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The Life of a Stupid Man

Ryunosuke Akutagawa
3.6(112)
Paperback€5.50
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About the book

'What is the life of a human being - a drop of dew, a flash of lightning? This is so sad, so sad.'

Autobiographical stories from one of Japan's masters of modernist story-telling.

Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa (1892-1927). Akutagawa's Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories is also available in Penguin Classics.
ISBN9780141397726
PublisherPenguin Books Ltd (UK)
Publication Date02/26/15
Pages54

Characteristics

2 reviews

FastCredibleModerateMinimalisticPoeticSad

Reviews & Ratings

112 ratings

7 reviews

3.6

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  • maxi_sophie
    maxi_sophie

    6 Followers

    1.5

    Maybe it wasn't the best book I could have started my classic era but well! I didn't understand the whole book. It doesn't make sense in my opinion. It was just so many incoherent stories...ahh🙃 Maybe at another time!

    Dec 25, 2024

  • chidemsworld
    chidemsworld

    5 Followers

    What I absolutely love about Japanese literature is the importance of the tiniest slice of life moments like a look at the moon, a small sip of a drink, the body language of person, small details in the surroundings and the emotions these are creating. This collection of three short stories does the same, you don't just read them, you "feel" them as if you yourself are the protagonist

    📚 Kitap /Book: 愚人の一生 – Gujin no Isshō / The Life of a Stupid Man / Das Leben eines Dummen / Aptal Bir Adamın Hayatı – Ryūnosuke Akutagawa 🔮 Tür / Genre: Kısa öykü, modernist kurgu / Short stories, modernist fiction 📅 Dönem / Period: 1920’ler Japonya /1920s Japan 🇹🇷 Bu eser, Ryūnosuke Akutagawa’nın üç ayrı kısa öyküsünden oluşur: “In a Bamboo Grove”, “Death Register”, “The Life of a Stupid Man.” Yazar, insan doğasının karanlık yönlerini, suç, vicdan, ölüm ve bireyin içsel çözülüşünü kendine özgü psikolojik derinlikle işler. Bu üç öykü, Akutagawa’nın yaşamının son yıllarındaki ruh hâlini ve modern insanın parçalanmış bilinç yapısını çarpıcı biçimde yansıtır. 🇬🇧 This small collection contains three short stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa: “In a Bamboo Grove,” “Death Register,” and “The Life of a Stupid Man.” Akutagawa explores guilt, truth, morality, and psychological disintegration with sharp introspection. These stories reflect the author’s final creative phase, marked by existential tension and a fragmented inner world. #germany #düsseldorf #book #booklover #bookstagram #books #RyunosukeAkutagawa #GujinNoIssho #TheLifeOfAStupidMan #ModernistFiction #JapaneseLiterature #KitapÖnerisi #BookRecommendation

    What I absolutely love about Japanese literature is the importance of the tiniest slice of life moments like a look at the moon, a small sip of a drink, the body language of person, small details in the surroundings and the emotions these are creating. This collection of three short stories does the same, you don't just read them, you "feel" them as if you yourself are the protagonist

    Nov 13, 2025

  • gregorsamsa161
    gregorsamsa161

    2 Followers

    2.0

    Idk, ob ich sowas überhaupt bewerten kann, darf oder sollte

    Jul 23, 2025

3 of 7 reviews

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