The Moon Over the Mountain: Stories

by Atsushi Nakajima, Paul McCarthy (Translator), Nobuko Ochner (Translator)

Ancient China is illustriously brought to life in these folk tales, legends, and stories of historical figures that routinely rank alongside such Japanese literary classics as “Rashomon” by Ryunosuke Akutagawa and Kokoro by Natsume Soseki. When they first appeared in Japanese periodicals in 1942 and 1943, they sparked a potentially rich and long career for author Atsushi Nakajima, who tragically died of asthma complicated by severe pneumonia shortly thereafter, but whose work has continued to grow in Japanese regard ever since. This collection marks the first time these works have been translated into English.

Contents:
The Moon over the Mountain
The Master
The Bull Man
Forebodings
The Disciple
The Rebirth of Wujing
Waxing and Waning
Li Ling
On Admiration: Note by the Monk Wujing

Genres: Classics, Japanese Literature, Short Stories, Fiction, Japan, Literature, Novels

182 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2010

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

[Akemi G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I didn't know this author's works have been translated into English! He died young, leaving a handful of short stories, and I assume this book is a collection of these stories, including The Moon Over The Mountain (山月記). I read them in the original Japanese, so I have no idea how good the English translation is, but the originals are excellent. The Moon is a transformation story, comparable to Ovid's.

I cannot find what other stories are included in this book. I hope it has the story of Li Ling (based on the historical figure in Han China). I also remember a story about an archer, which was also good and almost uncharacteristically lighthearted.

[Sara Rastakhiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

این کتاب یه مجموعه داستانهای کوتاهه و من فقط داستان اولش رو میخواستم بخونم و فقط هم همونو تونستم پیدا کنم. داستانی که من خوندم بسیار جذاب و زیبا بود ولی چون نمیدونم بقیه داستانها ممکنه چطور باشه ۴ ستاره میدم.
داستانی که من خوندم که اسم کتاب هم روی همونه درباره ادمیه که از گشتن با ادم های هم سطح خودش و یا بالاتر خجالت می کشه و ازون ور هم از گشتن با سایر ادم ها یا به قول خودش عوام اکراه داره و غرورش اجازه نمیده...در نتیجه تنها میشه و به خشم و خودسرزنشگری رو میاره...و چقدر این داستان اشناست...برای خیلی از ماها...واقعا داستان جذابی بود اگر تونستید پیداش کنید (من متن انگلیسی رو به سختی پیدا کردم) پیشنهاد میکنم حتما بخونید.

[Rudolph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Myths and lore of ancient China brought back to life by one of the greatest talents of early twentieth-century Japanese literature, Atsushi Nakajima, who was unfortunately taken away from the literary world much sooner than he should have been. Men transformed into tigers, master archers with no need for a bow, wars fought, and bull-children taking power, each story leaves readers with a sense of wonder and terror, epiphany and hopelessness.

[Luthfi Ferizqi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite good..

I wonder if this is where the story of a demon originates?

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a great book! All of the stories but one were easy to comprehend and digest, and had interesting action, mysticism, and interactions. The one story that was difficult for me to get through was the one about Confucius, despite its great philosophy.

[Jas Lise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am struggling whether to give this one a 3 or 4 star rating - it is a 3.8 in my heart.
I would recommend reading MacCarthy and Ochner's Afterword for the novel for a genuinely good review.
Some of the short stories are incredibly compelling, the namesake, Moon Over the Mountain: "Sangetsuki", is very good and delves into the purpose of life in a creative and captivating way. My favourite story was The Rebirth of Wujing which was alluring in its fantasy/mythological elements and thought-provoking in its morals. Some of the stories were not as interesting - a lot of them regarded Chinese war stories that I found interesting to read from a knowledge perspective but not particularly capturing.
I have never read any particular Chinese mythology before and, as Nakajima is known for his accurate re-telling of Chinese mythology, am glad I have learnt a bit more about it. Like any period piece some of the themes are uncomfortable to read from a modern perspective - especially in regards to the portrayal of women - but the overall insight int0 the purpose of existence and reason living brought me to self-reflect and relate.
The reflections of Nakajima, a man born into the WWII, post-modernistic period of Japan, and his insight into his own purpose of existence are incredibly compelling when considered with the time period of his life and how he much have felt within the world that surrounded him.

[Aniek Rizka · Rating 4 out of 5]

10. Di Bawah Sinar Rembulan, oleh: Atsushi Nakajima
Penerbit terjemahan: Odise Publishing
Rate: 4.5/5⭐
Antologi cerpen ini terdiri dari 4 cerita yg masing-masing memiliki filosofi mendalam. Saking filosofisnya tiap selesai baca satu judul bikin mikir. Atsushi Nakajima dengan kelembutan hatinya.

