---
product_id: 17224888
title: "Kappa (Peter Owen Modern Classic)"
brand: "ryunosuke akutagawageoffrey bownas"
price: "€ 39.93"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.com.cy/products/17224888-kappa-peter-owen-modern-classic
store_origin: CY
region: Cyprus
---

# Kappa (Peter Owen Modern Classic)

**Brand:** ryunosuke akutagawageoffrey bownas
**Price:** € 39.93
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Kappa (Peter Owen Modern Classic) by ryunosuke akutagawageoffrey bownas
- **How much does it cost?** € 39.93 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.cy](https://www.desertcart.com.cy/products/17224888-kappa-peter-owen-modern-classic)

## Best For

- ryunosuke akutagawageoffrey bownas enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted ryunosuke akutagawageoffrey bownas brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

Kappa (Peter Owen Modern Classic)

## Images

![Kappa (Peter Owen Modern Classic) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/513D4wbO7qL.jpg)
![Kappa (Peter Owen Modern Classic) - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51mW6W1mMKL.jpg)
![Kappa (Peter Owen Modern Classic) - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41Kl5GXjvWL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Enter the world of the Kappa!
  

*by D***S on Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2018*

Wonderfully strange little story. Feels good to read from someone who also dealt with some schizophrenia and was extremely well read.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    A profound critique of modernity
  

*by T***S on Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2021*

Akutagawa takes a satirical look into the human condition by journeying to the fantastical land of the Kappa.  He plunges beneath social norms and polite behavior to uncover some fairly base motivations. He takes these base motivations and produces wonderful comedy.His treatment of the relations of the sexes is hilarious. The female Kappa aggressively pursue male Kappa and use both subtle and aggressive strategies to conquer their prey. Kappaland is plagued by a perpetual Sadie Hawkins day. The only one apparently not being hunted down to serve female ends is the homely philosopher Mag. Mag confesses that he desires the attention of the female Kappa even as he calls them loathsome creatures.Akutagawa not only satirizes traditional gender relations, but he takes a hard look at the modern economy. His protagonist socializes with Kappa business tycoon, Gael, and discovers how the Kappa deal with the problem of unemployment - they eat the unemployed. Gael explains how this act is merciful since it spares them the misery of starving to death or the inconvenience of having to kill themselves. Such a stark presentation of the cruelty of the modern economy reveals how many view the capitalist system - a vicious form of cannibalism. Interestingly enough the viciousness of the system is propelled by Mrs. Gael - a lady Macbeth who does not make an appearance on the stage of the story.Akutagawa parodies gender relations, business, family - the traditional institutions of society - and he does not spare culture or religion. His poets and artists are obsessed with the cult of the super Kappa - reminiscent of the Nietzschean ubermensch. They are vain and quarrelsome and obsessed over trivial differences that mark their excellence. The religion of the Kappa is obsessed with the goods things of this life - eating rice, drinking wine, and having sex. Of course, Tok, the poet, blasphemes against this faith by taking his life.Finally, Akutagawa turns his satire on the afterlife. Tok, who is contacted by a psychic medium, is obsessed with his reputation in the world that he abandoned. The answers regarding his reputation are not particularly satisfying - adding to the comic impact of Kappa. When asked about the afterlife, it is presented as similar with the ordinary world. The great philosophers in the afterworld meditate on the virtues of spiritual existence and ponder whether they should leave it for an ordinary life.Finally, the human protagonist decides to leave the Kappa and go back to Tokyo. In the end, he of course is dissatisfied with his decision and decides to return to the land of the Kappa. The story began in the psychiatric ward with our protagonist as the patient who began the story of his adventures in Kappaland. The story now ends with our patient being visited by his Kappa friends and hearing news that one of his acquaintenances in Kappaland was also hospitalized for psychiatric reasons.The work is a masterpiece of social satire and is tinged with the pathos that this is Akutagawa's final story before he takes his life. It is easy to perceive the influence of Nietzsche's eternal recurrence of the same in the circle of desires that drive the plot of Kappa.At the end of the story, the protagonist reads a poem from his deceased friend, Tok, the poet who killed himself.In the palm flowers, among the bamboo,Buddha long went fast asleepWith the withered fig tree by the roadside,Christ, too, is already dead.But we all need our rest -Even in front of the stage setWhen you look behind the set,You find only patched canvas.The pathos is palpable. The modern age goes on - much as other ages - but without its holy men. Its bare mechanics are revealed and human beings are disappointed. Our raccous satire Kappa is in the end a profound critique of modernity.

### ⭐⭐⭐ 3.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    as I feel like this has turned into a research project because I ...
  

*by C***E on Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2017*

Without the preface of this edition, the story reads as a flat, mildly amusing fairy tale. I agree with some of the other reviewers, that the introduction was more interesting than the story itself, and it allows for at least a biographical reading of the text that gives the story a little depth. I wish the introduction had given us a little more bearing on some of the aspects of Japanese society that Akutagawa is potentially satirizing, as I feel like this has turned into a research project because I don't understand it. I enjoyed some of his other short stories better. (Specifically reviewing the Tuttle edition that isn't available on Amazon)

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.com.cy/products/17224888-kappa-peter-owen-modern-classic](https://www.desertcart.com.cy/products/17224888-kappa-peter-owen-modern-classic)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Cyprus*
*Store origin: CY*
*Last updated: 2026-02-28*