Book Description

"Extravagance and horror are in his work but never in his style, which is always crystal clear."-Jorge Luis Borges

Customer Reviews (3)

A welcome addition to Japanese literature shelves.
Skillfully translated from the original Japanese by Charles De Wolf, Mandarins: Stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa is an anthology of short stories written during the all-too-brief life of Ryunosuke Akutagawa (1892-1927). Fluidly evoking 1920's Japan, in an era when traditions were in flux and the yearning for personal liberty burned brightly, Mandarins features characters who struggle against the society around them. The three stories in Mandarins, translated into English for the first time, are "An Enlightened Husband", "An Evening Conversation", and "Winter". At times cruel, at times fantastically descriptive, Akutagawa's prose resonates with a piercing clarity on every page. A welcome addition to Japanese literature shelves.

An Alternate Angle on Akutagawa
If one wants to read the vaguely disturbing stories of Akutagawa Ryunosuke, the "Father of the Japanese Short Story" in English translation, there are any number of good collections available. This one is a little different, though, and not just because it includes three works never before translated. Akutagawa is justifiably famous for taking old tales from classical Japanese literature and giving them an unusual psychological twist--this is by far the Akutagawa most familiar to readers abroad, but retold tales in this line are after all only one aspect of this versatile author's overall literary output. That being the case, the translator here has wisely chosen to de-emphasize (though not entirely ignore) such stories and focus instead on Akutagawa's more explicitly modern--and modernist--works, many from the latter years of this fine author's unnaturally short life.

Some of these stories are clearly autobiographical, giving us precious glimpses of what it was like coming of age as an educated youth in early twentieth century Japan as well as startling and uncomfortable gazes into his slow and unsteady descent into mental instability. Others, largely non-autobiographical, are just good old finely crafted explorations of the human condition rendered through the words and actions of characters that seem memorably real. Others still fall somewhere in between, like "O'er a Withered Moor"--ostensibly a fictional retelling of the death of the Haiku poet Matsuo Basho surrounded by his disciples and a meditation on selfishness and mortality, it is also clearly a reflection by Akutagawa upon the recent death of his own mentor, the novelist Natsume Soseki. Whatever the case, all of the stories herein showcase Akutagawa's uncanny ability to focus an uncompromising lens intently into the darker corners of the human heart and the murkier ambiguities of the human condition as always while also demonstrating his surefire grasp of the dread and anxiety inherent in our experience of modernity, whatever its erstwhile advantages may be.

Charles De Wolf does an excellent job of rendering Akutagawa into English, it should be mentioned, and provides just the right amount of background material for each story: not so much that the text is overburdened with footnotes, but enough unobtrusively in the back of the book that now nearly a century after these stories were first published their intended context and assumed knowledge are right there at one's fingertips, along with the original titles and publication dates and such. De Wolf has also done extensive work with the medieval tale collections and Buddhist miracle accounts so often re-interpreted by Akutagawa and so is in an unusually good position to clarify for the reader just what kind of spin Akutagawa is putting on these, at least for the few translated here. This then is an indispensable short story collection both for those with an abiding interest in modern literature (Japanese or otherwise) but especially for longtime Akutagawa fans who will surely enjoy seeing his work from a new and somewhat rare perspective--even if the effect is a bit, well, Rashomonesque.

Stories included in this book:
1. Mandarins
2. At the Seashore
3. An Evening Conversation
4. The Handkerchief
5. An Enlightened Husband
6. Autumn
7. Winter
8. Fortune
9. Kesa and Morito
10. The Death of a Disciple
11. O'er a Withered Moor
12. The Garden
13. The Life of a Fool
14. The Villa of the Black Crane
15. Cogwheels

Translation preference keeps it from 5 stars
I'm a big Akutagawa fan, and have only read in this volume so far the couple stories that also appear in the penguin books deluxe collection of shorts.

So far, and I have no way to go to the source since I am an English speaker, I dislike this translation, to the point where the choice of words seems to take out some of the energy from the penguin translations.

I'll update this review after getting to the stories original to this volume.

Any new translations of Akutagawa are better then none. ... Read more

Book Description
This collection features a brilliant new translation of the Japanese master’s stories, from the source for the movie Rashomon to his later, more autobiographical writings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

short and unsettling
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.

This is an excellent edition
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.

Wonderfully written and highly entertaining
I was expecting a lot when I first opened Rashomon and 17 other stories, and I was not let down.Ryunosuke Akutagawa has an amazing style, and also led an interesting and difficult life.I recommend that anyone considering this product get it, whether it be from a used book store or a new copy.You won't be let down.

