I wish I could have read these stories in their original Japanese. It’s not that the translations were bad. They are well reviewed by those who can read them in Japanese. It is that the reviews make a point of Akutagawa’s ability to use the language to express the stories, so I’m just jealous, I guess! I enjoyed the first three stories and the last story the most. They are, “In a Grove”, a set of interviews as part of a murder investigation, “Rashomon”, a story of desperation, “Yam Gruel”, about the joy of anticipation and the possible disappointment of fulfillment, and “Dragon”, a hoax that comes true, at least in the eyes of the beholders. They were all masterful little gems and quite accomplished considering the youth of the author. I was left contemplating how much great prose was lost to his suicide at the young age of thirty -five. I plan to read more of his work and recommend it highly.