Pages: 144
ISBN: 9780889628731
Pub Date: December 2007
Imprint: Mosaic Press
Price:
£11.95
Usually available in 6-8 weeks
Pages: 144
ISBN: 9781771610674
Pub Date: November 2014
Imprint: Mosaic Press
Price:
£13.50
Usually available in 6-8 weeks
Description:
In 1914, Akutagawa published his short story Rashomon, which won him considerable praise and he followed that up with another highly acclaimed short story, The Nose. His reputation as one of the first great Japanese modernists in literature was already established during his lifetime. In 1950, a great Japanese film director, inspired by the work of Akutagawa, released his classic film Rashomon.Akutagawa was an avid reader of ghost stories, Chinese and Japanese classics as well as Poe, de Maupassant, Anatole France, Kipling and other masters of the short story. His works probe psychological themes such as decadence, obsession and the grotesque, all combined in a highly dramatic narrative style. This book is a collection of his work.
From the literary giant of Japan, who is often referred to as the “Godfather of the Japanese short story”, and after whom the most coveted literary prize of Japan is named, the Akutagawa Prize, comes this collection of three of his greatest short stories.Akutagawa is probably best known for his story Rasho¯mon which was adapted for the screen by legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. When he died at the young age of 35, the author had penned well over 150 short stories, including Cogwheels which he wrote just before his suicide in 1927.Accompanied by stunning woodcuts by renowned artist Naoko Matsubara, and expertly translated by Howard Norman, the three stories compiled here reflect the haunting, precise and brilliant style of Akutagawa and offer a superb entry point to his work.Haruki Murakami aptly described Akutagawa’s writing when he remarked, “the flow of his language is the best feature of Akutagawa’s style. Never stagnant, it moves along like a living thing… His choice of words is intuitive, natural - and beautiful”.