JAY RUBIN'S TRANSLATION: BE NOT DECEIVED BY EXCELLENT COVER!
Please, this refers to the Jay Rubin translation with the Barefoot Gen style graphic cover. Do not be deceived: This is not a "graphic novel" representation of the seventeen Akutagawa short stories in the style of the excellent and important historical Barefoot Gen series. You cannot tell from the Search Inside feature generously provided, which refers to another edition and another translator. This I refer to to is the Jay Rubin translation published by Penguin in 2006, and already available very economically. It is not a graphic novelization like Gen; it is the straight presentation of an excellent translation highly recommended to the thoughtful reader of advanced short stories.

Other reviewers have mentioned Kafka. I would add the early symbolist stories of James Joyce presented in cold realist style. But please do not categorize nor pigeon hole these profound presentations of reality from a meditative, Asian perspective. Enter this world without fear and ready to learn. Come with your cup emptied, ready to fill and to fill it up again.

Other reviewers have adequately explicated this excellent and generous collection which arrives to my grateful hands today. Finally perhaps something will release Mr. Joyce long enough from my hands to consider another author, having studied so long and frequently the film of Rashomon. Criterion's excellent restoration and commentary are well worth acquisition and stand up under repeated viewing of their DVD (as they choose among HDTV formats). Please notice here the orignal stories (also included in the Criterion package with different translator- a crucial point of departure) and the transfer of titles.

A great book for a quiet day. A great book for mass transport if you can focus in silence. I cannot destroy the tales by a clumsy attempt at summary. REpeated reading is rewarded by more profound understanding, just as walking through a village every day for a year will finally grant some slight perception of its realities and rhythms. I wish these were available on audio book as my over-worn eyes fade in to the gloom.

Rashōmon
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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent for what's out there
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."

The best collection of Akutagawa that I've come upon
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.

Poor, poor Akutagawa
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.

Contemporary Themes in a Beautiful Book
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 thethief is stealing is what is shocking, and the morals and ethics thatAkutagawa explores are extremely interesting. This book is a must have forfans of Japanese Literature. ... Read more

Book Description
From the author of Rashomon comes a Swiftian satire of Japanese society thinly disguised as the fictitious Kappaland. Peopled with creatures from Japanese folklore, Kappaland serves as a vehicle for the humorous examination of the moral foibles of Japanese society in the early 20th century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Human Visits the Land of Japanese Water Sprites
Ryunosuke Akutagawa was the premier Short Story fiction author of early 20th century Japan.His career was cut short by his suicide at age of 34 following his descent into madness.Kappa is one of the last pieces that Akutagawa wrote, and true to his form, he was often influenced by ancient tales of mythological creatures.This particular novella is the story of a mental institution patient who describes his sojourn in the land of Kappa, Japanese water sprites.Indeed, except for the size, Kappaland mirrors Japanese society.Akutagawa uses various archetype characters to reflect on the changes in contemporary Japan - the student, the poet, the composer, the businessman.Also, in the detailed interest in suicide and death in this story, one sees the upcoming suicide of Akutagawa himself.All the major characters are male and in Kappa society, the female Kappa are the pursuer and wooer of the males, quite the opposite from Japanese society.Just as Akutagawa himself was heavily influenced by the newly "discovered" European writers and philosophers, the Kappa revere many of these same authors.During his life, Akutagawa was obsessed with Kappa and produced many drawings, alas none of which are in this volume. What is invaluable to the reader is Healey's lengthy introduction which includes a short biographical sketch of Akutagawa, and puts this story in the context of his life's work.

An author disgusted with humanity's hypocrisy and egotism
This Japanese novel by Ryunosuke Akutagawa was rather too broad a satire for my tastes.I read it because the INKlings of Haruki Murakami's novel "Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World" were based on the kappa.These are creatures from Japanese folklore with slimy amphibian bodies, a water-filled saucer at the top of the head, and the ability to change color to match the background, like a chameleon."Kappa (folklore)" on Wikipedia gives more information.

Actually, I enjoyed the long essay on Ryunosuke's life (by Graham Healey) at the beginning of the book more than the novel itself.Ryunosuke's mother became insane and used to draw people, but always with fox faces.Later Ryunosuke, who had been fascinated with mythology as a child, made many drawings of the kappa.

