First published in the Japanese literary publication Shinchō in January 1922, Ryūnosuke Akutagawa's short story "In a Grove" (or "In a Bamboo Grove") is about a young samurai killed in mysterious circumstances. Pieced together from contradictory testimonies and confessions, the story ultimately delivers no conclusion about who is responsible for the crime, thereby rejecting the possibility of objective truth.
"In a Grove" is considered by many to be Akutagawa's most iconic work and also an early example of literary modernism. In contrast to literary realism’s effort to present a reliable and objective depiction of reality, "In a Grove" rejects realist storytelling conventions by drawing...
