Rashomon

Name: Rashomon
ISBN: 9787505738126

Ryūnosuke Akutagawa / 朱娅姣China Friendship Publishing Company · ChinaApr 2018

4.3

Word count: 97K words
Chapters: 17
ISBN: 9787505738126

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Summary

This collection brings together fifteen stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, including "Rashōmon," "In a Grove," "Hell Screen," and "The Nose." "Rashōmon" tells of a servant waiting under the Rashōmon gate at dusk for the rain to stop. Lost and unable to decide whether to live or die, he encounters an old woman who survives by pulling hair from corpses. Driven to desperation, the servant's evil nature surges, and he resolves to abandon virtue for vice, strips the old woman of her clothes, and flees from the Rashōmon gate. The plot is simple, the characters few; in a brief space and a small scene, time, place, characters, and ending are all laid before the reader. With an airtight structure, "Rashōmon" drives man to the limit of the choice between life and death, revealing the inescapability of "evil" and conveying the author's understanding of humanity, his helplessness and despair.

Editor's review

"Rashōmon" is a representative short-story collection by the Japanese literary master Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, including sixteen classic works such as "Rashōmon," "In a Grove," and "Hell Screen." With a cold, unsparing touch, intricate structure, and sharp dissection of the abyss of human nature, Akutagawa builds an artistic world full of doubt and paradox. In "In a Grove," in particular, contradictory accounts of the same event from multiple narrative perspectives profoundly reveal the relativity of truth and the complex selfishness of human nature—a narrative technique that has even given rise to the cultural concept of the "Rashōmon effect." This book is not a simple compilation of stories but a mirror held up to the dark places of the human soul. Within the framework of classical subjects, Akutagawa infuses modern philosophical thought, exploring eternal questions such as the predicament of existence, moral choice, and the conflict between art and truth. His prose combines classical concision with modern sharpness, unleashing astonishing intellectual energy within extremely short works. Reading Akutagawa requires setting aside expectations of simple good and evil and instead immersing oneself in his calm exploration of the subtle folds of human nature. The value of this work remains ever fresh: the questions it raises—Where is the bottom line of human conduct in extreme circumstances? Can we know and speak the truth?—still interrogate every reader today.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in exploring the complexity of human nature and moral gray areas
Literature lovers who appreciate a refined, cold literary style and intricate narrative structures
Beginners who wish to understand the essence of modern Japanese literature and the core of Akutagawa Ryūnosuke's thought
Readers who reflect on philosophical and psychological issues such as the relativity of truth and the predicament of existence

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking light entertainment and straightforward, escapist stories
Readers who expect single, clear answers and moral preaching

Reading tips

It is recommended to begin with the title story "Rashōmon" and the celebrated "In a Grove" to experience his core style.
While reading, note how Akutagawa modernizes historical and legendary material, and consider the metaphors behind it.
There is no need to finish it all at once; after each story, pause briefly to savor its plotting and the questions it raises.

About the publisher

China Friendship Publishing Company China · Founded in 1983

China Friendship Publishing Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literary titles, covering classical Chinese literature, foreign literature, folk literature and cultural appreciation. According to the books in the database, its classical list includes celebrated dramas and novels such as The Peony Pavilion, The Romance of the Western Chamber and Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, as well as note-style classics like Hong Mai's Rongzhai Suibi. In foreign literature it offers translations of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Kawabata Yasunari's Snow Country and Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl, involving translators such as Zeng Siyi. It also publishes The Complete Literary Works of Lu Xun and titles associated with the "Xue'er Shuguan" editorial group, balancing the collation and popularization of classic texts. Public information on its publishing features and plans is limited; the above is summarized only from the books in the database.

版权信息
译本序
橘子
罗生门
竹林中
鼻子
戏作三昧
秋
海市蜃楼
地狱变
毛利老师
秋山图
西乡隆盛
舞会
开化的丈夫
蜘蛛之丝
黄粱一梦

FAQ

What is the relationship between the title "Rashōmon" and the content of the stories?

"Rashōmon" was originally the name of a gate in Kyoto; in the story it is the setting, symbolizing an extreme environment of decay, chaos, and moral collapse. Later, owing to the enormous influence of the film Rashōmon (adapted from "In a Grove"), the term "Rashōmon" gradually came to refer to an event in which each side gives its own account and the truth is difficult to discern.

Why is Akutagawa Ryūnosuke's style described as "cold"?

"Cold" is reflected in the objective, calm narrative tone, which rarely reveals the author's subjective feelings; it is reflected even more in his unflinching exposure of the dark sides of human nature—self-interest, hypocrisy, cruelty. Like a surgeon, he dissects human nature with precise language, delivering a powerful rational impact.

How difficult is this book to read?

The individual stories are short, the language refined, and the narratives clear, so the barrier to entry is not high. Yet the ideas are profound and full of paradox and metaphor, requiring the reader's active thought and interpretation; thus depth of understanding can vary greatly, and the book rewards rereading.

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About the author

Ryūnosuke Akutagawa Author · Japan · 1892–1927

Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (1892–1927) was a Japanese novelist of the Taishō period. Born in Tokyo, he was originally surnamed Niihara and later took the surname Akutagawa after being adopted into the Akutagawa family. In 1915 he published "Rashōmon," which won the admiration of Natsume Sōseki. He is known for short stories such as "The Nose," "Hell Screen," and "In a Grove," and is regarded as the father of the Japanese short story; the Akutagawa Prize is named after him. His works often draw on history and classical sources, written in a restrained, precise style that reveals the subtle and absurd sides of human nature within a compact form. They are commonly classified as foreign literature and classics, and some pieces appear in examination selections. In 1927 he took sleeping pills and died at the age of thirty-five.

朱娅姣 Author

Zhu Yajiao is a Chinese book author about whom little public information is available; eleven titles are known under her name. Judging from the catalogue, her work is largely connected with Japanese literature: her representative titles include Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country, The Old Capital and Thousand Cranes, as well as editions of Ryunosuke Akutagawa's Rashomon and a selection of short novels by Akutagawa and Osamu Dazai, together with Yasha, Who Became a Tree. These entries commonly fall under social fiction, classic works and foreign literature, suggesting that she has taken part in presenting modern and contemporary Japanese classics to Chinese readers. Since her dates, nationality and education are unknown, no personal biography can be given; on the available evidence, her contribution lies mainly in making Japanese classics accessible in readable Chinese form to readers interested in Japanese and foreign literature.