A review by marimaria
The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I'm renewing my subscription to depression premium.
Dazai Osamu’s works, I feel, must be read when you're at a very specific place mentally, unless you want to later find yourself falling into the abyss. It's because he completely understands the depths that human despair can reach, that is the reason why his books are received as “dark, realistic, depressing”. A lot of what was written in this book clearly reflects Dazai sensei’s own feelings towards life and living. There's a lot to be said about the frequency in which death and suicide are mentioned in this book. Which is all the more reason why I think the timing in reading this book matters.

The final chapters especially got to me. So, trigger warning for that. It’s about
a certain character’s suicide note.
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