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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“i’m afraid i don’t really have a clear understanding of the psychology of the powerful- particularly the absolutely invincible variety, which i’ve never met or known to exist. i’m a story writer with such feeble imaginative powers that unless i myself have experienced something, i can’t write one line- i can’t write a word- about it.”
”it’s because people have aspirations and ambitions that solitude wears on them. if you don’t have a damn about what the rest of the world is up to, you can be alone for a hundred years- a thousand years- with no difficulty whatsoever. at least, you can if you don’t let criticism bother you.”
“speech blossomed from anxiety… words were fermented from the uncertainty of existence, like poisonous red mushrooms that sprout from the rotting earth. it’s true we have words of joy and pleasure, but aren’t those the must unnatural and contrived of them all? apparently human beings experience anxiety even in the midst of joy. but in a place without anxiety there’s no need for such ignoble contrivances.”
”it’s because people have aspirations and ambitions that solitude wears on them. if you don’t have a damn about what the rest of the world is up to, you can be alone for a hundred years- a thousand years- with no difficulty whatsoever. at least, you can if you don’t let criticism bother you.”
“speech blossomed from anxiety… words were fermented from the uncertainty of existence, like poisonous red mushrooms that sprout from the rotting earth. it’s true we have words of joy and pleasure, but aren’t those the must unnatural and contrived of them all? apparently human beings experience anxiety even in the midst of joy. but in a place without anxiety there’s no need for such ignoble contrivances.”
What an absolute blast of a book. The exceedingly sarcastic retellings of some of Japan's favourite children's fairy tales.
My favourite has to be Urashima-san who rescues a turtle or a tortoise from mean children and the turtle falls in (platonic) love with him and takes him to the Dragon Palace under the sea. It sounds mild enough, like all the fairy tales but there are hard edges everywhere and the turtle is the most sarcastic creature on the planet seemingly.
All the tales are "fiddled with" in some way by Dazai Osamu. They're funny, mean and there are nods to other myths and legends littered in the script. Great fun!
My favourite has to be Urashima-san who rescues a turtle or a tortoise from mean children and the turtle falls in (platonic) love with him and takes him to the Dragon Palace under the sea. It sounds mild enough, like all the fairy tales but there are hard edges everywhere and the turtle is the most sarcastic creature on the planet seemingly.
All the tales are "fiddled with" in some way by Dazai Osamu. They're funny, mean and there are nods to other myths and legends littered in the script. Great fun!
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Alcohol
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
overall pretty good... dazai-typical misogyny here and there. i enjoyed his spin on the various fairy-tales, it made them feel more lifelike, but nothing stood out in particular while reading this; simply i just liked it
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes