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Ryūnosuke Akutagawa: Rashōmon And Seventeen Other Stories

Stewart

Active Member
I bought the new Penguin Classic, Rashōmon and Seventeen Other Stories by Japanese author, Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (1892-1927), with the intention of furthering my knowledge of Japanese fiction and its writers beyond Mishima and the spaghetti obsessed Murakami. What I found in this collection is an interesting mix of stories providing an adequate introduction to Akutagawa, but not enough, perhaps, to interest me further.

Preceded by a foreward by the aforementioned Haruki Murakami, the collection is split into four parts by translator Jay Rubin. This division is to differentiate the works between different parts of the author's short life much like Picasso's output can be pigeonholed into such periods as blue and rose. So, we have his early retelling of Japanese legends and anecdotes through to conflicts between native religion and Christianity missionaries, on to modern works highlighting both tragic and comic circumstances, before reaching his biographical work in which he showcased his own madness.

For me, the earlier stories of Akutagawa proved more interesting. Rashōmon, which provided the title for Akira Kurosawa's 1950 film, is followed by In A Bamboo Grove, the story upon which the film was based. The Nose, a comic tale of vanity, is followed by the great Dragon: A Potter's Tale, which in turn is followed by the wonderful, albeit predictable, Hell Screen, a story about an artist who requires to see his subject matter so that he may capture it on canvas; thus, when commissioned to paint Hell, he sets about having his vision of Hell recreated before him so that he may recreate it with measured strokes.

Of the later stories there are few standouts, although that may just be my preference for stories set in a highly romanticised medieval Japan than in a period (the 1920s) in which I know little of the nation. The stereotypical legends of samurai, peasants, and overlords sit far more comfortably with me than a beautiful history deeply influenced by western imports. One of the better stories is Horse Legs, a Kafkaesque tale in which a Japanese Gregor Samsa wakes to find that he has equine legs, complete with hooves, and there follows comic situations as he attempts to hide his secret from everyone, notably the wife whom he shares his bed. The Writer’s Craft was another story that sat well with me, a tale about how the appreciation of an author’s work is not determined by the time put in but by how others interpret it within their own lives.

The collection gathers together a blend of Akutagawa’s well known short pieces in addition to a bunch of stories translated to English for the first time. While some of these freshly translated stories appealed, I couldn’t help feel it was a cynical attempt to force a few new tales on those already initiated with the author’s work: one story, for example, is just a fragment of a longer unfinished piece.

Akutagawa’s writing, at least in translation, is certainly vibrant and his stories come at you from all manner of narrators, the most common seeming to be told from the point of view of someone who witnessed the events but was not integral to the plot. Later stories, such as The Life Of A Stupid Man, show interesting attempts at style but the narrative (a series of numbered paragraphs with individual titles) is so personal that it would seem to be only of interest to friends and family of the author, in addition to Akutagawa scholars.

All in, this book serves to give me an introduction to the author and, with the extensive footnotes, a further understanding of different periods in Japan’s history. But, given my indifference to many of the stories, especially Akutagawa’s more personal pieces, I doubt I’ll go in search of his previously translated works, although the occasional retelling of previous Japanese tales may be enough to pique my interest in much the same way a cookie may keep me satisfied until teatime.
 
I don't know if you'd have any interest but this link includes Akutagawa's suicide note : A Note to a certain old Friend
 
Thanks.

I don't know what it is, but when I happen across new authors to me from the further reaches (from where I am now) of the world they always seem to have committed suicide. Yukio Mishima, Sadegh Hedayat, Sandor Marai, and the other day a novel by a Russian author caught my eye and, looking at the notes on the inside, it appears he was another one to take his own life.
 
Thanks for that excellent review of a collection I've had on my amazon wish list for a while. Although to be honest I'm not sure whether I now want to bump it up the list or not.

Stewart said:
...intention of furthering my knowledge of Japanese fiction and its writers beyond Mishima and the spaghetti obsessed Murakami...

You might want to check out Kenzaburo Oe, Yasunari Kawabata and Shusaku Endo.

I had Yasushi Inoue recommended to me in this thread about Akutagawa, but haven't had chance to investigate as yet.

K-S
 
I picked up this book in Waterstone's at the weekend ... and then put it down again. Some of the stories sound interesting, though, particularly The Writer's Craft. Maybe one for next time I can't think of anything else to buy...
 
don't know what it is, but when I happen across new authors to me from the further reaches (from where I am now) of the world they always seem to have committed suicide. Yukio Mishima, Sadegh Hedayat, Sandor Marai, and the other day a novel by a Russian author caught my eye and, looking at the notes on the inside, it appears he was another one to take his own life.

These literary types :rolleyes:

I guess thats why i've always been told i shouldn't read so much.

