A review by dyingotters
The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I read No Longer Human a few years back and while I enjoyed it, it was nothing like the super soul-crushing depressing story everyone told me it was gonna be. The Setting Sun provided a much more empathizable main character for me which made her story much more tragic and despairing. I liked the way Dazai wrote her character’s position in society as a (former) aristocratic woman, her relationship with her family, love and how she sees the world made the story take a stance on class, society, gender dynamics, etc., something that I felt No Longer Human was lacking from its overly cynical and self-absorbed main character even if it was a better reflection of Dazai himself
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