Pathway to Japanese Literature
Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.
← Back
About Myself Back ThenAuthor: Akutagawa Ryūnosuke
| Original Title | あの頃の自分の事 |
|---|---|
| Author | 芥川 竜之介 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In a crisp November of bygone university days, a young man navigates the liminal space between intellectual fervor and restless ennui. Amidst smoke-filled lectures on *Macbeth* and half-hearted note-taking, he orbits a constellation of friends—Naruse, with whom he debates novels over boxed lunches; Kume, the aspiring playwright cloistered in his lodging; Matsuoka, whose tear-streaked manuscripts betray a fragile idealism. Together, they dissect literary giants like Tayama Katai and Tanizaki Jun’ichirō, their critiques laced with the audacity of youth convinced they might reshape the world through prose. Nights blur into concerts where Chopin’s notes clash with the clatter of gold-adorned spectators, while winter winds carry both laughter and unspoken tensions. Beneath the surface of shared cigarettes and café philosophizing simmers a quiet desperation—the ache of creation, the weight of expectations, and the fleeting thrill of believing art could transcend life’s mundanity. A portrait emerges not of grand events, but of moments suspended between ambition and inertia, where every exchanged glance holds the promise of a story yet unwritten. |
← Return to List← Return to TOP