Rashomon Books

Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Rashomon and 17 Other Stories (Penguin, 2006)

I'll admit I picked this up less because it was Akutagawa than the bit that said "illustrated by Yoshihiro Tatsumi", who's been one of the best in the business for over thirty years. When I actually got it, I found out Tatsumi was only responsible for the cover, but I went ahead and read it anyway. Eighteen of Akutagawa's stories, including "Rashomon" and "In a Grove" (the two stories that, in combination, Kurosawa adapted into the movie Rashomon). Very simple, almost stark at times. Haruki Murakami, in his introduction, stops short of naming Akutagawa as the founder of Japanese modernism, but all signs seem to point that way; if you're a fan of Japanese modernism, this is a no-brainer. For others-- well, if you haven't been exposed to any Japanese media culture at all, you might be in for something of a surprise. Not so much on the level of the stories themselves, which are quite wonderful and universal in their emotional scope, but in the directness of Akutagawa's prose style. This isn't the kind of thing you'll find in American story anthologies; we tend to gussy things up with flowery language and endless subplots and Moments of Great Import(TM). Akutagawa just has a story to tell (in many of the earlier stories, he's just retelling old fairy tales in new language, though the later stories show a more autobiographical side), and he tells it, and that's the end of it. You may find this as refreshing as I do, just be aware of what's lurking between these covers. ****

I saw Kurosawa's Rashomon and thought that Akutagawa's stories used to build the movie fable could give me some additional amazement extending the one I've gotten from the movie. After reading this book from the front to the back cover and under a single breath - I hardly remember what were my initial expectations and motives urging me to buy and read this book.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa, as the introduction to this work will tell you, is one of the most well known and admired figures in Japanese literature. He was a sensitive and cynical man who wrote more than one hundred short before his early death in 1927. Like many people in the West, I think I was drawn to Akutagawa's work after viewing Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon" and wanted to read the story (or stories, rather) upon which it was based. Just as Kurosawa was a master of the moving image, Akutagawa was a master of the written language and a keen observer of the human condition.

For those not familiar with Akutagawa's work, be warned: his dark, ironic and frequently pessimistic world-view is not for everyone. In his stories love, honor and decency are often frequently and unexpectedly replaced by jealousy, hatred and violence. This collection of stories can easily be read in one or two sittings, but it's unsettling effects will likely stay with you for long you put it down.

With 17 other stories, and alot of extras. The preface is well written, in how the translation has changed some over the years, and explaining the era, pronounceation of certain words, etc. I really don't need to go into this book as enough good reviews have said alot. The book stands the test of time as brilliant.

This is a review of Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories, translated by Jay Rubin and published in 2006. Not Rashomon and Other Stories, the name of two other shorter books by other translators that were published years ago. Why Amazon groups together the three books despite their different contents, I don't know; no stars for them.

The author, Akutagawa (1892-1927), is even today considered one of Japan's most accomplished short-story writers. As some reviewers say, he's not for everyone. But readers attracted to the dark, pessimistic and atmospheric, or to the introspective and psychological subtleties conveyed with style in his best stories, might find some of his works worthwhile.

He published about 150 stories between 1914 and his death; a scholar of his work has written somewhere that about half of them are still readable. There's a big gap between the best and the rest. Before this collection, some 60 of the stories had been translated into English since the 1930s. Here, eight more appear in English for the first time. The translator claimed nine, but a translation by Lawrence Rogers of "The Death Register" appeared earlier, in 2002.

Akutagawa's short-story career can be divided roughly into three periods. In the early works, from 1914 to 1922, at his best he drew inspiration from Japanese folktales and history and a range of non-Japanese sources, focusing on the characters' psychology to make them strikingly modern. Of the early works, the best known in English are "The Nose" (1916), "Kesa and Morito" (1918), "H-ll Screen" (1918) and "In a Grove" (1921), besides the vignette "Rashomon" (1915).