The novel shows Ryunosuke's increasing disgust for humanity -- thinly veiled as the Kappa -- and indeed, after suffering increasing mental illness, he committed suicide in 1927 at age 35.

Memorable satire
"Kappa" is a wonderful lampoon of Japanese society written by the gifted but troubled Akutagawa Ryunosuke.Even though nearly 80 years have passed since Kappa was written, the people and subjects that Akutagawa impales with his pen (religion, capitalism, literature, abortion, heredity, etc.) are no less pressing today, making Kappa nearly as easy to analyze and enjoy now as when it was written.

Akutagawa's writing style is a joy as always, and the plot is familiar to readers of Robinson Crusoe or Alice in Wonderland (Akutagawa finished translating Alice in Wonderland the same year he wrote Kappa).Adapting the tale to Japan, Akutagawa chooses to use an outsider to Kappaland in a role as a "specially protected person," much like foreigners were treated (and to a degree still are treated) in Japan.The reader is left with the question of whether Patient 23 is sane or not, and more importantly, has the world we live in gone mad?Despite the years that have passed since it was written, Kappa continues to be a fun and pertinent read.Reading Kappa, I am reminded of the great shame it is that the world lost as brilliant a writer as Akutagawa at such a young age.

The distorted mirror of Kappaland
"Kappa" is told from the point of view of Patient 23, an asylum inmate who tells of his incredible journey into the heart of Kappaland, peopled by the Kappa, the magical creatures of Japanese folklore.

In the tradition of "Gulliver's Travels," inside Kappaland, Akutagawa, author of "Rashomon" and "In the Grove," has created a twisted reflection of both his contemporary Japanese society and his own self-loathing.It has been a difficult tale to interpret in Japan, being hailed as either a children's story, a social satire or simply weird.Akutagawa himself feared insanity due to his mother's mental deterioration during his youth, and his own justified fear of the taint of madness in his blood.

Akutagawa's mental state when writing "Kappa" is important background, and the paperback edition comes with an extensive mini-biography of the famous author that is almost the size of the story itself.Akutagawa never wrote novels, and it is strange to see a single story packaged in one book.The introduction/biography is well written as well, and helps to reveal the story.

The writing in "Kappa" is sharp and quick-witted.The satire is equal parts clever and odd.Religion, marriage, arts and entertainment, all are in part skewered and skewed.The book is an incredibly fast read, and one that you will want to pass to your friends to read as well, so that you can see what someone else makes of it.

a book with a difference
"Kappa" is one of the best books of Akutagawa - one of the least appreciated authors of pre-war Japan. Kappa can be compared to only one book that I remember of and that is Karel Capek's award winning "War with the Newts". Kappa was ages ahead of its time especially considering the society in which Akutagawa was living in.
This is a story about interactions of a human being, whose sanity is in question, and the Kappas, some mythical creatures. This is a satire in the essence that Akutagawa draws critical picture of Japanese intellectual society and their egos and vanity. The Kappa society is an equitable representation of the human society with the same set of problems but different set of solutions. This is one of those books which is a must for a good collection. ... Read more

Book Description
Word count: 1171. ... Read more

Book Description
"There can be no doubt that [Akutagawa] had more individuality than any other writer of his time and has left in Japanese literature a mass of artistic work, often grotesque and curious, that, while it undoubtedly angers the proletarian experimenters who now hold the stage and fight with lusty pens and a highly developed class consciousness against all that he stood for, will continue to live as long as men go on treasuring the fancies their fellows from time to time set down with care on paper."--Glen W. Shaw ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Hell Screen ("Jigoku Hen")
This is an amazing book - Ryunoske Akutagawa was probably one of the most talented but under rated authors of the whole talented bunch. Again, like most of the Japanese traslations (with exception of Mishima, Kawabata, Oe) - this is poor translation (I would rather use the term inadequate or less than sufficient). If we are aware of the culture then we can see the canvas much more clearly and understand how vivid it is. I found a fantastic first edition where the drawings are just amazing. To many of the western people the stories may look like folklores but believe me there is more to it. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Siempre!, published by Edicional Siempre on May 23, 2001. The length of the article is 428 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Akutagawa en Veracruz.(TT: Akutagawa in Veracruz.)(Reseña)(Artículo Breve)
Author: Vicente Francisco Torres
Publication: Siempre! (Refereed)
Date: May 23, 2001
Publisher: Edicional Siempre
Volume: 47Issue: 2501Page: 54

Article Type: Reseña, Artículo Breve

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