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Murder in the Age of Enlightenment

Essential Stories
3.87 goodreads logo

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( 621 ratings, 102 reviews)
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
Murder in the Age of Enlightenment by Ryunosuke Akutagawa is a compelling collection of short stories delving into the human psyche and moral complexities during the Taisho era in Japan. Each story offers a rich exploration of themes such as existentialism, identity, and the pursuit of truth, inviting readers on a thought-provoking journey through skillfully woven narratives.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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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 book may appeal to you if you're fascinated by gripping tales set during pivotal historical periods and enjoy masterful storytelling from a literary legend. It offers a collection of thought-provoking mysteries and insights into human nature, all written with Akutagawa's distinctive style and poignant exploration of the human psyche.

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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

These are short stories from an unparalleled icon of modern Japanese literature. Sublimely crafted and shot through with a fantastical sensibility, they offer dazzling glimpses into moments of madness, murder, and obsession.

A talented and spiteful painter is given over to depravity in pursuit of artistic brilliance. In the depths of hell, a robber spies a single spider's thread being lowered towards him. When a body is found in an isolated bamboo grove, a kaleidoscopic account of violence and desire begins to unfold.

Vividly translated by Bryan Karetnyk, this mesmerising collection brings together a series of essential works from the master of the Japanese short story.

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?

Murder in the Age of Enlightenment by Ryunosuke Akutagawa receives high praise for its captivating storytelling and clarity. Haruki Murakami appreciates Akutagawa's mastery of the short-story format, while Jorge Luis Borges admires his ability to blend extravagance and horror with a clear style. Described by David Peace as the quintessential writer of his era and by Howard Norman as both traditional and experimental, Akutagawa is lauded for his compelling and fearless writing.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781805330295

Publisher: Pushkin Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 October 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Pushkin Press Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 208

About the Author

RYUNOSUKE AKUTAGAWA was one of Japan's leading literary figures in the Taisho period. Regarded as the father of the Japanese short story, he produced over 150 in his short lifetime. Haunted by the fear that he would inherit his mother's madness, Akutagawa suffered from worsening mental health problems towards the end of his life and committed suicide aged 35 by taking an overdose of barbiturates.

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