What do you think?
Rate this book
Crackling Mountain and Other Stories
Features 11 outstanding works by Osamu Dazai, widely regarded as one of 20th century Japan's most gifted writers and a master teller of tales. Dazai experimented with a wide variety of short story styles and brought to each a sophisticated sense of humor, a broad empathy for the human condition, and a tremendous literary talent. This book showcases a range of his styles from the poignant childhood recollections of "Memories", to the samurai buffoonery of "A Poor Man's Got His Pride", to reworked folk classics such as the title story. By turns hilarious, ironic, introspective, mystical and sarcastic, the eleven stories present the most fully rounded portrait available of a tragic, multifaceted genius of modern Japanese letters.
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1989
43 people are currently reading
2087 people want to read
About the author
Osamu Dazai
1,095 books9,206 followersOsamu DAZAI (native name: 太宰治, real name Shūji Tsushima) was a Japanese author who is considered one of the foremost fiction writers of 20th-century Japan. A number of his most popular works, such as Shayō (The Setting Sun) and Ningen Shikkaku (No Longer Human), are considered modern-day classics in Japan.
With a semi-autobiographical style and transparency into his personal life, Dazai’s stories have intrigued the minds of many readers. His books also bring about awareness to a number of important topics such as human nature, mental illness, social relationships, and postwar Japan.
With a semi-autobiographical style and transparency into his personal life, Dazai’s stories have intrigued the minds of many readers. His books also bring about awareness to a number of important topics such as human nature, mental illness, social relationships, and postwar Japan.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 7, 2021
2.3 stars. To me a disappointing read after I so thoroughly enjoyed his stories in Blue Bamboo (1993), to which I gave 5 stars. I found most of the 11 stories in this collection to be boring and to not make a whole lot of sense. The translator, James O’Brien, made introductory comments at the very beginning of the collection and also before each of the 11 stories and some of his observations seemed to be in synch with what I was feeling about the stories. For example, in the preface to the penultimate story “Taking the Wen Away” (‘wen’ is a lump or protuberance on the body), O’ Brien says “But perhaps the long paragraph at the end merely leads the reader down a blind alley.” And what reader doesn’t want to be led down a blind alley while reading a book!!! 🤨
And:
• “Dazai frequently ends a tale on an inconclusive note—most obviously when he has a narrator confess to bewilderment concerning the significance of the story he has just told.” 🤨
This is not acknowledged as a masterpiece—I read it because I thought they would be like the stories in Blue Bamboo I liked so very much but this was not the case. I will not give up on this author as I have heard good things on two other works of his that are considered to be modern day classics in Japanese Literature: The Setting Sun (1947) and No Longer Human (1948).
Here are the titles of the 11 stories, and I comment on 3 of them that made it above my bar of 3 or more stars. Not many as you can see. Memories [1.5 stars]; Undine [1.5 stars]; Monkey Island [1.5 stars]; Hear My Plea [5 stars]; Melos, Run! [3.5 stars]; On the Question of Apparel [3 stars]; A Poor Man Got His Pride [2.5 stars, I didn’t get it]; The Monkey’s Mound [1.5 stars]; The Sound of Hammering [1.5 stars]; Taking the Wen Away [2 stars]; Crackling Mountain [2 stars]
• Hear My Plea: This is just fantastic. If I could give this story 10 stars I would. It is an account from Judas Iscariot how he betrayed his friend and companion Jesus. He loved Jesus but could get annoyed at him for what I think are valid reasons. You remember the miracle in which Jesus was giving a long sermon to a crowd and they were hungry so he turned 7 loaves and fishes into a plenitude of food? A miracle, right? Nope—Judas procured all the food and had to spend a buttload of money for it. Who gets the credit? Jesus. Who ends up getting bankrupted—Judas. [a gazillion stars, very clever]
• Melos, Run!: Melos is a village shepherd who plays his flute. A king is paranoid and is killing his followers because he is not trusting them. Weird but I liked it. [3.5 stars]
• On the Question of Apparel: Protagonist/narrator does not like to spend money on clothes. He is convinced whenever he puts on new or different clothes that bad things happen. Better to just dress in rags. Too funny.
