'As the scriptures say, man's life is as fragile as a drop of dew and as brief as a flash of lightning.'

Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (1892-1927) was one of the most famous writers of prewar Japan. Best-known for his 1915 short story "Rashōmon"--the basis for Akira Kurosawa's 1950 film of the same name--Akutagawa was a master literary stylist whose stories ranged from blood-soaked murder mysteries set in medieval Japan to works exploring the complexities, contradictions, and ambiguities of modern life. Throughout his writing career, Akutagawa was deeply interested in classical Japanese and Chinese history and literature, and many of his best-known works were adaptations of earlier stories and tales.

This collection features sixteen of Akutagawa's stories, including both well-known classics such as "In a Bamboo Grove," "The Nose," and "Hell Screen," and other overlooked masterpieces. The critical introduction places Akutagawa's stories in context through a detailed discussion of modern Japanese history, and a biography of Akutagawa himself. This edition also includes translations of four of the classical Japanese tales that Akutagawa adapted and reworked in his own works, allowing readers insight into Akutagawa's own creative process.

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