[Veysel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very short novel, however, a powerful one. It is a nice little allegory about life and death and the value of both aspects. The book itself came with lots of beautiful drawings, which gave a different feeling when reading it. Liked it a lot.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engrossing collection of intricatly written stories from Nakajima Atsushi,(1909-1942),set mainly in ancient China. Many of the stories here have a philosophical theme written in a poetical style, a great translation from Paul McCarthy and Nobuko Ochner.

[Sillykoetjing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'D GENUINELY GIVE 1000000/5 RATING IF I COULD😭😭😭😭 ohhhh I fell in love, I really fell in love with Nakajima-sensei's writing!!!! I wish more of his works are translated especially into Indonesian, it's so sad that he's so unpopular worldwide :'(

[Luis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creo que mi rating se ve influenciado por un alejamiento cultural.

[Ad · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sangetsuki" ("The Moon over the Mountain") by Nakajima Atsushi.
Nakajima's chief literary bequest to the world consisted of a handful of stories set in ancient China. Although written during the war, this is not "war literature" (although it was certainly a "safe subject" for a writer during the war years). Nakajima followed in the footsteps of Akutagawa and Tanizaki in writing about Chinese historical figures, Chinese folktales and legends (a tradition that would be continued after the war by, for example, Inoue Yasushi). He is admired for having given life to traditional materials dear to both the Japanese and the Chinese. The characters in Nakajima's stories are always searching for the meaning of their own lives; Nakajima has been called a precursor of the Existentialist world-view that became common after the war.

"The Moon over the Mountain," his most popular story that is also incorporated into high school textbooks, is the story of a Chinese bureaucrat who aspires to become a great poet - instead, he turns into a tiger. The story is a meditation on human consciousness and also a warning for the "beast inside." Other interesting stories are "Deshi" (The Disciple) about Confucius and his disciple Zilu, and "Ri Ryo" (Li Ling) about the tragic death of the Grand Historian, Sima Qian.

Nakajima Atsushi (1909-1942) was born into a family with traditions of scholarship, especially in Sinology. He studied at Tokyo University and then settled down to the life of a high school teacher. He visited China in 1936. His first novel, published in 1941, was an account of the life of Robert Louis Stevenson. In 1941, he took employment with the Japanese South Seas Government at Palau (Japan governed these islands under a mandate from the League of Nations), where he wrote a dozen historical short stories set in China. He suffered from asthma, and after his return to Japan in 1942 died of pneumonia at the age of 33. His Chinese stories are part of the canon and still popular.

[Daniela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Li apenas o conto "The Moon over the Mountain" pois não tive acesso aos outros, portanto, a resenha será sobre ele.

O pequeno conto, de apenas 12 páginas, conta a história de um poeta chamado Li Zhin, que apesar do talento e determinação, não pôde realizar o sonho que o acompanhou durante toda a vida, pois o sofrimento que veio com a pobreza e o peso da responsabilidade de cuidar da família foram avassaladores, e ele se viu obrigado a abandonar a poesia e a seguir um cargo como oficial.

Para ele, o sentimento de humilhação por começar uma carreira quando todos aqueles que conheceu anteriormente já ocupavam bons cargos, somados à vergonha que sentia de si mesmo e seu orgulho covarde, cultivaram um sentimento que o corrompeu por completo.

A forma de tigre que ele assume é a manifestação de seu coração transbordante, e me fez pensar sobre o monstro que todos carregamos conosco, dentro de nós mesmos

Que forma seu coração assumiria?

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Of course it must be comfortable to cut off all connection with the world, but securing perfect comfort is not what makes a person truly human."
Master Nujushi's reply, pg. 84
He gives meaning to each object or event as he meets it, rather than finding the meaning already in it. The fire within him ignites what is like gunpowder uselessly lying dormant and cold. It is not that he, like an investigator, searches it out; it is rather that, with the heart of a poet, however rough-mannered a poet, he warms everything he comes in contact with (not without the risk of scorching them), causing seeds to sprout and bear fruit.
Moreover, he endures that entire tragedy and then still bravely goes on to seek the good and the beautiful.

[Nick H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found several of these stories to be profound. The one about the guy who wants to become a great archer was excellent. As an artist, the idea of staring at one thing until you notice more and more detail meant a lot to me. I also really enjoyed the one about the general and the historian. Others didn’t reach me at all, such as the one about the shapeshifting philosophers. Across the board I had a hard time keeping all the names straight, but I really appreciated the level of detail in all the stories.