In the middle period, from 1922 or so to 1925, he sought more frequently and somewhat less successfully to make the settings of his writing more contemporary, while beginning to draw more deeply from his own life. Many of the works from the late period, from 1926 or so to his death, were heavily autobiographical, with his unease and despondency strongly apparent. Among the best-known works from the late period are "The Life of a Fool," "Spinning Gears" and "Kappa," all from 1927.

This anthology devoted about two-thirds of its pages to the early period, with the remainder split between middle and late. The translator sought a balance between retranslations of the author's well-known pieces from throughout his career -- most of the stories already mentioned, plus the beautifully compressed moral tale "The Spider's Thread" -- and first-time translations of lesser-known ones from the early and middle periods. The first-time translations, it was claimed, showed a funnier, more shocking and more imaginative side than had appeared previously in English.

Of the first-time translations, most enjoyed were those from the middle period: "Daidoji Shinsuke: The Early Years" (1924), the author's recollections of growing up in Tokyo in which his early psychology came strikingly alive, and "The Baby's Sickness" (1923) and "The Writer's Craft" (1924), in which he depicted with concern or irony the details of his family and working life. It seems that translations of autobiographical stories from this period haven't been published widely before, if at all. So they appear to be one of this anthology's main contributions.

Stories from the author's early period that were translated for the first time covered subjects such as harassed Christian villagers in the provinces in earlier times and an insane feudal retainer in Edo. Though maybe not on the level of his very best writing from this period, they too helped provide a more complete picture of his work. In particular, his story about a Christian who renounced her religion in an attempt to save her daughter, who then died, showed again his great ability to depict the macabre in ways that can't be forgotten.

Of the retranslations, maybe what's most worthwhile is that the versions provided here of the late works "The Life of a Fool" and "Spinning Gears" are better than the previous ones, more nuanced and more polished.

The main short stories I missed in this anthology were "Kesa and Morito," a brilliantly reimagined event from Japanese medieval times told in the first person, from the clashing perspectives of a man and a woman. And "Tangerines" (1919), a memorable vignette of observation and feeling during a train ride taken by the narrator. These were missed because for me this author, except in his moral tales, is often at his best in the early stories when speaking through other characters in the first person. Or in the works before his late period when he's describing events drawn from his own life but is in full control. Otherwise, too often the earlier stories feel a bit detached or in the late pieces his nervous sensibility becomes too jarring.

The anthology seems to have been a labor of love by the translator, who reevaluated the author's complete works and retranslated a number of the best-known stories, instead of just reprinting previous versions. There was an introduction by the writer Haruki Murakami that was useful for a Japanese perspective on Akutagawa's life, problems and significance. The collection also supplied a detailed chronology of the author's life and many scholarly footnotes. It contained several more stories than the other large anthologies, Glenn Shaw's Tales Grotesque and Curious (1930), Takashi Kojima's Japanese Short Stories (1961) and Exotic Japanese Stories (1964), Seiji Lippit's The Essential Akutagawa (1999), and Charles De Wolf's Mandarins (2007). It's the most careful and detailed of any collection for this author that I've seen.

Still, it lacked works of his that are well worth reading. For that reason, those who enjoyed it might also like the other collections, especially the ones by Lippit and De Wolf. The quality of the translations in Lippit varies -- unlike Rubin's book, numerous translators were involved -- and about half the titles are the same. But from the early period Lippit offers strong pieces set in the past that supplement the ones in Rubin, such as "Kesa and Morito," "Tu Tze-Chun" (1920), "Autumn Mountain" (1921) and "The Faint Smiles of the Gods" (1922). His anthology also contains Akutagawa's erudite but grim note of farewell.

The anthology by De Wolf offers a mix of the familiar, including new versions of "Tangerines" and "Kesa and Morito," and tales translated for the first time. Compared to Rubin and Lippitt, De Wolf devotes less space to the macabre early stories set in the past and more to the variety of styles in the author's career. There are a number of tales from the early period set in contemporary times, for example, including "The Garden" (1922). And "Winter" (1927), a late but masterful story that isn't obsessively autobiographical.

