Kappa (Paperback)

by Ryunosuke Akutagawa (Author), Geoffrey Bownas (Translator), G. H. Healey (Introduction)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
From the author of Rashomon comes a Swiftian satire of Japanese society thinly disguised as the fictitious Kappaland. Peopled with creatures from Japanese folklore, Kappaland serves as a vehicle for the humorous examination of the moral foibles of Japanese society in the early 20th century.

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Japanese

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing (November 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080483251X
• ISBN-13: 978-0804832519
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,354,506 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The distorted mirror of Kappaland, October 29, 2003

By	Zack Davisson "All Good Things" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Kappa" is told from the point of view of Patient 23, an asylum inmate who tells of his incredible journey into the heart of Kappaland, peopled by the Kappa, the magical creatures of Japanese folklore.

In the tradition of "Gulliver's Travels," inside Kappaland, Akutagawa, author of "Rashomon" and "In the Grove," has created a twisted reflection of both his contemporary Japanese society and his own self-loathing. It has been a difficult tale to interpret in Japan, being hailed as either a children's story, a social satire or simply weird. Akutagawa himself feared insanity due to his mother's mental deterioration during his youth, and his own justified fear of the taint of madness in his blood.

Akutagawa's mental state when writing "Kappa" is important background, and the paperback edition comes with an extensive mini-biography of the famous author that is almost the size of the story itself. Akutagawa never wrote novels, and it is strange to see a single story packaged in one book. The introduction/biography is well written as well, and helps to reveal the story.

The writing in "Kappa" is sharp and quick-witted. The satire is equal parts clever and odd. Religion, marriage, arts and entertainment, all are in part skewered and skewed. The book is an incredibly fast read, and one that you will want to pass to your friends to read as well, so that you can see what someone else makes of it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a book with a difference, August 20, 2002

By	Pinaki Ghosh "Libri Mundi" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Kappa" is one of the best books of Akutagawa - one of the least appreciated authors of pre-war Japan. Kappa can be compared to only one book that I remember of and that is Karel Capek's award winning "War with the Newts". Kappa was ages ahead of its time especially considering the society in which Akutagawa was living in.
This is a story about interactions of a human being, whose sanity is in question, and the Kappas, some mythical creatures. This is a satire in the essence that Akutagawa draws critical picture of Japanese intellectual society and their egos and vanity. The Kappa society is an equitable representation of the human society with the same set of problems but different set of solutions. This is one of those books which is a must for a good collection.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jonathan Swift Japanese style? Not quite but ..., February 26, 2001

By	M. J. Smith (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

It is difficult to fairly rate Kappa because, while it is excellent and entertaining, it is not equal to the exquisite Rashomon collection. Neither is the book the equivalent of Gulliver's Travels although there is a distinct similarity. Rather Kappa is the story of a human in the world of mythical water creatures, Kappa. The narrator is an unnamed patient in a mental hospital; thus the framework of the story is one of a narrator whose reliability is open to question. Within this framework, Akutagawa manages to build a credible world satirizing Japanese culture. He skewers art, politics, marriage, philosophers - all with a light but wicked wit that keeps you laughing and cringing in recognition.