Rashomon

Before you is a collection that is worth starting your acquaintance with the prose of Ryunosuke Akutagawa – a classic whose texts inspired Kurosawa, and whose name has become a symbol of literary mastery in Japan.
 
Ryunosuke Akutagawa is one of... those who turned Japanese prose into a world classic, combining the subtleties of his native culture with the traditions of European literature: in his honor, a prize is awarded in Japan for the most talented debutants, and the adaptation of his story "In a Grove" ("Rashomon" by Akira Kurosawa) won an "Oscar" in 1952.
 
Akutagawa is an unparalleled master of short prose. In just a few pages, he encapsulates entire epochs, immersing us in the history of Japan, and the dramatic depth inherited from Pushkin and Dostoevsky. In this collection, you will find both warm stories of gratitude and piercing novellas about wine, revenge, or judgment – each one captivates from the very first line and does not let go for a long time.