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A review by libraryofavirgo
The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai
4.0
The Setting Sun is a solemn portrait of post-war Japan and the decline of the aristocracy. The author seamlessly combines the struggles of an aristocratic family with a glimpse into Japanese womens’ social mores. I have previously read and loved Dazai’s “No Longer Human” a few months ago, of which remains of of my favorite novels still. This novel came close to achieving the same level of dreariness but fell just shy of.
Dazai exemplifies how Western arts and literature are deeply embedded in Japanese culture, with the characters often making reference to famous French writers and painters. This serves as a relic from the era where Western influence first began to penetrate Japanese literature.
In this book, Dazai chose to tell the story from a female perspective, which was a bold choice. While many say the character lacked depth, it is essential to remember she was modeled after Japanese women at the time, who were still bound by societal norms.
I’m aware this book sounds very bleak though it isn’t a terrible book by any means. The Setting Sun has great qualities and amplifies the emptiness of human existence, the inability of Japanese people to cope with the loss of their great nation, a time where one keeps searching for the smallest glimpse of a silver lining that would reassure them life is worth living.
This novel is an elegy to the old aristocratic society which plunged into limbo in the blink of an eye, a heart-rending tale of a family torn apart by the beginning of a new era.
Dazai exemplifies how Western arts and literature are deeply embedded in Japanese culture, with the characters often making reference to famous French writers and painters. This serves as a relic from the era where Western influence first began to penetrate Japanese literature.
In this book, Dazai chose to tell the story from a female perspective, which was a bold choice. While many say the character lacked depth, it is essential to remember she was modeled after Japanese women at the time, who were still bound by societal norms.
I’m aware this book sounds very bleak though it isn’t a terrible book by any means. The Setting Sun has great qualities and amplifies the emptiness of human existence, the inability of Japanese people to cope with the loss of their great nation, a time where one keeps searching for the smallest glimpse of a silver lining that would reassure them life is worth living.
This novel is an elegy to the old aristocratic society which plunged into limbo in the blink of an eye, a heart-rending tale of a family torn apart by the beginning of a new era.