深い意味があります。色々のいい話、時々興味なし

I read this book through a recommendation in Hideo Kojima’s book THE CREATIVE GENE.

[Lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Moon Over the Mountain is a collection of short stories based on Chinese folk tales, legends and historical figures. I learned that Nakajima’s grandfather, father and three of his uncles studied the Chinese classics. He grew up among the texts of ancient Chinese philosophy, history and literature.

Nakajima’s stories might be filled with Chinese names and realia but they have an essence of the Japanese values. Each and every story is like a mini philosophy lecture but done in a curious and interesting manner that will never make you feel bored or confused.

I love Japanese literature in general, but I’m happy to have discovered someone as unique as Atsushi Nakajima.

[Jiří Foukal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book gives an interesting insight towards the Chinese culture which at least in most parts of Europe is not so much taught about. The stories are brief and easy to read except for parts where the history is discussed it's the thing which led me to not give it four stars. In the parts describing historical events, it is very easy to get lost and to keep an eye on everything happening within the story. I very much enjoyed the stories of Confucius. Overall I recommend this book if you wish to get some insight into the Chinese culture at least some surface knowledge.

[Christie Vong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seriously never would have thought I'd find stories about some random Chinese people (although I admit Confucius isn't exactly "some random Chinese person) doing random political / war-related things interesting, but Atsushi's writing has real charm and conviction to it. I also learned more about Confucian thought and its application than I ever thought I would. I would recommend this book to anybody.

[Lazu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed, loved, and will continue to think about some of the stories in this collection. Giving rise to thought, questions and pondering about myself and the world.

But, with that said, they ofc can't all be winners, and I had to fight against boredom to get through some of the other stories in this, where I lacked the same feeling of wonder that some of the others brought me.

But on the collection as a whole, I found myself liking it a lot.

[Sharren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read and annotated in one sitting, and I am surprised at the fact that I did not see that man-eating tiger twist coming. It just blackened the wound I felt while skimming through Nakajima Atsushi's biography for I have been there before. The words loftily demonstrated were hard to comprehend for I know the burning regret very well, what more was devastating was, like Li Zheng, a person had control over it, it's just that the human mind is a huge feat to tumble around with. Almost as if we are separate entities to our own minds. I have come to read Japan's masterpieces because of Bungou Stray Dogs which made me pursue my dearest passion for Literature in College. Reading this after Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human, which equally rendered me unable to even feel like a human that I have been since leaving marks in this world (my birthdate), is the start of my new chapter.

Nakajima-san, you have fulfilled your purpose as a writer/author. As someone like me understands you the same way you have felt decades ago--regret was an insufferable beast that a human could ever face adversity in this world. As yourself gnaws at yourself without having any chance to fight back and retry. I understand. As a human to a human.

[Kass Mireles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really fell in love with Nakajima's prose beginning with the first story, The Moon over the Mountain. Deeply reflective and existential. Most of the stories were pretty packed with Ancient Chinese history and lore, slowing down my reading, but they were quite gripping nonetheless. I would have loved to read many more works from Nakajima.

[Emin Orhan]

My understanding is that there isn't really much that is original in these stories. Somewhat unusually for a work of fiction, Nakajima stays very close to the original Chinese classics that inspired most of these stories. The Moon over the Mountain and the Master are by far the best stories in this collection in my view. I would have loved to see a Kurosawa film based on the story of Li Ling.

[Irina (Lohe Loeb) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really quite liked these stories. There were some familiar elements - go me! some university reading is still somewhere in my head, I was starting to think that I've forgotten everything ;)
I did get tired in the middle of "The Disciple", but otherwise it was an enjoyable read.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

i don't remember particularly liking the stories but there's a short paragraph in it that was like absolutely banger (i don't remember either but trust me bro it was good), and for that it was 100% worth it

[Meryem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This deserves to be more known

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the first few stories, but when we went into Confucius territory, he lost me. As to be expected from a philosopher-type.

[SmokingChagga · Rating 4 out of 5]

My brain is too mushy for coming up with a brilliant review. Have a keysmash instead:
Ehejjrjciwjenrjeoqodigir

[Jac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uh yea, that was kind of bland but it was very clear it was supposed to be teaching a lesson by the end

[Emilia]

Idk I haven’t read it yet but I hope it’s good

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories were losing me in the middle, but I understand that they were all teaching a lesson in spme way and I appreciate it.