Book Description

"Hell Screen" by Ryunosuke Akutagawa is a dark, psychological short story about an obsessive artist named Yoshihide. Commissioned by a powerful lord to paint a folding screen depicting scenes of hell, Yoshihide demands to witness horrifying events firsthand to capture their essence accurately. The story escalates when the lord, aware of Yoshihide’s obsession, stages the burning of a carriage with the artist's beloved daughter inside. Instead of stopping it, Yoshihide watches in awe, using the scene to complete his masterpiece. The tale explores themes of artistic obsession, cruelty, and moral corruption, highlighting the conflict between creative genius and human compassion. It reflects Akutagawa’s interest in the darker aspects of human nature and the price of artistic perfection. "In a Grove" by Ryunosuke Akutagawa is a groundbreaking short story that presents a mystery through conflicting testimonies. It revolves around the investigation of the murder of a samurai and the rape of his wife, but each witness—including the wife, a bandit, and even the ghost of the samurai—provides a contradictory version of what happened. The story explores themes of subjective truth, deception, and the elusive nature of reality. Each account raises doubts about human honesty, leaving the reader to question whether objective truth is ever attainable. The story's unresolved ending forces readers to confront the ambiguity of truth and morality. "In a Grove" inspired Akira Kurosawa’s famous film "Rashomon" and is considered a classic in modern literature for its innovative narrative structure.