Shaw's anthology also contains earlier works well worth reading, such as "Mori Sensei," "Lice" and "The Wine Worm," as well as good versions of "The Handkerchief" and "The Ball."

This reader hopes that translators of future collections for this author will take the opportunity to introduce into English a few more of his still-untranslated works, among them "The Story of St. Christopher" (1919), which has been called a stylistic tour de force, "A Day in the Life of Oishi Kuranosuke" (1917), and "Lechery" (1921). Or maybe even something from his essays, like "Words of a Dwarf." Aside from the interest of his best works, he stands out as one of the more sensitive writers of his time and place during a period of massive change. And not least, as a personality.

11th Century Japan is not the normal setting for most historical novels set in the Land of the Raising Sun. While samurai, monks, and nobles still plot and plan within the Imperial Court tea is yet to have become the common drink and the whole feel of Japanese life, while familiar, still seems a tad off, not as orderly. While much of the time is spent by Sugawara Akitada in the Imperial University trying to solve one crime he soon finds himself in the middle of many evil deeds. Are all they linked together or is he just unlucky enough to have stumbled upon more than one criminal act? The confusion slows down the plot a tad, which is why I took away a star, but that is the only flaw within the pages of this book. Buy it used or new. And if you enjoy it, like I did, then go find the others, like I plan to.

Sugawara Akitada, scion of a family fallen upon hard times and a low level clerk in the Ministry of Justice doomed to shuffling papers, takes a welcome leave of absence to help out an old friend. Hirata, Professor of Law at the Imperial University, was Akitada's former teacher and had sheltered him when he was estranged from his family. He has found a suspicious note that hints at blackmail and hopes Akitada, who has a keen mind and sense of justice--and a penchant for solving mysteries, will look into a situation that may lead to scandal when the University is already in a precarious position.

The mystery quickly evolves in complexity and severity as first one body is discovered, a female musician found on University grounds before an important poetry contest, and then another, this time a professor. Additionally, Akitada, who has taken a temporary teaching position, becomes interested in one of his young students whose grandfather died under mysterious circumstances.

Set in 11thC. Heian Japan, we catch glimpses of the life of the powerful lords and those not so powerful, as well as those who hope to move up in status in government and through education and ministerial appointments, the academic bickering of the university, the merchants and artisans of Kyo (present day Kyoto), down to the servants, indigent beggars and criminals. Parker seamlessly weaves these elements into the mystery plot, along with a cast of involving characters and even a slight touch of romance.

This is the third Akitada mystery I've read (sadly out of order, but the books can stand well alone), and I've found them all worthwhile reads.

This book has a great story line and holds your interest. It is the first book I have read by this author but not the last. The only drawback I saw was the actual physical quality of the book. The first time I opened the paperback, the binding broke and has grown increasingly worse. May be better in hardback.Rashomon Gate

Enjoyed the book very much and am in the process of ordering his latest.
Shared it with x-pats in Japan.

Sugawara is a gentleman who bends class distinctions to the discomfort of his peers. He helps both the 'good people' as well as the 'low classes'. In this respect, the Sugawara series reminds me of the Lord Peter Whimsey series, which I also enjoyed.

The author rotates several plot lines and always maintained my interest. The characters development is reasonably full, but not at the expense of the storyline. Parker manages to write a story set in a foreign and ancient environment without sacrificing readability. Some reviewers here have confused the readability with an attempt at juvenile fiction, and this simply isn't the case.

The book is divided into two parts. The first part tells the "story" of Love Canal five times, each from the perspective of a different interest group: the chemical company that produced the wastes, the homeowners affected, the New York Health Department, etc. These stories are different, often inconsistent. The second part reconciles, so far as is reasonable, the conflicting claims. Like peeling the layers of an onion to finally get to the core, we get an unusually cogent view of what really happened at Love Canal -- and what did not happen.