Notes:
• I found this to be interesting, because I used to do pharmacological research with opiate/opioids—I was not able to find what pabinal was by I am assuming it was an opiate like morphine or oxycodone: Early in April 1935, a bare two weeks after his attempted suicide, Dazai had an attack of acute appendicitis that was complicated by his slowness in calling a doctor. The operation was difficult and (according to Dazai) the doctors despaired of saving his life. He developed peritonitis and was in such agony that pabinal, a pain-killer, was administered. Dazai came to depend on this narcotic after he left the hospital and steadily increased the dosage. He was an addict for about a year and a half, perhaps the darkest period of his entire life. He was able in one way or another to obtain the drug, but the cost was considerable, and he soon ran up debts not only with pharmacists but with every friend and every publisher from whom he could borrow money. He sold on by on all the manuscripts he had in the big manila envelope and forced himself to write more. The stories of this period are harrowing to read, suggesting the desperation of a man writing in misery. (From — Donald Keene, Dawn to the West, page 1041-2). And from Wikipedia: After fighting the addiction for a year, in October 1936 he was taken to a mental institution, locked in a room and forced to quit cold turkey.
• Biography on the author: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osamu_D...
• I could not find any reviews on the book outside of Goodreads.
And:
• “Dazai frequently ends a tale on an inconclusive note—most obviously when he has a narrator confess to bewilderment concerning the significance of the story he has just told.” 🤨
This is not acknowledged as a masterpiece—I read it because I thought they would be like the stories in Blue Bamboo I liked so very much but this was not the case. I will not give up on this author as I have heard good things on two other works of his that are considered to be modern day classics in Japanese Literature: The Setting Sun (1947) and No Longer Human (1948).
Here are the titles of the 11 stories, and I comment on 3 of them that made it above my bar of 3 or more stars. Not many as you can see. Memories [1.5 stars]; Undine [1.5 stars]; Monkey Island [1.5 stars]; Hear My Plea [5 stars]; Melos, Run! [3.5 stars]; On the Question of Apparel [3 stars]; A Poor Man Got His Pride [2.5 stars, I didn’t get it]; The Monkey’s Mound [1.5 stars]; The Sound of Hammering [1.5 stars]; Taking the Wen Away [2 stars]; Crackling Mountain [2 stars]
• Hear My Plea: This is just fantastic. If I could give this story 10 stars I would. It is an account from Judas Iscariot how he betrayed his friend and companion Jesus. He loved Jesus but could get annoyed at him for what I think are valid reasons. You remember the miracle in which Jesus was giving a long sermon to a crowd and they were hungry so he turned 7 loaves and fishes into a plenitude of food? A miracle, right? Nope—Judas procured all the food and had to spend a buttload of money for it. Who gets the credit? Jesus. Who ends up getting bankrupted—Judas. [a gazillion stars, very clever]
• Melos, Run!: Melos is a village shepherd who plays his flute. A king is paranoid and is killing his followers because he is not trusting them. Weird but I liked it. [3.5 stars]
• On the Question of Apparel: Protagonist/narrator does not like to spend money on clothes. He is convinced whenever he puts on new or different clothes that bad things happen. Better to just dress in rags. Too funny.
Notes:
• I found this to be interesting, because I used to do pharmacological research with opiate/opioids—I was not able to find what pabinal was by I am assuming it was an opiate like morphine or oxycodone: Early in April 1935, a bare two weeks after his attempted suicide, Dazai had an attack of acute appendicitis that was complicated by his slowness in calling a doctor. The operation was difficult and (according to Dazai) the doctors despaired of saving his life. He developed peritonitis and was in such agony that pabinal, a pain-killer, was administered. Dazai came to depend on this narcotic after he left the hospital and steadily increased the dosage. He was an addict for about a year and a half, perhaps the darkest period of his entire life. He was able in one way or another to obtain the drug, but the cost was considerable, and he soon ran up debts not only with pharmacists but with every friend and every publisher from whom he could borrow money. He sold on by on all the manuscripts he had in the big manila envelope and forced himself to write more. The stories of this period are harrowing to read, suggesting the desperation of a man writing in misery. (From — Donald Keene, Dawn to the West, page 1041-2). And from Wikipedia: After fighting the addiction for a year, in October 1936 he was taken to a mental institution, locked in a room and forced to quit cold turkey.
