Reviews

Self-Portraits by Osamu Dazai

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adas_library's review

5.0

I mean for crying out loud it’s Dazai, of course this book is a 5 star read.

Some stories (like the one with the dog or Mount Fuji) touched me and I formed inspiring interpretations for myself, while others were just okay. It’s a nice read if you want to look deeper into Dazais personal life.

gsheffy's review

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this was a harder read than any of his novels. i think that was his intention, but i was still swept up by it. i think those of us who are so enraptured by dazai share his utterly impermeable self-awareness, and i wonder if that serves any purpose. i wonder if any of us would turn out better if we could be rid of it.

tousledtreasure's review

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adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I love Dazai Osamu's confessional way of writing. Though you can tell, that some stories were likely produced in the span of a couple days, you can still see his genius shine. Even though I find his blatand misogyny intolerable, it's especially interesting to observe it as a plot device in merry christmas. I would recommend this book for only those already enamoured with his writing as his poor character really shines through in this book. But nonetheless this is a wonderful collection of short stories, it portrays well his life in Japan during WW2 and gives insights to his character, as well as giving us suburb writing.