Notes

engjpn
159 pages.

Summary: This book tells the story of Yozo Oba, a young man growing up in Japan in the immediate aftermath of World War II, who finds himself caught between the disintegration of the traditions of his aristocratic provincial family and the impact of the new postwar world. Oba is tormented by a failure to find any value in himself or in human relationships, despite being surrounded by women who love him. He creates the persona of a buffoon who mocks himself while entertaining others. But inside he is tortured, and as he moves from childhood to adulthood he becomes addicted to sex and alcohol. Largely autobiographical, the novel explores Dazai's own sense of failure and alienation which drove him to self-destruct with alcohol and numerous suicide attempts. (Publisher)
Translated from the Japanese.