• Biography on the author: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osamu_D...
• I could not find any reviews on the book outside of Goodreads.
May 30, 2015
I'd first encountered Lane Dunlop's translation of "Memories" in A Late Chrysanthemum: Twenty-One Stories from the Japanese. I didn't remember this little paragraph:
"A busy man, my father was seldom at home. Even when he was, he usually didn't bother about his children. I once wanted a fountain pen like his, but was too afraid to ask for one. After wrestling with the problem, I fell back on pretending to talk in my sleep. Lying in bed one evening, I kept murmuring, Fountain pen ... fountain pen ... Father was talking to a guest in the next room and my words were meant for him. Needless to say, they never reached his ear, let alone his heart."
Cute, huh? And isn't there a bit in No Longer Human where the father offers the boy a gift and he can't bring himself to say what he wants or even agree with any suggestions?
I also liked:
"The school of the older sister happened to be in a smaller town. Because of that, the souvenirs she brought back could not compare with the younger sister's. Once she took form her basket five or six packets of incense-sparklers and handed them to me. I'm so sorry, she said, a blush upon her cheeks. At that moment I felt my chest constrict. According to my family, this sister too was homely."
From "Heed My Plea", Judas on Jesus: "And even if people despise me forever and I end up suffering in eternal hellfire, it will be like nothing alongside my unquenchable love for him."
"A busy man, my father was seldom at home. Even when he was, he usually didn't bother about his children. I once wanted a fountain pen like his, but was too afraid to ask for one. After wrestling with the problem, I fell back on pretending to talk in my sleep. Lying in bed one evening, I kept murmuring, Fountain pen ... fountain pen ... Father was talking to a guest in the next room and my words were meant for him. Needless to say, they never reached his ear, let alone his heart."
Cute, huh? And isn't there a bit in No Longer Human where the father offers the boy a gift and he can't bring himself to say what he wants or even agree with any suggestions?
I also liked:
"The school of the older sister happened to be in a smaller town. Because of that, the souvenirs she brought back could not compare with the younger sister's. Once she took form her basket five or six packets of incense-sparklers and handed them to me. I'm so sorry, she said, a blush upon her cheeks. At that moment I felt my chest constrict. According to my family, this sister too was homely."
From "Heed My Plea", Judas on Jesus: "And even if people despise me forever and I end up suffering in eternal hellfire, it will be like nothing alongside my unquenchable love for him."
April 7, 2009
This collection of short stories, Crackling Mountain and Other Stories, by Dazai Osamu is a witty display of prose writing. Many of his stories are retellings of older Japanese classics. With it he sets the criterion for the ingenious use of ironic humor, which, in the case of Dazai, is always dark.
The last story in this collection, Crackling Mountain delves into the notion of vengence. The story is amusing with animals taking the lead roles, as they so often do in his narratives. Here our main characters are a badger and a rabbit, representative of (a) man and (a) woman, as rendered by Dazai. The badger escapes from a (human) couple who are about to make him into stew and in the process the old lady is hurt. The rabbit learns of the incident and decides to take revenge. Throughout the whole story these two constantly try to out smart the other in a cunning tug-of-war of the mind, and for very different ends. The badger out of love tries to gain respect and affection; and the rabbit out of malice tries to gain time and an opportunity to do ill.
Is there something to be learned from this story asks Dazai to his readers. He leaves us with these concluding words - That sums up, briefly and without exaggeration, all of the world's woeful tales from the days of old. In every woman dwells this cruel rabbit, while in every man a good badger always struggles against drowning.
