山月記 [Sangetsuki]

乙女の本棚 #2

by Atsushi Nakajima

《山月记》是中岛敦的中短篇小说精选集，包括取材自中国古典文学的代表作《山月记》《李陵》《弟子》《悟净出世》《名人传》等，及曾入选芥川奖候选作品的《光风梦》。故事内容贴近国内读者，并融合日式怪谈风，可读性很强。 他的小说多取材于中国古典，如《左传》《论语》《庄子》《史记》《西游记》及唐传奇，融合了浓郁的中国古典气质与诡诞的日本怪谈风。他将现代人的思想注入历史人物中，古籍中冰冷的人物突然复活，成了有血有肉、能引人共鸣的充满戏剧感的角色。

Genres: Classics, Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction, Novels, Japanese Literature, Manga

352 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1942

About the author

Atsushi Nakajima (中島敦, Nakajima Atsushi, 5 May 1909 – 4 December 1942) was a Japanese author known for his unique style and self-introspective themes. His major works include "The Moon Over the Mountain" and "Light, Wind and Dreams".

During his life he wrote about 20 works, including unfinished works, typically inspired by Classical Chinese stories and his own life experiences.

Reviews

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Each of us has an animal nature we must strive to tame.’

The pursuit of greatness can often bring out the worst in us, particularly when we realize that greatness might always remain out of arm's reach. Or, if you happen to be the failed poet in Atsushi Nakajima’s classic Japanese tale The Moon Over the Mountain, it remains out of paws reach. The story concerns Li Zheng, who after a quick rise and great promise, left his government job to pursue poetry, failed to achieve success and then suddenly vanished only to appear years later, cursed to be transforming into a tiger. Now I’ve written some shit poetry in my time, but thankfully the consequences weren't to be turned into a tiger. Though with the rising cost of living, maybe the joke is on me? Anyways, I was thrilled to discover Penguin’s new series, Maiden’s Bookshelf, which will combine early 20th century short stories with contemporary artwork, such as the gorgeous and arresting artwork here from nekosuke. I mean, check it out:


This is a brief story, the title story to one of only two collections Atsushi Nakajima published before he tragically died of asthma at the age of 33. Much of his works draw on classical Chinese stories and myths, reinvigorated with a deeply introspective flair. This story, which is also known by the title The Tiger Poet and often read in classrooms, is drawn from the Tang Dynasty. The story reunites Li Zheng with a former friend, Yuan Can, who has nearly been devoured by a tiger after failing to heed the advice of an innkeeper warning of such a man-eating beast. He hears Li Zheng’s tale and the curse that allows him to return human for waning amounts of time before he will finally be all tiger and rage. He suspects the curse was due to his arrogance, pushing away everyone and withdrawing from society to be a poet, yet so overconfident in his natural abilities he failed to seek assistance to sharpen his skills or put any real effort in:

‘Out of fear that I might turn out not to be a genius, I hesitated to polish the uncut gemstone of my own potential; but, convinced I had a gift, I was not content to remain in the rough.’

I know Ted Lasso told us all to believe in ourselves, but not to the extent that it becomes an arrogance that tears us apart and, in fact, keeps us from our goals. And we also can’t live in constant fear that we will be found out to be an imposture (if you figure out how to do that, please let me know) or fret so much over potentially not being a genius that we never actually create.

He also realizes that his desire to save his poetry is more important to him than even letting his family know what happened to him might also indicate he is an asshole. This is a tale about an artist but you can render it to fit many parts of life and is likely what makes this such a great story for classrooms. Because ‘this arrogant shame was my inner beast: the tiger,’ and if we let our own arrogance get the best of us we too become a beast. And though the fairy tales will have you believe you can kidnap a fair maiden and if she loves you, you get to turn human again I’m going to strongly advise against trying that. Legally, morally, socially, just not a good look.

I love this little hardcover edition and the art is really gorgeous. It feels more in the spirit of the story than actually art depicting the story and often the artwork is apropos of nothing in the text on the page opposite it, but it’s so lovely it hardly matters. And the translation by Asa Yoneda is smooth and highly readable. I look forward to more of these editions and now I really want to read much more Atsushi Nakajima.

3.5/5

[Mizuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover artwork is lovely, and I like the folklore-based short stories as well as the retelling featuring Chinese historical/fictional figures.

[Mizuki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pre-review: 'The Maiden’s Bookshelf series' and a ton of elegant artwork! What more can I ask for!

I finally got my hands on this book the artwork is so exquisite I am dying!!!

The artwork is endlessly lovely and artful, the custom and the clothing designs are great too, it brings a lot of value to this fable in which a man was brought down and transformed by his own greed, I guess?