Kenny,

I have Kenzaburo Oe's Somersault in my pile, but i've just stopped reading a pile of books on the middle east and don't fancy a heavy read. I haven't read any of his work before so if you could kindly tell me whether he's a pleasant read or whether i'm going to end up bashing my head on the wall. I can then place it accordingly in the pile. Many thanks :D
 
Kenny Shovel said:
Oe is someone who I've thought about buying for a while now; I've got an interest in reading the winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature, hence all the Steinbeck, Laxness, my current read, and novels such as Hemingway, Hamsun and more, which I've bought but not got round to.

When I think of the collection again, one of the best parts is the lengthy introduction by Murakami wherein he discusses Akutagawa's place in Japanese literature - as influence and as subject of study in schools. Murakami attempts to list ten influential Japanese authors but cheekily lists only nine, as if implicitly suggesting he should occupy the final place.

The authors, apart from Akutagawa, that he lists are:
  • Natsume Sōseki (1967-1916);
  • Mori Ōgai (1862-1922);
  • Shimazaki Tōson (1872-1943);
  • Shiga Naoya (1883-1971);
  • Tanizaki Jun'ichirō (1886-1965);
  • Kawabata Yasunari (1899-1972);
  • Dazai Osamu (1909-1948);
  • Mishima Yukio (1925-1970)
 
Gem said:
Kenny,

I have Kenzaburo Oe's Somersault in my pile, but I’ve just stopped reading a pile of books on the middle east and don't fancy a heavy read. I haven't read any of his work before so if you could kindly tell me whether he's a pleasant read or whether I’m going to end up bashing my head on the wall. I can then place it accordingly in the pile. Many thanks :D

I've not read Somersault, although having had a quick peek on amazon the cover looks rather inviting...

Of the books I have read, I can say that he's not an overly wordy writer who bogs you down in layer upon layer of prose. He's not quite as minimalist a Japanese writer as Kawabata, but he's edging in that direction. His stories also tend to have an engaging plot. All in all, I think you can risk Somersault without the fear that you're diving into a Japanese Finegan's Wake.

Regards,

K-S
 
Stewart said:
Oe is someone who I've thought about buying for a while now; I've got an interest in reading the winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature, hence all the Steinbeck, Laxness, my current read, and novels such as Hemingway, Hamsun and more, which I've bought but not got round to.
I've not gone totally down this direction for selecting books, but it did give me a push when I was considering Laxness & Oe.
Laxness has an interesting writing style, so I'd be interested in what you make of Independent People, especially as my aversion to books over about 300 pages has kept me away from it so far.

Stewart said:
When I think of the collection again, one of the best parts is the lengthy introduction by Murakami wherein he discusses Akutagawa's place in Japanese literature - as influence and as subject of study in schools.
Yes, the premier Japanese writing award seems to be named after him. Now that's a list I have no intention of wading through any time soon.

Stewart said:
Murakami attempts to list ten influential Japanese authors but cheekily lists only nine, as if implicitly suggesting he should occupy the final place.

The authors, apart from Akutagawa, that he lists are:
  • Natsume Sōseki (1967-1916);
  • Mori Ōgai (1862-1922);
  • Shimazaki Tōson (1872-1943);
  • Shiga Naoya (1883-1971);
  • Tanizaki Jun'ichirō (1886-1965);
  • Kawabata Yasunari (1899-1972);
  • Dazai Osamu (1909-1948);
  • Mishima Yukio (1925-1970)

That may prove a useful list, as apart from Mishima & Kawabata, the only one I’d heard of was Junichiro Tanizaki, as I’ve had a eye on ‘The Makioka Sisters’ for a while.

K-S
 
Thank you Kenny :)
I'd be happy to send it your way after i'm done.

You didn't enjoy Finnegans Wake?? I'm shocked!:D


Thanks for the author list Stewart, I'll wait until you've read all their work and then i'll read your excellent reviews ;)
 
I read Rashomon and Other Stories and I have to say I was disappointed by it. Maybe the editor picked the wrong stories* or maybe the translation bothered me, but it just didn't seem to work for me. Some of the stories Stewart mentioned did sound interesting though, so maybe I should give Akutagawa one last chance before writing him off.

* The "other stories" were In a Grove, Yam Gruel, The Martyr, Kesa and Morito and The Dragon
 
Thanks.

I don't know what it is, but when I happen across new authors to me from the further reaches (from where I am now) of the world they always seem to have committed suicide. Yukio Mishima, Sadegh Hedayat, Sandor Marai, and the other day a novel by a Russian author caught my eye and, looking at the notes on the inside, it appears he was another one to take his own life.

Hey, plenty of more renowned authors have taken the same tragic path. Ernest Hemingway, Jerzy Kosinski, Primo Levi, Sylvia Plath, Hunter S. Thompson, Virginia Woolf, John Kennedy Toole.
 
Hey, plenty of more renowned authors have taken the same tragic path. Ernest Hemingway, Jerzy Kosinski, Primo Levi, Sylvia Plath, Hunter S. Thompson, Virginia Woolf, John Kennedy Toole.

Yasunari Kawabata, Richard Brautigan, Stefan Zweig, Horacio Quiroga, Tadeusz Borowski, and the list goes on.
 
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