The last story in this collection, Crackling Mountain delves into the notion of vengence. The story is amusing with animals taking the lead roles, as they so often do in his narratives. Here our main characters are a badger and a rabbit, representative of (a) man and (a) woman, as rendered by Dazai. The badger escapes from a (human) couple who are about to make him into stew and in the process the old lady is hurt. The rabbit learns of the incident and decides to take revenge. Throughout the whole story these two constantly try to out smart the other in a cunning tug-of-war of the mind, and for very different ends. The badger out of love tries to gain respect and affection; and the rabbit out of malice tries to gain time and an opportunity to do ill.
Is there something to be learned from this story asks Dazai to his readers. He leaves us with these concluding words - That sums up, briefly and without exaggeration, all of the world's woeful tales from the days of old. In every woman dwells this cruel rabbit, while in every man a good badger always struggles against drowning.
March 3, 2023
“come here kids! i’ll tell you a story about a badger! but the badger also happens to be a 37 year old man who only wanted to be loved and struggles with self-loathing- no wait why are you leaving???”
November 1, 2024
straight fire
January 21, 2018
Membaca karya Dazai yang beberapa kali cuba membunuh diri ini (akhirnya mati membunuh diri dengan teman wanitanya), saya jangkakan pengalaman semacam rasa kosong, mundane, mendatar seperti yang rasa tatkala menelaah karya Murakami.
Wah, rupanya boleh tahan berwarna-warni cerpen-cerpen Dazai. Ada kepelbagaian emosi dan kekayaan persoalan melibatkan manusia dan juga haiwan.
Wah, rupanya boleh tahan berwarna-warni cerpen-cerpen Dazai. Ada kepelbagaian emosi dan kekayaan persoalan melibatkan manusia dan juga haiwan.
November 9, 2017
I love Dazai's writing and am determined to read everything I can possibly get my hands on. There was just so much fun in this volume, seeing a livelier more comedic (albeit still dark since this is Dazai) side to Dazai's writing as opposed to his more well known works which tend to lean more towards the tragic and dark. Of course none of these eleven stories would truly be Dazai's without his satire and exploration into - and mockery of - the human condition with just a pinch of nihilism and tragedy.
Since many of these works are retellings it shows just how versatile an author Dazai was. To take a well known classic and transform it into your own while still staying true to the source is hard and Dazai pulled it off spectacularly.
I enjoyed each of these stories for their own various reasons. One of my favourites has to be Heed My Plea. I can't exactly put my finger on why. It has to be one of the more serious of the collection closer to that of Dazai's well known post war works. There was something raw about the story - unedited - that just resonated with this one. Dazai's delves deep into the internal struggle of our main character, the narrative twisting back on itself and contradicting at every turn. It was quite different and in a way I think it reflects the Dazai's own internal struggle. This struggle makes an appearance in glimpses throughout his other works but here it's laid bare - the story is the struggle. Perhaps that's why it made an impression.
Taking the Wen Away, this had to be my pick certainly. I laughed a great deal though this one. It's simply a fun story. That's what made this volume so enjoyable, most of the stories are designed simply to make the reader laugh, On the Question of Apparel, A Poor Man's Got His Pride. While others aim to question important issues while still making the reader laugh with Dazai's command of self-characterisation and satire, like Monkey Island, Crackling Mountain and Melos, Run!.
It's a more light hearted, humorous side of Dazai that is missed by readers, especially English readers, in the pursuit of his more famous works; No Longer Human and The Setting Sun. Which is really a shame, for these short stories are just as spectacular.
Since many of these works are retellings it shows just how versatile an author Dazai was. To take a well known classic and transform it into your own while still staying true to the source is hard and Dazai pulled it off spectacularly.
I enjoyed each of these stories for their own various reasons. One of my favourites has to be Heed My Plea. I can't exactly put my finger on why. It has to be one of the more serious of the collection closer to that of Dazai's well known post war works. There was something raw about the story - unedited - that just resonated with this one. Dazai's delves deep into the internal struggle of our main character, the narrative twisting back on itself and contradicting at every turn. It was quite different and in a way I think it reflects the Dazai's own internal struggle. This struggle makes an appearance in glimpses throughout his other works but here it's laid bare - the story is the struggle. Perhaps that's why it made an impression.
