even Horse Legs which are all sad, tragic but wonderful, then you get these little strange stories in between, which still give texture and rise and fall to the collection. But throughout the stories, Akutagawa wears himself on the writing's sleave. And that is the cherry of the sundae, I felt like I got to know a version of Akutagawa that felt a little more honest than other authors.
tsushimashu's review against another edition
4.0
akutagawa ryunosuke is one of the most important writers of japanese literature.
rashomon:
a really simple concept but i, for some reason, like to dig really deep into hidden meanings that probably arent actually there and so i believe that the pimple could represent his sense of morality (he picks at it when hes questioning if its morally correct to become a thief/attack the old woman) and i also think that the rashomon being in disrepair represents the servants state of mine and how he has lost his purpose in life (lost his job, has nowhere to go) just how the rashomon is no longer being used and is falling apart because of that. rashomon is very culturally important because it deals with the transition to a new era of japan. anyways i love this story, its one of my favorites.
in a bamboo grove:
this is a very interesting mystery and i still cant even begin to figure out what the truth is. i think all sides of the story are captivating and hold some sort of truth, but in the end its never solved which is an unfortunate reality of our world.
the nose:
this story seems to have a heavy metaphor for being different and trying to conform to standards. what really stuck out to me in this story was how even after he tries, and succeeds, in changing the shape of his nose, people are still ruthlessly teasing him. it expertly displays how the expectations of society are ever changing and not worth aspiring for.
dragon: the old potters tale:
this story wasn't a favorite of mine, the main theme i can take away from it is the effects of gossip and lying. the main characters sets up a sign claiming that a dragon will emerge from a certain pond, and eventually this news spreads far and wide and a large crowd forms on the specified date. the man who spread the rumor is overcome with fear and guilt, and he considers whether to reveal his lie. suddenly, the dragon actually does ascend.
the spider thread:
this is my favorite story by akutagawa and its only like 3-4 pages long. i cant even put into words how deeply i feel towards this story. when he was describing the sinners just floating in a sea of blood i shivered in my boots and felt an overwhelming urge to cry. it inspires a strong visual for what hell was believed to be. not religious but i felt a strong desire to repent and for WHAT? in my opinion, he was not being selfish or i dont think he truly meant to harm those people who climbed up with him. he was just terrified of spiralling back down into hell and never being able to escape again. the thought of someone taking away that chance for him was debilitating and he was willing to do anything to prevent that from happening, however this ended in him cutting off people and isolating himself, and thus also hurting himself. he'd been blinded by fear and was unable to see that the people climbing up with him were in the same situation as him, this is not the result of selfishness but plain and simple human desire to survive; he mistook them as people who deliberately attempting to bring him down. maybe im just self projecting. im reading into this too much but i think its very deep and allegorical.
hell screen:
not a favorite but i still enjoyed it. i think that his lordship chose yoshihide's daughter to go in the carriage to spite him for having the audacity to ask for someone to die just so he could finish a painting. it was a really emotional story and i think the bonds between yoshihide and his daughter we really interesting. bro was too talented for his own good.
dr ogata ryosai: a memorandum:
this story really sheds light on the corruptness of religion and the lack of respect that people had for others' religions. the doctor refuses to treat a womans daughter solely because of what she believes in. he agrees to help on the condition that she give up her religion and convert to their town's general religion (christianity, if i remember correctly). she resists for as long as possible, but in the end resigns to him and agrees to renounce her religion and disrespect their items connected to it. when the doctor actually inspects her daughter, it ends up coming out that he is not able to save her from her life threatening sickness. i think this is a really important story for akutagawa, considering his own experience with lack of belief in religion and how he had gone so far as to deeply study the bible to see if he could believe.
o-gin:
on the last page it says something like this event was the single most humiliating event in all of christian martyrdom but i disagree. o-gin and the two who had raised her had agreed to renounce christianity so that they could live longer, but not out of selfishness, but rather so they could continue to spread their love of god. in my mind, this is not a humiliating moment for christianity, but in reality one of the most powerful. satan materializing into inanimate objects and/or other people was really similar to nikolai gogols writing style in a few of his short stories that feature satan.