I really like fable-style writing, and one that based on Chinese history is nice! ^_^

Review for Dazai Osamu's The Girl Who Becames a Fish

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an absolutely gorgeous edition - the pictures may not always line up with the text, but they're so beautiful that it really doesn't matter. The story itself is smoothly translated and the format makes it easy to absorb. If you're a Bungo Stray Dogs fan, this is a must-read, but even if you're not, it's a wonderful story about how art and ego can eat us alive.

[h]

"I think all of us, whether beast or human, were something else once. Maybe we remember at first, but over time we forget, and believe ourselves to have always been the way we are now … But what difference does it make? No doubt I’ll be happier once the human part of me is gone completely, though the man in me dreads that more than anything. Aah, I can’t tell you how terrible and lonely and hopeless it makes me feel, the idea of forgetting I was human! You can’t possibly understand. No one can… I’m alone with this. But before my humanity is lost entirely, I have one request to make of you.”

[nerdy nia · Rating 5 out of 5]

shortest book I've read in my entire life

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teacher: Today we’re going to read Sangetsuki. Pair up with your seatmate and start reading it.
Me: Aye. *reads the first sentence* *sees too many unrecognizable kanji* *asks seatmate how to read the kanji*
Seatmate: Idk.
Me: (Okay, I give up) *skips all unreadable kanjis* *first paragraph ends in seconds* (lol that was wild)


*timeskip*
Teacher: This that this that okay, get it?
Me: (so the main character turns into a tiger wow dats awesome)

*another timeskip*
*re-reads*
Me: Wow. I give this a whooping 5.

[LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Li Zheng of Longxi, a young civil servant who quits service because he feels he has more to offer the world as a poet. He never becomes famous, however, and eventually leaves his wife, children, and everything else behind, disappearing. Later, his old friend, government inspector Yuan Can of Chenjun, encounters a beast that almost attacks him but races away at the last second. Then Yuan Can hears the voice of his old friend, who tells him that he has become a terrifying beast, a tiger. He had Yuan Can record some of his poetry and asks him to tell his wife and children that he is dead, and to care for them in some way. He admits that his combination of narcissism, fear of failure, and lack of desire to put in strenuous work is what has transformed him into a beast.

This felt very didactic, like reading something out of Der Struwwelpeter. That said, I know absolutely nothing about this story and its author beyond what's presented here, so maybe I'm missing something. It seems pretty simple and sorrowful. Li Zheng was a bit of a dick, and it took turning into a tiger for him to realize it.

As is the case with many of the works in the Maiden's Bookshelf series, the illustrations were this work's primary appeal for me. They were gorgeous, even though they hardly matched the text at all - lots of androgynous youths with tigers, cats, and cat-eared people.

Now I know where Bungo Stray Dogs' Atsushi got his tiger transformation powers from...

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)

[honeyvanitea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very simple but heartbreaking tale about ego, dreams, desires and the blurred lines between behaving as a human and as an animal.
Nakajima’s way of writing is so touching, even in such a short story.

The artworks in this edition were totally captivating, I became distracted from the story from time to time because I just had to stare and appreciate the visuals.
And yes, they aren’t exactly a direct representation of the story, but more like art inspired by the vibes but I actually like it that way.

[Malia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish to be reincarnated into this book

[Sung-Gi Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

しかし、何故こんな事になったのだろう。分らぬ。全く何事も我々には判わからぬ。理由も分らずに押付けられたものを大人しく受取って、理由も分らずに生きて行くのが、我々生きもののさだめだ。

己は詩によって名を成そうと思いながら、進んで師に就いたり、求めて詩友と交って切磋琢磨せっさたくまに努めたりすることをしなかった。かといって、又、己は俗物の間に伍ごすることも潔いさぎよしとしなかった。共に、我が臆病な自尊心と、尊大な羞恥心との所為せいである。

人生は何事をも為さぬには余りに長いが、何事かを為すには余りに短いなどと口先ばかりの警句を弄しながら、事実は、才能の不足を暴露するかも知れないとの卑怯な危惧と、刻苦を厭う怠��とが己の凡てだったのだ。

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tragically beautiful! Such a moving story of Li Zheng and his self absorption. The art work is gorgeous! Wish Goodreads would let us do halfs- this is a 4.5 for me. Left me wanting more.

[Yoshinobu Yamakawa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story is about the tragedy of one man, Yi Chang, who has talent and ambition but cannot fit into the framework of society. Although brilliant enough to pass the National Examination, Yi Chang dislikes the constraints of the secular world and seeks fame as a poet. However, his path is fraught with difficulties and he falls into financial hardship. Highly self-respecting and humiliated, Yi Chuan eventually goes mad and turns into a tiger in the mountains.