Taking the Wen Away, this had to be my pick certainly. I laughed a great deal though this one. It's simply a fun story. That's what made this volume so enjoyable, most of the stories are designed simply to make the reader laugh, On the Question of Apparel, A Poor Man's Got His Pride. While others aim to question important issues while still making the reader laugh with Dazai's command of self-characterisation and satire, like Monkey Island, Crackling Mountain and Melos, Run!.
It's a more light hearted, humorous side of Dazai that is missed by readers, especially English readers, in the pursuit of his more famous works; No Longer Human and The Setting Sun. Which is really a shame, for these short stories are just as spectacular.
May 22, 2018
I buddy read this with a friend of mine. It was quite enjoyable to analyze each story.
NOTE: THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD!
Memories 5/5
It's not possible to put a rating on the events of someone's life so the lessons that were taught in this first story are where the rating comes from. Dazai went through a lot growing up and he expertly demonstrates how the experiences of childhood remain with you as you grow into an adult. In memories we come to see how the thoughts, feelings, actions, and experiences of a child can be misinterpreted by adults. We see how the remarks of an adult whether intentional or not affect the child. Memories effectively shows how it's imperative for a child to have a good and safe environment in order to grow into a capable adult.
Undine 4/5
Undine means a female spirit or nymph that inhabits water. They look like humans except they lack a soul and the only way to get a soul is to marry a human. They live shorter lives but get an immortal soul. They have a curse though. If their human lover cheats on them, that person dies through a lack of control of their breathing.
I saw Sawa (the main character whose name means marsh in Japanese) as a person who didn't have much of an identity of herself. She did whatever her dad told her to without any emotion. Her isolation makes her loose her emotional connection and she just watches life go by. She has a connection to the waterfall that is near to where she lives and the story her father tells her about the waterfall. An old fairy tale of the story of 2 brothers and their connection to the falls makes her see the two brothers as her only family and the waterfall her connection to them. Her relationship with her dad is...odd. I think even the translator commented on it. For the most part, her dad completely ignores Sawa but as she grows older it seems he starts to look at her as a wife and Sawa seems to comply until her makes a move on her which is the last straw for her. Her life seems to be much like a theater where to survive, she puts on masks. The mask of a girl, the mask of a daughter, a shop keeper, a daydreamer, and a wife and the scene where she jumps seems to be a realization that she doesn't belong in the mountains (marshes aren't found in the mountains). She keeps putting up images of who she wants to be but it always fails because she realizes that it's just another mask. After jumping, she still sees herself as something she's not, a serpent. I think she eventually realizes that she's not that either and that she deluded herself once again and swims off the waterfall. She calls her father a fool. That time she seems to be calling him a fool for failing to see the situation his daughter is in. The second time, she calls herself a fool for never removing herself from the situation; for continuously bearing it. The final time, she never calls herself a fool but I think you can guess when she said it. It's as if she's realized that no matter where she goes, she can't fit in like you said. It's a good tale that reflects on the author. He didn't fit in at home and tried to make a life of his own but didn't fit their either.
Monkey Island 3/5
We start off with our narrator (probably Dazai himself) arriving on an island. Right from the start there are many hints that this is a zoo enclosure. There was the fact that he ended up in the same spot he started after walking a bit along with the brick wall (so the cage they were in). The other monkey remarks on how the trees haven't bloomed yet (probably fake trees). Little hints here and there. It seemed that there were 2 things that he wanted to tell the reader. The first was on how Europeans and Americans viewed the rest of the world. He comments on how there were different types of monkeys (different cultures, all of which were under some European countries control) and how he and the other monkey were the same but different (Japan's situation regarding the West) They then observe the humans who come to put on a show only to realize that they are the show. I think Dazai was trying to show that the East was seen as mainly specimens. You capture them, only to ogle, comment, and "learn" about them. But I think he was also showing that these people are no different then them using the description of the the wife, scientist, and landlord (a jab towards his own dad). The second thing was him asking the reader whether they should submit to this "easy life" or fight for freedom. Obviously, the monkey's chose freedom. I have to admit, I wasn't as moved by this story and I think that his might be his weakest story that I've read. I didn't hate it but it pales compared to his other works. Or maybe I've just seen this done too many times in other books.
