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hades9stages's review against another edition
4.0
i’d like to re read this one day after learning more about akutagawa and the time it was written so i can read it more in context and perhaps understand some of them better. but the ones i could understand i enjoyed, i love how he creates his atmospheres
d_saff's review
4.0
Review posted here: https://55booksin52weeks.wordpress.com/2016/12/30/review-rashomon-and-seventeen-other-stories/
microhierax's review
5.0
i would write a proper review but uhhhh. words hard. so all i gotta say is that this was really good, absolutely worth the read.
janellephant's review against another edition
5.0
I highly enjoyed this collection of fantastically cynical and oftentimes deeply disturbing short stories. My favorites included "In a Bamboo Grove," "Dragon: the Old Potter's Tale," and "Hell Screen."
enteka's review
4.0
Favourites were Hell Screen, In A Bamboo Grove, O-Gin, and practically all of the stories from the part titled "Akutagawa's Own Story"; I particularly liked Spinning Gears. Haven't read much about Akutagawa but his influences are interesting-- especially the different ways he seems to write about religious topics and historical times. Then there is also the way he makes you aware that you're reading a written work... and also his own semi-autobiography.
Murakami's introduction is nice to read, too.
Murakami's introduction is nice to read, too.
It is unfortunate for the gods that, unlike us, they cannot commit suicide.
everdugo's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
egilmore's review
5.0
Akutagawa’s (translated) writing itself is probably a 4 for me, but the care with which this collection was translated, curated, organized, and explained was exceptional. I read everything: the head notes, foot notes, Murakami’s introduction, the translator’s note, and Akutagawa’s chronology. Together they make for a really rich reading experience. Truly excellent presentation.
As for Akutagawa: Prior to this, I had only read “In a Bamboo Grove” and it has stuck with me since high school. There are many enjoyable and interesting shorts in here, but my favorites were:
—the succinct, evocative, and POV-ambitious historical pieces Rashomon and In a Bamboo Grove
—the very weird, funny, and ominous contemporaries Horse Legs and Green Onions
—the poetic, ruminative, and revealing The Life of a Stupid Man,
—and the two standout pieces: Hell Screen and Spinning Gears.
Murakami and Rubin acknowledge these are the knockouts, and they’re not wrong. Hell Screen took my breath away and is one of the best short stories I’ve ever read. Spinning Gears is the less showy but no less impressive autofiction accomplice: a dark side to Hell Screen’s moon. Taken in tandem with Akutagawa’s biography, they will haunt you with their stylistic acumen and probes into artistry, madness, and domestic reckoning.
As for Akutagawa: Prior to this, I had only read “In a Bamboo Grove” and it has stuck with me since high school. There are many enjoyable and interesting shorts in here, but my favorites were:
—the succinct, evocative, and POV-ambitious historical pieces Rashomon and In a Bamboo Grove
—the very weird, funny, and ominous contemporaries Horse Legs and Green Onions
—the poetic, ruminative, and revealing The Life of a Stupid Man,
—and the two standout pieces: Hell Screen and Spinning Gears.
Murakami and Rubin acknowledge these are the knockouts, and they’re not wrong. Hell Screen took my breath away and is one of the best short stories I’ve ever read. Spinning Gears is the less showy but no less impressive autofiction accomplice: a dark side to Hell Screen’s moon. Taken in tandem with Akutagawa’s biography, they will haunt you with their stylistic acumen and probes into artistry, madness, and domestic reckoning.