Publisher Description

This is a superb new translation of the story that propelled one of 20th century Japan's most acclaimed writers into the spotlight. "Schoolgirl" is the novella that first established Dazai as a member of Japan's literary elite. Essentially the start of Dazai's career, the 1933 work gained notoriety for its ironic and inventive use of language, and how it illuminated the prevalent social structures of a lost time, as well as the struggle of the individual against them - a theme that occupied Dazai's life both personally and professionally. This new translation preserves the playful language of the original and offers the reader a new window into the mind of one of the greatest Japanese authors of the 20th century.

Author Biography

Osamu Dazai (1909-1948) was one of the foremost fiction writers of 20th century Japan. The most distinguishing feature of his work is the "first person" viewpoint, a style known in Japanese as "I Novels". Dazai's works are also characterized by profound pessimism, not surprisingly from an author who made several unsuccessful suicide attempts before finally succeeding at age 39.

Long Description

Essentially the start of Dazai's career, Schoolgirl gained notoriety for its ironic and inventive use of language. Now it illuminates the prevalent social structures of a lost time, as well as the struggle of the individual against thema theme that occupied Dazai's life both personally and professionally. This new translation preserves the playful language of the original and offers the reader a new window into the mind of one of the greatest Japanese authors of the 20th century.

Details