Head My Plea 4/5
Head my Plea was quite surprising to read! On one hand, it's very different from his usual style. On the other, Akutagawa did something similar. I often wonder what propelled him to read about Christianity. I attribute it to the changing times. The onslaught of Western culture might have made him curious where Western Philosophy stems from? Either way, it was surprising to learn that the had dictated the entire story in one shot. He must have spent some time thinking about it before speaking. I knew it was going to be a religious story because of the little motif at the top of the title. It was interesting to see the story from Judas' point of view. I knew Dazai would sympathize with Judas and try to show the thoughts behinds his actions. I don't know much of the story so I had to rely on Dazai's words and story. I liked how he created a conflicting character to show the devotion someone can have. Many of us might dedicate ourselves to something/someone only to find that dedication spurned. Many people would easily say that it's because the person was looking for appraisal over having a pure devotion to whatever the thing/person was. However, I like how Dazai shows that it's possible to want attention for something you're dedicated to. He constantly compared Judas and Jesus. I like how he was showing the impossibility of being 100% pure and authentic yet also impossible of being 100% evil and malicious. Even Jesus had moments where he showed more of the so called "low", "unwanted" human emotions and Judas had moments where he showed admired human traits. In other words, both men were still human despite the thematic levels they were raised to. It really shows in the ending when Judas says that he's just the merchant. It's a resignation to the mass mentality. He knows his words will mean nothing compared to that of Jesus who has a huge following and even accused Judas in front of everyone. Likewise, today, there are so many people who get the wrong reputation or just a misunderstood one based on who they are and what people thought of them. I don't know at all if that was Dazai's intention. The only way I can connect this story to him is how people often had the wrong impression of him and he didn't try to correct them (much). I may be way off the mark here, but it's the message I got.
Melos, Run! 5/5
The story is quite simple but it still makes you anxious and generates in you a feeling of sympathy for Melos. Does Melos give up or does he make it? Is his friend still alive? Does his friend hate him? I don't know why the king got let off at the end of the story (I thought it was funny how he wanted to become friends with the duo. I also thought it was funny how his name is Dionysus). I know nothing about the original story but this was well done. I liked the contrast he showed in the book where he has Melos running at inhumane speeds, yet, when confronted with the robbers his stance as a herdsman comes to play and he explains that he wouldn't normally do this. It's funny because it's also true, at least for me.
On the Question of Apparel 5/5
On the Question of Apparel was interesting to read. It's so sad to see how no matter what Dazai wore or what he thought about his clothes, people passed their unwanted opinion. I think the only person who was kind was his friend who said that no one would pay much attention to him. It really goes to show how shy he was and how he was in eternal conflict with what he wanted and what other people wanted from him. But it also shows his flaws as he easily blames circumstances on himself and his decisions (and in a very humorous way). In this case, his choice of clothing.
A Poor Man's got his Pride 3/5
This was an interesting tale that shows how pride still remains in a person no matter where they are in life. It shows how the pride can be have different interpretations. Idiotic (by the reader) and honorable (by the characters).
The Monkey's Mound 5/5
The Monkey's Mound was very sad but I like how it flows. I liked the realism it shows when two people elope. In a lot of books you see the elope and the story ends or they elope and live happily if somewhat poorly. There were a lot of quotes I highlighted. I didn't find much to analyze because most the the analysis was told to you but I still enjoyed it very much. Dazai is really showing how even if you have good intentions, you will still struggle in life. In other words, tragedy is unavoidable in a person's life.
