Rashomon (New Edition)
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Summary
Editor's review
The volume includes not only the title story "Rashomon" but also such classics as "The Nose," "Hell Screen," and "In a Grove." Akutagawa's writing was deeply shaped by both Japanese classical literature and Western literature, giving his work at once the subtle suggestiveness of the East and the rational speculation of the West. In "In a Grove," the author narrates a single event from multiple perspectives, revealing the relativity of truth and the complexity of human nature—a technique later adapted by director Akira Kurosawa into the film Rashomon, which won the work worldwide renown.
As an editor, I believe the greatest value of this edition lies in the scholarly quality of its notes and introduction. The editor provides detailed yet never excessive annotation on the historical background of the late Meiji through Taishō periods in which Akutagawa lived, and on Japanese traditional cultural symbols (such as Noh theater and Buddhist thought), greatly easing the Chinese reader's understanding of the cultural context behind the works. Akutagawa's writing is often labeled "gloomy" or "pessimistic," but in this edition's interpretation readers can see more fully his profound concern for the human condition—the inquiry into "beauty" and "goodness" that persists even in despair.
I recommend this new edition not only for the authority of its text and the quality of its editing, but because it offers an occasion to rediscover Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. In today's culture of fast consumption, reading these short stories with a quiet mind is like undergoing repeated spiritual tempering, keeping us, amid a complex and shifting reality, attentive to and thoughtful about the depths of human nature.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in Japanese literature and Eastern philosophy
- Literature lovers who enjoy short stories and finely crafted narrative structures
- Thinkers who wish to explore the complexity of human nature and moral dilemmas in depth
- Students and scholars of modern Japanese literature or comparative literature
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking light entertainment or pure diversion
- Readers impatient with psychologically detailed, slower-paced literary fiction
Reading tips
- Begin with shorter pieces such as "Rashomon" and "The Nose," then gradually move on to deeper works like "Hell Screen"
- Read alongside the notes to understand the historical background and cultural context of the late Heian period in Japan
- After each story, pause to reflect on the moral and human questions the author raises
About the publisher
Guangdong People's Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher whose list spans Eastern philosophy, philosophical works, history, foreign literature, documentary literature and classical literature. Its holdings include 255 titles, with representative books such as Wang Yangming's Instructions for Practical Living, Plato's Republic, Jiang Tingfu's Modern Chinese History, Natsume Soseki's I Am a Cat, Albert Camus's The Stranger, Nazi Germany and the Philosophers: A Man's Exile, The Winter of Literature: Artists under Hitler's Rule in 1933, and the five-volume Three Words and Two Slaps. Its authors and translators include Wang Yangming, Plato, Jiang Tingfu, Natsume Soseki, Albert Camus, Ding Wei, Xu Jianxiong and Li Yumin. The publisher balances philosophical classics, historical works and translated foreign literature, with attention to both classical and documentary literature. Public information is limited, so this introduction focuses on the publishing directions reflected in its catalog.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 罗生门
- 竹林中
- 遭检非违使盘问之樵夫的陈述
- 遭检非违使盘问之行脚僧的陈述
- 遭检非违使盘问之放免的陈述
- 遭检非违使盘问之老妪的陈述
- 多襄丸的供词
- 到清水寺来的女人的忏悔
- 借巫女之口说话的鬼魂的陈述
- 橘子
- 鼻子
- 戏作三昧
- 一
- 二
- 三
- 四
- 五
- 六
- 七
- 八
- 九
- 十
- 十一
- 十二
- 十三
- 十四
- 十五
- 秋
- 一
- 二
- 三
- 四
- 海市蜃楼
- 一
- 二
- 地狱变
- 一
- 二
- 三
- 四
- 五
- 六
- 七
- 八
- 九
- 十
- 十一
- 十二
- 十三
- 十四
- 十五
- 十六
- 十七
- 十八
- 十九
- 二十
- 毛利老师
- 秋山图
- 西乡隆盛
- 舞会
- 开化的丈夫
- 蜘蛛之丝
- 一
- 二
- 三
- 黄粱一梦
- 译后记
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About the author
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.
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.
