Ryūnosuke Akutagawa

Japan's modernist master explores family, art and the fear of madness in exquisite autobiographical pieces and a short story.

The Life of a Stupid Man

Sophía Allan

De repente... fue realmente de repente. En la entrada de una librería, mirando una recopilación pinturas de Van Gogh, comprendió, de repente, lo que era la pintura. Por supuesto, la recopilación de pinturas de Van Gogh no reunía más que reproducciones fotográficas. Pero, incluso en estas ilustraciones, sintió, perfilándose con nitidez, la naturaleza. La pasión por aquellos cuadros transformó su visión del mundo. Empezó a prestar una atención incesante a la tortuosidad de las ramas de los árboles y a la redondez de las mejillas de las mujeres. Un lluvioso atardecer de otoño, cruzaba casualmente un paso subterráneo en las afueras. Al otro lado, al pie del terraplén, había una carreta detenida. Mientras pasaba por allí, tuvo la sensación de que otra persona había recorrido antes aquel camino. ¿Alguien?... Ya no era preciso que se interrogara a sí mismo. En el corazón de aquel muchacho de veintitrés años, un holandés con una oreja cortada y una larga pipa en la boca clavaba sus ojos perspicaces en el triste paisaje...

I've thought long and hard about this book and what I'd like to say about it, however, I find it difficult to communicate. So I'll do my best, but take it all with a grain of salt.

I read "the life of a stupid man" and "spinning gears" (it was an edition that included both into one book, which seemed appropiate since both narratives are quite short) looking for answers and I believe I've found them. The true reason I decided to read the works of Akutagawa, is because I knew that at the very end of the edition I picked up, they included his suicide letter adressed to one of his dear friends. I was interested in reading that descent into madness, into a depth that I couldn't otherwise access. I wanted to know how his narrations led into that suicide letter, and I believe that's the answer I found.

"Spinning Gears", the first part in the edition I read, is quite interesting; it feels very stream-of-consciousness. It is a story that feels like aimlessly walking somewhere, and you're enjoying the melancholic landscape, but there really is no end goal. It tells the story of a man who sees spinning gears in his field of vision and they seem to act as a representation of the man's depression. It was especially interesting as it lead into "The life of a Stupid Man", which is a collection of short "stories" if you can call them that; they're basically paragaphs, most of them just as aimless as Spinning Gears. They're like thoughts being said out loud. And altogether, these stories transmit the last moments of melancholy, sadness and perhaps lucidity that Akutagawa experienced. The stories are sad, and they all convey a void that I'm sure the author was experiencing in his real life. There's an emptiness, perhaps a shallowness to all of them, as we can tell that there is something unsaid in every line of text.

Akutagawa's words feel full of uncertainty at times, and if anything, it all feels very rushed and unfinished, but that is perhaps the essence of the suicide ideation he was experiencing at the time; it is a rushed goodbye. The stories lead to nowhere, until you get to the final part, and read his suicide note. That's what they were leading to.

It's hard to recommend Akutagawa based on these works; they're not as exceptionally reflexive and interesting as that of authors like Osamu Dazai (No Longer Human), who were on a similar path mentally, yet managed to convey their ideas into a narrative that makes more traditional sense than that of Akutagawa, but precisely that is what's interesting here: Akutagawa communicates the ineffable. So, if I were to rate the stories """objectively""" (whatever that means), based solely on the text I received and read, and not counting the suicide note into my score, I'd give it about 3 stars, which is what I've put here. That being said, my personal score is 4 stars taking the suicide note into account as it provides the missing ending- and perhaps I'd even give it 5 stars if you're someone who's ever wanted answers about suicide.

 summary, this is not necessarily a great read, maybe not even a good one per sé. But it personally helped me make peace with the departure of those I've loved. I somehow was able to understand something that had completely eluded me before, all thanks to Akutagawa's unfiltered and desperate narration. I will always be appreciative of this book for helping me understand the other rushed, unifinished, desperate stories I've encountered in life.

So 3 stars for anyone that asks me in casual conversation; 5 stars for anyone that knows me on a deeper level.

I've thought long and hard about this book and what I'd like to say about it, however, I find it difficult to communicate. So I'll do my best, but take it all with a grain of salt.

I read "the life of a stupid man" and "spinning gears" (it was an edition that included both into one book, which seemed appropiate since both narratives are quite short) looking for answers and I believe I've found them. The true reason I decided to read the works of Akutagawa, is because I knew that at the very end of the edition I picked up, they included his suicide letter adressed to one of his dear friends. I was interested in reading that descent into madness, into a depth that I couldn't otherwise access. I wanted to know how his narrations led into that suicide letter, and I believe that's the answer I found.

