Kappa

Ryūnosuke Akutagawa · 1892–1927 · Japan

Originally Kappa (Japanese) · translated by Geoffrey Bownas

Why it matters

A psychiatric patient recounts his fall into the land of the kappa, water-goblins whose society satirizes human folly. Akutagawa's bitter late satire, written in the year of his suicide: Gulliver by way of despair.

At a glance

Dense, allegorical social satire requiring familiarity with its targets.