At the heart of this story is the conflict between human identity and ambition. Yi Chuan vacillates between his ideals and reality, ultimately losing his ego and transforming into an inhuman being. His transformation symbolizes the inner anguish brought on by the pursuit of self-knowledge and social status. Through Li Chuan's psychological fall, the reader is forced to consider the importance of confronting the self before the extreme consequences of dehumanization.

The reunion scene with Yuan Chen also highlights the gap between their former friendship and their current deformity. The scene in which Li Chao speaks to Yuan Chen in his tiger form leaves a deep impression on the reader's mind. His transformation implies not only an outward appearance but also an inner change, conveying his grief at the loss of his human dignity.

My feeling upon reading this work was one of compassion for Li Chuan's fate and horror at the consequences of his choices. His story illustrates the risks posed by the pursuit of self-realization and the difficulty of living outside the confines of a social framework.

The Mountain Moon Chronicles provokes much contemplation because of its profound thematic and psychological depictions. This work offers more than just a story; it has the power to make us think deeply about the inner life of human beings and their relationship to society. Reading this work gave me a new appreciation for the complexity of the human mind and how it relates to society.

[Aria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Books 1 to 5 in the Maiden's Bookshelf series here.

When in pursuit of what one deems great, the worst in one often comes out upon and after realising that such greatness is out of reach.

Such is the case of Li Zheng who, instead of being the brilliant and promising bureaucrat everyone knew he’d be, sought the greatness of being immortalised as a poet. However, he was met with failure and the worst in him eventually manifested as a curse which turns him into a tiger.

Truly, what a heartbreaking but beautiful exploration of human obsession, arrogance and fear.

[Akansha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about a man's arrogance, snobbish nature that transforms him into a tiger. Cursed to become human for a few hours every day but slowly losing his memory, Li Zheng gets to narrate his story to an old friend who was crossing the path and almost got killed by the tiger.

The curse is a depiction of how Li Zheng lived his life, thinking he is above everyone and everything. He wanted to write poems but never worked on his skills. In the end he had to live his life secluded.

[Mark Santi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short read.
Each of us has an animal nature we must strive to tame. Well, this arrogant shame was my inner beast: the tiger.
The pursuit in perfection sometimes may lead us to forget what important the most, we loose the sight we are aiming leaving behind our hearts and sometimes even our sanity.

[Reem 🧁 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am pretty certain that this is the first time I’ve been intrigued enough by a school book to actually read the whole thing externally!!! Props to this author for using such great symbolism to portray the animalization of humanity and how narcissism can have you questioning how to be human, as a human. I believe I may find myself rereading this

[繁邦 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fear that I am not a precious gem, and thus dare not carve and polish myself with great effort; yet I also half-believe that I am a fine gem, and so I refuse to live an ordinary life, associating with rubble.

[Lonewish · Rating 5 out of 5]

大学的时候看同名短篇在被窝里掉小珍珠，一口气读到《光风梦》死活没读下去。当时觉得这种流水账式长篇很难读，现在总算是读完了。其实还是很流畅的，对于热带殖民地小岛的生活风光描写很美，更可贵的是展示了很多对原住民的尊重和同情，以及作为创作者对自己创作生涯的反思、焦虑和享受。读完后查资料才确认文中的日记是中岛敦的艺术创作而非史实资料（虽然在浪漫又戏剧性的幻觉部分就有点怀疑），中岛敦应该是从体弱多病的史蒂文森上看到了自己的影子，所以才选择借他之口表达了很多自己的想法和感受

[Atlas · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It's said each person is a beast-tamer, with their own nature as the beast. In my case, that haughty shame was the beast—the tiger.”

Despite being a concise and easy read, it’s a beautifully written fable. The illustrations are gorgeous, too.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

[ckm · Rating 3 out of 5]

類似變形記嗰種。
評分唔高唔係作品嘅錯，而係因為我睇得明故事表象，但無睇透個表皮底下的意象。

[Melinda wiegand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful :,)

[Germany349]

补录 悟空 ごくう 悟能 ごのう 悟浄 ごじょう 三蔵法師 さんぞうほうし

[Lula · Rating 4 out of 5]

前面几篇人物小传真的有种陌生又熟悉的感觉，很有意思

[ThymeOperator · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story with impressive illustrations, albeit I didn't feel they quite supported the tale

[Sirena · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's basically yaoi

[September · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was incredible. Thank you for making sense and being beautiful at the same time.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

No sé cómo estarán las traducciones, pero en japonés tiene una prosa preciosa. Recomiendo.

[燕南 · Rating 4 out of 5]

淋溼我這身皮毛的，並非僅僅是濃重的夜露而已啊。

[Ally Yang · Rating 4 out of 5]

[2022.07.13_87]

【7 July 2022/ 博客來 / 205】