From the literary giant of Japan, who is often referred to as the
"Godfather of the Japanese short story," and after whom the most coveted
literary prize of Japan is named, the Akutagawa Prize, comes this
collection of three of his greatest short stories.Akutagawa is probably
best known for his story "Rasho¯mon" which was adapted for the screen by
legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. While he died at the young age of
35, the author penned well over 150 short stories, including "Cogwheels"
which he wrote just before his suicide in 1927. Accompanied by stunning
woodcuts by renowned artists Naoko Matsubara, and expertly translated by
Howard Norman, the three stories compiled here reflect the haunting,
precise and brilliant style of Akutagawa and offer a superb entry point
to his work. Haruki Murakami aptly described Akutagawa's writing when he
remarked, "the flow of his language is the best feature of Akutagawa's
style. Never stagnant, it moves along like a living thing... His choice
of words is intuitive, natural--and beautiful."