loyalty:
this short story is absolutely amazing. the story of shuri's spiral into insanity was very interesting and how the people around him reacted evoked a lot of emotion in me; an example is how shuri despised peoples worry for him, but he was not being able to stop them from worrying because their worry was actually justified. one of the most important events from this book is when he said that cuckoos will sometimes rob nightingales of their nests; i firmly believe that this is foreshadowing and a metaphor. shuri is the nightingale and his nest is in danger of being robbed (when rin'emon tries to force him into retirement and replace him, when everyone believes hes no longer fit for leading). the last line says something like "what did he talk about during interrogation? cuckoos! maybe he believed he was killing a cuckoo!" and ties it all together. he kills a "cuckoo" to defend his nest.
the story of a head that fell off:
i know i said that the spider thread was my favorite but this one is. the spider thread is a very very close second though, the difference is, you could say, about the width of a spider thread haha... hahauha..haahhheh... first time reading this, i wasn't that into it i genuinely didn't remember anything from it. but now that i've read it again i have fully realized the literary genius that this is. the main characters head was sliced during a battle, and is hanging on by a flap of skin, as the cut wasn't a full one. as he's on the verge of death, he thinks about everything he wants to do in life and he prays that he can get another chance to fix everything and atone for his past. then, after losing consciousness, he actually gets that second chance as he finds himself in an infirmary. later on, he messes everything up and gets into a bar fight, causing his neck wound to reopen and his head to finally fall off. two men are discussing these events because it was in the newspaper; one of them said that he had probably experienced everything that he did the first time, like seeing old memories in the sky and clouds and wishing he could've done things differently, but this time he doesn't get that second chance. its not that he was lying about wanting to change its just that human beings cant even trust themselves. the depth to this story is limitless and it blows my mind to imagine how someone could write this.
green onions:
this story wasnt exceptional and, as stated by akutagawa's fourth-wall breaking while writing, simply a story that he wrote late at night to meet a deadline. it was comical and relaxing and i thoroughly enjoyed the comments from akutagawa, it seemed like he was talking to me and i was generally very happy while reading this. it describes a young girl who goes on a date and while walking with the man she gets very excited seeing the sale for green onions at a grocery store. i think it displays the simplicity of human life and the need for the little joys of every day encounters.
horse legs:
this is in my top five favorite stories by akutagawa. i think it expertly displays his sense of isolation and the fact that theres something about him that sets him apart from other people that he needs to hide away. though never explicitly stated or suggested, this seems to be an allegory and metaphor for the authors own life. horse legs deeply resonates with me and its always been a jewel of my heart.
daidoji shinsuke:
this was a semi-autobiography for akutagawa ryunosuke's life and went into detail about his childhood, revealing new information about the author. i like the personal aspect of this and i enjoyed this story immensely. it showcases akutagawa's paranoia from the very beginning of his life, what with how he had worried over the fact that he had not drank breast milk but rather cow milk.
the writers craft:
i enjoyed this story and being able to hear of his inner thoughts. i think the way that his writing that he was less proud of was what got the most attention. he had felt like a fraud for making a eulogy for a man he barely knew, and the reactions of the family members (tears and gratitude) only heightened this feeling of guilt.
the babys sickness:
not a big favorite of mine, i loved the family moment they had but aside from that it wasn't exceptional. i honestly just love his writing style and enjoy everything he writes even if it isn't extremely interesting. this story talks about how his baby had gotten sick, as the title suggests, and it describes the events after the initial sickness and how his family went to the hospital for the baby. it delves into the lack of interest in society that akutagawa showed.
death register:
ddeath register has such a vulnerable and profound depth to it and its very important to understanding akutagawa's life. it counts and describes the people who have died that were close to him, and it tells of the circumstances of their deaths and how it impacted him.
the life of a stupid man:
this is so beautiful and i absolutely adore this story. its one of my all time favorites by any author and it resonates with me intensely, which explains my infatuation with it. every section felt like a punch in the gut and i was left speechless and in awe of his writing style.
spinning gears:
another favorite story of mine; i think it perfectly showcases akutagawa's mental state in the later years of his life and places emphasis on the struggles that led up to his eventual suicide. the entire story had my jaw dropped and i could feel the rawness from his writing style as he described his experience with what was likely schizophrenia.
rashomon:
a really simple concept but i, for some reason, like to dig really deep into hidden meanings that probably arent actually there and so i believe that the pimple could represent his sense of morality (he picks at it when hes questioning if its morally correct to become a thief/attack the old woman) and i also think that the rashomon being in disrepair represents the servants state of mine and how he has lost his purpose in life (lost his job, has nowhere to go) just how the rashomon is no longer being used and is falling apart because of that. rashomon is very culturally important because it deals with the transition to a new era of japan. anyways i love this story, its one of my favorites.
