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Hell Screen

By Ryunosuke Akutagawa
Series: Little Clothbound Classics
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Hell Screen by Ryunosuke Akutagawa is a compelling tale set in imperial Japan that delves into the boundaries of artistic obsession and moral decay. It follows an enigmatic artist commissioned to create a screen depicting a scene of hell, as he becomes increasingly consumed by his desire to capture authentic suffering. This narrative explores the dark intersections of creativity, madness, and the human condition.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This fascinating work may appeal to you if you enjoy stories woven with dark psychological elements and intense depictions of human obsession and artistry. The narrative delves into the mind of a tormented artist driven to the edge by his creative passion, offering a gripping exploration of morality and madness. If you're intrigued by intricate descriptions and philosophical undertones, this tale might be a captivating read for you.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Introducing Little Clothbound Classics—irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas, and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith.

Akutagawa was one of the towering figures of modern Japanese literature and is considered the father of the Japanese short story. This paradigmatic selection, which includes the stories that inspired Akira Kurosawa's 1950 film Rashomon, showcases the terrible beauty, cynicism, sublime pain, and absurd humour of his writing.

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Hell Screen by Ryunosuke Akutagawa is often praised for its masterful and precise storytelling style. Haruki Murakami highlights the timeless appeal and spine-tingling brilliance of Akutagawa's works, while Jorge Luis Borges admires the crystal-clear style amid the story's extravagance and horror.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241573693

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 25 August 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Translated by Jay Rubin
  • Translated by Jay Rubin

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 23.0mm

Width: 116.0mm

Height: 169.0mm

Weight: 228g

Pages: 224

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Penguin Classics Ryunosuke Akutagawa Series: Little Clothbound Classics

About the Author

Ryunosuke Akutagawa was a short-story writer, poet and essayist, and one of the first Japanese modernists translated into English. He was born in Tokyo in 1892, and began writing for student publications at the age of ten. He graduated from Tokyo University with an English Literature degree and worked as a teacher before becoming a full-time writer in 1919. His mother had suffered a mental breakdown shortly after his birth and he was plagued by fear of inherited insanity all his life. He killed himself in 1927.

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