"Spinning Gears", the first part in the edition I read, is quite interesting; it feels very stream-of-consciousness. It is a story that feels like aimlessly walking somewhere, and you're enjoying the melancholic landscape, but there really is no end goal. It tells the story of a man who sees spinning gears in his field of vision and they seem to act as a representation of the man's depression. It was especially interesting as it lead into "The life of a Stupid Man", which is a collection of short "stories" if you can call them that; they're basically paragaphs, most of them just as aimless as Spinning Gears. They're like thoughts being said out loud. And altogether, these stories transmit the last moments of melancholy, sadness and perhaps lucidity that Akutagawa experienced. The stories are sad, and they all convey a void that I'm sure the author was experiencing in his real life. There's an emptiness, perhaps a shallowness to all of them, as we can tell that there is something unsaid in every line of text.

Akutagawa's words feel full of uncertainty at times, and if anything, it all feels very rushed and unfinished, but that is perhaps the essence of the suicide ideation he was experiencing at the time; it is a rushed goodbye. The stories lead to nowhere, until you get to the final part, and read his suicide note. That's what they were leading to.

It's hard to recommend Akutagawa based on these works; they're not as exceptionally reflexive and interesting as that of authors like Osamu Dazai (No Longer Human), who were on a similar path mentally, yet managed to convey their ideas into a narrative that makes more traditional sense than that of Akutagawa, but precisely that is what's interesting here: Akutagawa communicates the ineffable. So, if I were to rate the stories """objectively""" (whatever that means), based solely on the text I received and read, and not counting the suicide note into my score, I'd give it about 3 stars, which is what I've put here. That being said, my personal score is 4 stars taking the suicide note into account as it provides the missing ending- and perhaps I'd even give it 5 stars if you're someone who's ever wanted answers about suicide.
In summary, this is not necessarily a great read, maybe not even a good one per sé. But it personally helped me make peace with the departure of those I've loved. I somehow was able to understand something that had completely eluded me before, all thanks to Akutagawa's unfiltered and desperate narration. I will always be appreciative of this book for helping me understand the other rushed, unifinished, desperate stories I've encountered in life.

So 3 stars for anyone that asks me in casual conversation; 5 stars for anyone that knows me on a deeper level.

kinda confused, but maybe that’s the point??

The last 51 writings were my favourites and left me feeling incredibly empty

Milo

Cait🪼

This eponymous collection of 51 short verses seems to be the musings of Akutagawa before he ended his life. It was a strange collection of works: a short story about the death of a man at the hands of a bandit/his wife; a set of descriptive verses about the deaths of the protagonist’s family; and the eponymous final selection of what can only be described as deeply depressing poetry. Perhaps the most depressing part was the fact that I saw so much of my own thinking in Akutagawa’s. Yeah, this was definitely one of those works that will stay with me.

Gavin

Tiny selection of tiny prose poems. Contains "In a Grove" which was later made into Rashōmon. Insofar as the following sentence makes sense: it's good but Rashōmon is better. The other bits are suggestive and modern, but not moving, aside from the bit where the glum Marty Stu reels off all the German Romantics he loves.

laila

okay ! i cannot say much because this was a suicide note (i think) but i don't think everyone is supposed to understand it, it was a short book consisting of 51 short stories, all about his life- which we know nothing about. 
so I'm assuming that's why i couldn't fully grasp what everything meant, it was *his* story *his* life. i don't dislike nor like it to be frank, but i definitely don't regret reading it

ivan

yeah it's... a lot. it feels invasive to have read this

Paduraru Constantina

2,5✨
"But surely the will to create is a form of the will to live... ?"

This book is a collection of three stories - In a Bamboo Grove, Death Register, The Life of a Stupid Man; all by the same Japanese author. All of them have a common theme, death, even if it is death by killing, natural death or by disease, even suicide or perhaps the idea of contemplating it. 

My favorite was the first, about a mysterious and ruthless murder case and I followed the testimonies of several people, even of someone from the realm of the fantastic. This realistic-magical story will leave you with questions at the end, and the atmosphere seems to be that of a film noir.

"Ah, what is the life of a human being - a drop of dew, a flash of lightning?"

Momo

The Life of a Stupid Man is a great little book to read. It's three separate short stories and really reflects the type of literature people read at the time. As well as demonstrating Japanese culture and values of the time too.

The first short story was by far my favourite. It was captivating and mysterious.

The Life of a Stupid Man

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