This book provides a systematic, balanced account of the history of Love Canal as it concerns various interested groups--Hooker Chemical, Love Canal Homeowner's Association, Niagara Falls School Board, press, etc. It is unique in that it does not lean toward any one side in its recounting of the various sides of the story. Its analysis of the impact of the events and the where the responsibilities might rest is certainly one of the best I've read. Also a terrific book on EPA response to a policy crisis--it provides a springboard to further discussion of the media's role in public policy as it concerns environmental issues.

Akutagawa, while popular in the 70's is near impossible to find good collections of his works nowadays. This collection has some of his more well known pieces as well as my favorites, "Cogwheels" and "A Fool's Life." These two gems are worth their weight in gold. I highly suggest this book for these two masterfully written "suicide letters."

Akutagawa Ryunosuke is regarded as one of Japan's most significant 20th century authors, and although his work might seem a bit dated to the savvy 21st century reader, there is no denying the fact that he was a master of the short story form. Chief among his strengths were a remarkable ability to build atmosphere and a knack for tightly-constructed narrative. At his best, he could even be a gifted raconteur, capable of turning an otherwise heavy-handed moral parable into a humorous reflection on modernity and the human condition. Akutagawa was also a tragic figure-- bleak cynicism and bitter irony run throughout his stories, and he eventually committed suicide.

Sadly, Akutagawa's stories were among the first translated when Japanese literature became an academic field in America. Not that his stories aren't worthy of translation. After all, who hasn't at least heard of the film 'Rashomon,' the very title of which has entered the English language? The unfortunate aspect of this is that Akutagawa's stories have often been translated by individuals who are far from proficient in the Japanese language. And these decades-old translations are still the only ones available in English, in spite of their shortcomings.

Sadly, this recently-published collection of Akutagawa's stories is not the sorely-needed volume of new and skilled translations that the author deserves. Instead, it is a repackaging of the same old versions that have been making the rounds in various volumes of Japanese literature for decades. Granted, there have been a small number of editorial updates. Even so, countless egregious errors in translation still stare forth from the pages of this book ('Cogwheels' is quite literally unrecognizable when compared to the original, and nothing short of incompetent). And far from being an "essential" volume of the stories of Akutagawa, this could more accurately be described as a rogue's gallery of well-intended misfires in the history of Japanese literature in translation.

The translation is not as bad as some of the reviews make it out to be. At times (I can count them on my hand)sentences may seem a little awkward but by no means does this hinder the story telling in any way. Akutagawa's use of language is not full of rhetoric that would be hard to translate. That's the beauty of his work: each line has it's own energy and he doesn't bog it down with flowering up the language. It's subtle, strong and poetic.

This book is by far one of the best collections of Akutagawa's work. There are hard to find stories in here and his range as a writer are displayed to the reader. All the stories are great here, and the classics such as Rashomon and In a Grove are included, but the treasures are the visceral "Hell Screen," the cultural investigations of "The Ball" and "The Faint Smiles of the Gods," the surreal "San Sebastian," the horrific view inside the mind of Akutagawa in "Cogwheels" and the poetic "A Fool's Life"

plus, all the rest included in the volume are greatly executed pieces literature as well.

If you are interested in Akutagawa and would like read more and get closer to the mind of this amazing Japanese writer, definately pick it up. If can find this book, get it. And usually they aren't expensive.

I only wish they would issue out new printings so that it was easier for people to get a hold of and share.

A collections of Akutagawa's work that truly is "essential." Akutagawa breaks down conventional narrative boundaries with such classics as "Cogwheels" and "Hell Screen." "Rashomon" is a chilling tale of a traveler's encounter with an old thief. What the thief is stealing is what is shocking, and the morals and ethics that Akutagawa explores are extremely interesting. This book is a must have for fans of Japanese Literature.

