Rashomon, by Ryunosuke Akutagawa

Rashomon and Other Stories
Ryunosuke Akutagawa

Akutagawa is hailed as a master of Japanese literature. Having been unfamiliar with his work, I decided to start with this collection of stories. I was left perplexed, and not altogether happy. Maybe it's because as an American with little to no knowledge of Japanese literature, I simply could not appreciate what Akutagawa had to offer. However, I don't believe that's the case. Good literature should transcend cultural and national boundaries.

"In the Grove" is the first story in the collection and is perhaps his most famous work. It tells the story of a murder from several points of view. Not surprisingly, these stories often do not mesh and even contradict one another. That perceptions can vary among people--this, I understand--but how on earth could several people murder one man??? He was killed with ONE STROKE -- and yet, apparently, three people stabbed him?? HUH?? I admit, I don't get it. I don't mind ambiguity, I don't mind open-ended resolutions--but this just seems ridiculous. I feel as though there was one "correct answer," and I just missed it. Perhaps I did. But I found this story more annoying than interesting.

The rest of the stories are good, but not particularly earth-shattering. I enjoyed that they are short, and the style is simple and direct. Akutagawa does not waste time with lengthy description or unnecessary discourse. More than the stories themselves, I found his style to be the biggest strength of this collection.

If I found any illumination here, it was that there is no real truth. Truth changes from person to person. I agree (although I still dispute that three people can't kill one person...unless, maybe they all managed to stab him in exactly the same spot? Lord, that's just silly too), but I've found better works which handle this idea (such as Seven Types of Ambiguity).

In a nutshell: I would recommend acquainting yourself with Akutagawa, as his "In the Grove" is pretty well known. But after reading this collection of stories, I don't feel compelled to read more.

Bibliolatry Scale: 2.5 out of 6 stars