Aoi bungaku series

I didn't enjoy the last two stories at all, maybe it's because I haven't read Akutagawa, or maybe it's more likely that I don't understand the Japanese culture and psyche properly yet. I wasn't bored under the cherry blossoms, but the flowers didn’t particularly impress me, either. Kokoro was strange, I still don't know if it was winter or summer, what he was like, who he was, and why exactly K committed suicide – I mean, I know why, but for whom? The first and also the longest story... I enjoyed it, and I enjoyed comparing it to the author's life, digging into it. I could have this story for poking around and long autumn evenings I could spend thinking about it, but of course I'd have to read it first, which I will do in the future. And the story Run, Melos... I liked that one best of all, it left the biggest impression on me. I guess it just fit my mood so well :-) A weaker 4 stars. Btw: while watching The Spider's Thread, I realized that there is no hell or heaven, that would be illogical. A feeling just went through me, a realization, an awakening, that there is nothing after death. Interesting. (07/03/2010)