Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories

I found about Akutagawa from the anime Bungo Stray Dogs and I'm sure I'm not the only one. As expected, the book is fantastic. Every story as has so much emotions and concept pouring out of it, I've never once regretted buying this novel.Though i would like to give a disclaimer, it's not fit for children and anyone not okay with dark things

An unusual collection of stories, some realistic, some fantastic, with some autobiographical type of pieces at the end. (Unusual, both in terms of the mixture of themes and also because many of them describe a world (medieval Japan) so different and yet in some ways so familiar.) Even if many ofthe stories are retellings of earlier works, they are well told.In the more autobiographical pieces, there are so many references to real literary figures that, despite the notes so kindly provided at the end, it really takes time to refer to other sources to find out about them. (As mentioned in the introduction one cannot be sure how much is fact and how much fiction in the last few stories, but these are clearly unlike the earlier stories.)

The book will be helpful for a reader to know Japanese literature

Such lucid writing with unusual theme, premises that make sense and challenge the way you view world.

Enjoyed the lovely stories. Very happy to own this Book.

Amaizng book

Not the best page quality but otherwise good

Item not as described or as shown here when it was delivered. It is not a deluxe edition with the cover page as shown, It is only an ordinary edition with a different cover.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa, one of Japan's great writers, demonstrates his creative genius in the variety and excellence of the short stories included in this anthology. "Rashomon" and "In a Bamboo Grove" were the basis for Kurosawa's famed movie. However, the subsequent stories are equally captivating in their ability to briefly communicate original themes. The ability to eloquently surprise the reader with each of the stories is a credit to his fame. Recommended to anyone who enjoys the short story genre. Akutagawa's novels "Botchan" and "Kokoro" are also highly praised and recommended.

Este libro pertenece a la colección "Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition", los cuales vienen con portadas y contraportadas muy llamativas, además de tener la particularidad de que sus hojas dan la impresión de estar mal cortadas; OJO, esto es intencional, no hagan caso a los comentario que dicen que es un defecto de fábrica.

Amazing book

I had been meaning to read some of Japans "national" authors pre 1940s and Akutagawa was one of those on my list. I found thos translation of Rashomon and 17 stories. I found resonance with his wit and saw the decline leading him to suicide at the age of 35 this collection had me from page 1 and read in one go. It was worth it.

Let's get the cliché out first: Most everybody interested in this collection will know the title story by name as it is the framing device of Kurosawa's film of the same title. The bulk of that film's plot, OTOH, is from another story [In a grove], also contained in this very well selected collection.Jay Rubin is a well-known translator of Japanese, for good reason. He hits a well-balanced style relaying the original's intricacies where possible without sacrificing readability - remember that translation is probably more about the target language than the source. Sure, one should understand the culture of the source to get as many connotation as possible. In the end one wishes readers of the target language to learn by way of entertainment they get from the translation. Rubin bolsters understanding with erudite notes and short introductions for the period pieces.The Kindle edition I own is well typeset and formatted, its only downside being the introductions to the stories, which hide just before the notes for the same piece. Unfortunately the introductions do not have their own links.All in all a well thought out, entertaining story collection and introduction to the work and world of Ryunosuke Akutagawa. Highly recommended.