Another excellent book by I J Parker. Makes acient Japan come to life. A really enjoyable read

If you enjoy historical novels or mysteries, I recommend Parker's series. Rashomon Gate is the second I've read, and it's a quality read. Parker's deep research provides a very good flavor of medieval Japan, especially its politics and social customs. The reader can learn a lot in an enjoyable way.

As this is a mystery, not a thriller, there is more emphasis on solving cases than on physical action, so readers looking for frequent bloody sword fights will not find them. However, the characters and their motives are believable, and the protagonist is the sort of person you can root for. These characters and the small scenes that reveal their humanity bring the book to life.

I read Black Arrow first, and do not think the books must be read chronologically, but some readers may find them more enjoyable that way because you can see the progression of Akitada's career.

My only issue was with the way that Japanese words have been changed for english words -- wine instead of sake. I had to translate back to Japanese just to get the into the "mood".

This looks like an interesting and handsome volume, containing commentary by a number of persons about the film and its antecedents. To be honest, I have not read it yet.

I was hoping against hope that it would contain the screenplay for the film; it does not. It contains the usual transcript of the film printed in screenplay format instead.

Rashomon is one of the greatest films of all time, as evidenced by: (a) its placement in the top 250 movies ever (currently #57) at the Internet Movie Database; (b) its current rank of #2 among all foreign movies at a Web site of an "online community of foreign film buffs"; (c) a current grade of A- with Yahoo! Users (which is fairly rare for any movie); (d) tens of thousands of "hits" if you use any Web search engine; (e) a Tomatometer rating of 100% (i.e., all positive critics' reviews) at the Rotten Tomatoes Web site; (f) its selection in a 1996 Movieline Magazine article as one of the 100 Greatest Foreign Films; (g) its inclusion in the 2002 book "The A List: The National Society of Film Critics' 100 Essential Films"; (h) its listing in the 2004 book "The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made"; (i) its placement as #10 in the Village Voice "100 Best Films of the [20th] Century" based on a 1999 poll of critics; (j) the movie's influence on later ones such as "The Usual Suspects," "Courage Under Fire," "Wicker Park," and "Hero"; and (k) its #9 rank in the British Film Institute's Sight and Sound Directors' Top Ten Poll 2002.

This book gives a great deal of info about this 1950 motion picture masterpiece. It's similar to the book "Focus on Rashomon" published in 1972 by Prentice-Hall and also edited by Donald Richie. Both contain a 20+ page essay by Richie originally from "The Films of Akira Kurosawa," as well as the short stories by Akutagawa ("Rashomon" and "In a Grove") that form the basis of the film. Also in both books are various reviews and commentaries, including "Rashomon and the Japanese Cinema" by Curtis Harrington; "Rashomon and the Fifth Witness" by George Barbarow; "Rashomon as Modern Art" by Parker Tyler; "Memory of Defeat in Japan: a Reappraisal of Rashomon" by James Davidson; and "Rashomon" by Tadao Sato. (Some reviews and commentaries - by Farber, Gadi, Ghelli, Iwasaki, Mercier, Time Magazine, Young, and Zunser - are in the 1972 book but not this one. I didn't feel that any of these were crucial.)

Improving upon the 1972 compilation, however, this 1987 Rutgers volume contains: (1) An essay by Audie Bock, "Kurosawa: His Life and Art." (2) A 57-page continuity script. This is similar to pages 11-169 of the book "Rashomon; a film by Akira Kurosawa from the filmscript by Akira Kurosawa and Shinobu Hashimoto" published in 1969 by Grove Press, except that there are fewer stills and the duration of each of the 407 shots is not given. (3) An excerpt from Kurosawa's 1982 "Something Like an Autobiography." (4) High-quality 1970s-1980s commentaries by Kauffman, Mellen, and McDonald. Buy this book from Amazon.com!