nickdleblanc's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this one up because I love Akira Kurosawa’s films. I knew that he had used “In a Grove” as the basis for his film “Rashomon” while interpolating some of the title story as well. Akutagawa’s work is not dissimilar from the short stories you might expect to find in a high school literature textbook. None of them have particularly deep character development but they all have some big underlying idea lurking just below the surface. The grossly named “Yam Gruel” describes the phenomenon of “petit objet a” that Lacan would go to write about later, “The Dragon” explores the psychology of belief within large groups like you might find in religion or today’s right-wing idiot fascination with QAnon, and the title story (which would make a fantastic stage adaptation) explores the choices we make to survive and how they influence the path of our life. This collection would be a great gift for a well-read middle school aged kid. Many of these stories are clearly derived from old Japanese folk tales. It’s fascinating because as Americans we are so far removed from their cultural reference points—save for bastardized American versions of them like Western films—that when we hear these stories they feel familiar (because we too have a folk tradition that has a similar literary vibe) but what they are about and how they play out is entirely foreign to us. Like in “The Dragon” they are referencing Buddhist legends which are well known in Japan but alien to those of us who are ignorant to the history. It’s a pity I’m only getting to Japanese literature now in my 30s. If I were a Lit teacher, I’d certainly use some Akutagawa.
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tl;dr—Good short stories for those of us who used to read ahead in the lit textbooks during English class, or anyone who has ever watched Kurosawa and craves a deeper understanding
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tl;dr—Good short stories for those of us who used to read ahead in the lit textbooks during English class, or anyone who has ever watched Kurosawa and craves a deeper understanding
wisteriacrow's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mellowbread's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ironic stories about 1900s society. What drives, compels, and motivates us are things we want to keep hidden like desire, insecurities, and greed. I loved this a lot!
brockemsockemrobot's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
alexcavanaugh's review against another edition
4.0
A nice collection of short stories. Enjoyable with or without a literature degree. Worth noting that the Rashomon movie is actually based off of the story "In a Grove" rather than the story titled "Rashomon."
zeecorster's review
4.0
Some really solid stories in this little collection. The biggest draw is absolutely "In a Grove," which Kurosawa famously adapted into Rashomon, but that same sneaking psychological insight lurks behind all six of these stories in one way or another. Akutagawa has such a clean writing style, and it's because of those simple sentences and storytelling that he's able to raise so many questions about human nature throughout these little fables. There wasn't a bad one in the bunch.
ppoduszkajas53_bw's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Ancient Japan was a pretty strange place