in a bamboo grove:
this is a very interesting mystery and i still cant even begin to figure out what the truth is. i think all sides of the story are captivating and hold some sort of truth, but in the end its never solved which is an unfortunate reality of our world.
the nose:
this story seems to have a heavy metaphor for being different and trying to conform to standards. what really stuck out to me in this story was how even after he tries, and succeeds, in changing the shape of his nose, people are still ruthlessly teasing him. it expertly displays how the expectations of society are ever changing and not worth aspiring for.
dragon: the old potters tale:
this story wasn't a favorite of mine, the main theme i can take away from it is the effects of gossip and lying. the main characters sets up a sign claiming that a dragon will emerge from a certain pond, and eventually this news spreads far and wide and a large crowd forms on the specified date. the man who spread the rumor is overcome with fear and guilt, and he considers whether to reveal his lie. suddenly, the dragon actually does ascend.
the spider thread:
this is my favorite story by akutagawa and its only like 3-4 pages long. i cant even put into words how deeply i feel towards this story. when he was describing the sinners just floating in a sea of blood i shivered in my boots and felt an overwhelming urge to cry. it inspires a strong visual for what hell was believed to be. not religious but i felt a strong desire to repent and for WHAT? in my opinion, he was not being selfish or i dont think he truly meant to harm those people who climbed up with him. he was just terrified of spiralling back down into hell and never being able to escape again. the thought of someone taking away that chance for him was debilitating and he was willing to do anything to prevent that from happening, however this ended in him cutting off people and isolating himself, and thus also hurting himself. he'd been blinded by fear and was unable to see that the people climbing up with him were in the same situation as him, this is not the result of selfishness but plain and simple human desire to survive; he mistook them as people who deliberately attempting to bring him down. maybe im just self projecting. im reading into this too much but i think its very deep and allegorical.
hell screen:
not a favorite but i still enjoyed it. i think that his lordship chose yoshihide's daughter to go in the carriage to spite him for having the audacity to ask for someone to die just so he could finish a painting. it was a really emotional story and i think the bonds between yoshihide and his daughter we really interesting. bro was too talented for his own good.
dr ogata ryosai: a memorandum:
this story really sheds light on the corruptness of religion and the lack of respect that people had for others' religions. the doctor refuses to treat a womans daughter solely because of what she believes in. he agrees to help on the condition that she give up her religion and convert to their town's general religion (christianity, if i remember correctly). she resists for as long as possible, but in the end resigns to him and agrees to renounce her religion and disrespect their items connected to it. when the doctor actually inspects her daughter, it ends up coming out that he is not able to save her from her life threatening sickness. i think this is a really important story for akutagawa, considering his own experience with lack of belief in religion and how he had gone so far as to deeply study the bible to see if he could believe.
o-gin:
on the last page it says something like this event was the single most humiliating event in all of christian martyrdom but i disagree. o-gin and the two who had raised her had agreed to renounce christianity so that they could live longer, but not out of selfishness, but rather so they could continue to spread their love of god. in my mind, this is not a humiliating moment for christianity, but in reality one of the most powerful. satan materializing into inanimate objects and/or other people was really similar to nikolai gogols writing style in a few of his short stories that feature satan.
loyalty:
this short story is absolutely amazing. the story of shuri's spiral into insanity was very interesting and how the people around him reacted evoked a lot of emotion in me; an example is how shuri despised peoples worry for him, but he was not being able to stop them from worrying because their worry was actually justified. one of the most important events from this book is when he said that cuckoos will sometimes rob nightingales of their nests; i firmly believe that this is foreshadowing and a metaphor. shuri is the nightingale and his nest is in danger of being robbed (when rin'emon tries to force him into retirement and replace him, when everyone believes hes no longer fit for leading). the last line says something like "what did he talk about during interrogation? cuckoos! maybe he believed he was killing a cuckoo!" and ties it all together. he kills a "cuckoo" to defend his nest.
