Murder in the Age of Enlightenment

These are short stories from an icon of modern Japanese literature. Sublimely crafted, they offer dazzling glimpses into moments of madness, murder and obsession.

A talented and spiteful painter is given over to depravity in pursuit of artistic brilliance. In the depths of hell, a robber spies a single spider's thread being lowered towards him. When a body is found in an isolated bamboo grove, a kaleidoscopic account of violence and desire begins to unfold.

Translated by Bryan Karetnyk, this collection brings together a series of essential works from the master of the Japanese short story.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa was one of Japan's leading literary figures in the Taisho period. Regarded as the father of the Japanese short story, he produced over 150 in his short lifetime.