Rashomon Gates

This collection includes both the historical stories and novellas that brought Akutagawa worldwide fame and are automatically associated with his name (including the legendary "In a Grove," which served as the basis for the script of the immortal film "Rashomon" by Kurosawa), as well as those that are less known to Western readers but are even more revered in the author's homeland, set against the backdrop of the early 20th century Japan, still retaining many features of national uniqueness but eagerly and swiftly "Europeanizing." A separate mention is deserved for the recurring reminiscences in Akutagawa's work with classical Russian literature, which he admired greatly and in which, alongside his native history, he found an inexhaustible source of inspiration.