the story of a head that fell off:
i know i said that the spider thread was my favorite but this one is. the spider thread is a very very close second though, the difference is, you could say, about the width of a spider thread haha... hahauha..haahhheh... first time reading this, i wasn't that into it i genuinely didn't remember anything from it. but now that i've read it again i have fully realized the literary genius that this is. the main characters head was sliced during a battle, and is hanging on by a flap of skin, as the cut wasn't a full one. as he's on the verge of death, he thinks about everything he wants to do in life and he prays that he can get another chance to fix everything and atone for his past. then, after losing consciousness, he actually gets that second chance as he finds himself in an infirmary. later on, he messes everything up and gets into a bar fight, causing his neck wound to reopen and his head to finally fall off. two men are discussing these events because it was in the newspaper; one of them said that he had probably experienced everything that he did the first time, like seeing old memories in the sky and clouds and wishing he could've done things differently, but this time he doesn't get that second chance. its not that he was lying about wanting to change its just that human beings cant even trust themselves. the depth to this story is limitless and it blows my mind to imagine how someone could write this.
green onions:
this story wasnt exceptional and, as stated by akutagawa's fourth-wall breaking while writing, simply a story that he wrote late at night to meet a deadline. it was comical and relaxing and i thoroughly enjoyed the comments from akutagawa, it seemed like he was talking to me and i was generally very happy while reading this. it describes a young girl who goes on a date and while walking with the man she gets very excited seeing the sale for green onions at a grocery store. i think it displays the simplicity of human life and the need for the little joys of every day encounters.
horse legs:
this is in my top five favorite stories by akutagawa. i think it expertly displays his sense of isolation and the fact that theres something about him that sets him apart from other people that he needs to hide away. though never explicitly stated or suggested, this seems to be an allegory and metaphor for the authors own life. horse legs deeply resonates with me and its always been a jewel of my heart.
daidoji shinsuke:
this was a semi-autobiography for akutagawa ryunosuke's life and went into detail about his childhood, revealing new information about the author. i like the personal aspect of this and i enjoyed this story immensely. it showcases akutagawa's paranoia from the very beginning of his life, what with how he had worried over the fact that he had not drank breast milk but rather cow milk.
the writers craft:
i enjoyed this story and being able to hear of his inner thoughts. i think the way that his writing that he was less proud of was what got the most attention. he had felt like a fraud for making a eulogy for a man he barely knew, and the reactions of the family members (tears and gratitude) only heightened this feeling of guilt.
the babys sickness:
not a big favorite of mine, i loved the family moment they had but aside from that it wasn't exceptional. i honestly just love his writing style and enjoy everything he writes even if it isn't extremely interesting. this story talks about how his baby had gotten sick, as the title suggests, and it describes the events after the initial sickness and how his family went to the hospital for the baby. it delves into the lack of interest in society that akutagawa showed.
death register:
ddeath register has such a vulnerable and profound depth to it and its very important to understanding akutagawa's life. it counts and describes the people who have died that were close to him, and it tells of the circumstances of their deaths and how it impacted him.
the life of a stupid man:
this is so beautiful and i absolutely adore this story. its one of my all time favorites by any author and it resonates with me intensely, which explains my infatuation with it. every section felt like a punch in the gut and i was left speechless and in awe of his writing style.
spinning gears:
another favorite story of mine; i think it perfectly showcases akutagawa's mental state in the later years of his life and places emphasis on the struggles that led up to his eventual suicide. the entire story had my jaw dropped and i could feel the rawness from his writing style as he described his experience with what was likely schizophrenia.
theopenbookslady's review against another edition
5.0
Una vez más la cultura oriental me sorprende con su manera tan particular de escritura. Los mitos, las historias aquí contadas simplemente son magníficas.
Una mezcla de terror con aprendizaje y sorpresa. Equilibrado e interesante.
Me ha encantado 100% Y lo recomiendo totalmente.
Una mezcla de terror con aprendizaje y sorpresa. Equilibrado e interesante.
Me ha encantado 100% Y lo recomiendo totalmente.
tomasveiga's review against another edition
4.0
Being curious about the traditional Japanese culture I found this book very interesting. The selection of stories covers topics from both the clash of western and Japanese cultures to Akutagawa's struggles with mental health. Definitely recommend.
infinimata's review against another edition
5.0
One of Japan's greats, given another turn in the spotlight thanks to an outstanding new translation.
http://www.genjipress.com/2008/08/rashomon-and-17-other-stories.html
http://www.genjipress.com/2008/08/rashomon-and-17-other-stories.html
lidia7's review against another edition
Might finish later, it's too upsetting for me at the moment.
weisstars's review against another edition
3.0
really cool set of short stories. some of them kinda miss the mark for me but another chunk of them are truly fascinating to read.
cozylis's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75