The Sound of the Hammering 5/5
I loved this story. It's filled with so much symbolism and shows the guts Dazai had to pop the bubble in a post WW2 Japan. Our protagonist goes through life but every time he feels energetic or enthusiastic (not matter how small) he hears a sound that causes him to lose complete interest in the activity. It occurs over and over again against his wish and understanding. I think this story can be taken in 2 ways. The first being the loss that many Japanese must have felt at the end of the war. The emptiness they felt along with the question of how to move on and start anew. The events of your life always has a way of effecting you and in this case I feel it was depression. I think Dazai wrote this story really well because you can take out the WW2 setting and still get an effective piece of literature that shows how depression affects an individual, especially the situation where they lose interest in doing things.
The last 2 stories I have previously read and reviewed in another book so I will not do that here but nonetheless, I really enjoyed this book. I had some issues with the translations and interpretations by the translator but I'll let them slide.
NOTE: THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD!
Memories 5/5
It's not possible to put a rating on the events of someone's life so the lessons that were taught in this first story are where the rating comes from. Dazai went through a lot growing up and he expertly demonstrates how the experiences of childhood remain with you as you grow into an adult. In memories we come to see how the thoughts, feelings, actions, and experiences of a child can be misinterpreted by adults. We see how the remarks of an adult whether intentional or not affect the child. Memories effectively shows how it's imperative for a child to have a good and safe environment in order to grow into a capable adult.
Undine 4/5
Undine means a female spirit or nymph that inhabits water. They look like humans except they lack a soul and the only way to get a soul is to marry a human. They live shorter lives but get an immortal soul. They have a curse though. If their human lover cheats on them, that person dies through a lack of control of their breathing.
I saw Sawa (the main character whose name means marsh in Japanese) as a person who didn't have much of an identity of herself. She did whatever her dad told her to without any emotion. Her isolation makes her loose her emotional connection and she just watches life go by. She has a connection to the waterfall that is near to where she lives and the story her father tells her about the waterfall. An old fairy tale of the story of 2 brothers and their connection to the falls makes her see the two brothers as her only family and the waterfall her connection to them. Her relationship with her dad is...odd. I think even the translator commented on it. For the most part, her dad completely ignores Sawa but as she grows older it seems he starts to look at her as a wife and Sawa seems to comply until her makes a move on her which is the last straw for her. Her life seems to be much like a theater where to survive, she puts on masks. The mask of a girl, the mask of a daughter, a shop keeper, a daydreamer, and a wife and the scene where she jumps seems to be a realization that she doesn't belong in the mountains (marshes aren't found in the mountains). She keeps putting up images of who she wants to be but it always fails because she realizes that it's just another mask. After jumping, she still sees herself as something she's not, a serpent. I think she eventually realizes that she's not that either and that she deluded herself once again and swims off the waterfall. She calls her father a fool. That time she seems to be calling him a fool for failing to see the situation his daughter is in. The second time, she calls herself a fool for never removing herself from the situation; for continuously bearing it. The final time, she never calls herself a fool but I think you can guess when she said it. It's as if she's realized that no matter where she goes, she can't fit in like you said. It's a good tale that reflects on the author. He didn't fit in at home and tried to make a life of his own but didn't fit their either.
Monkey Island 3/5
We start off with our narrator (probably Dazai himself) arriving on an island. Right from the start there are many hints that this is a zoo enclosure. There was the fact that he ended up in the same spot he started after walking a bit along with the brick wall (so the cage they were in). The other monkey remarks on how the trees haven't bloomed yet (probably fake trees). Little hints here and there. It seemed that there were 2 things that he wanted to tell the reader. The first was on how Europeans and Americans viewed the rest of the world. He comments on how there were different types of monkeys (different cultures, all of which were under some European countries control) and how he and the other monkey were the same but different (Japan's situation regarding the West) They then observe the humans who come to put on a show only to realize that they are the show. I think Dazai was trying to show that the East was seen as mainly specimens. You capture them, only to ogle, comment, and "learn" about them. But I think he was also showing that these people are no different then them using the description of the the wife, scientist, and landlord (a jab towards his own dad). The second thing was him asking the reader whether they should submit to this "easy life" or fight for freedom. Obviously, the monkey's chose freedom. I have to admit, I wasn't as moved by this story and I think that his might be his weakest story that I've read. I didn't hate it but it pales compared to his other works. Or maybe I've just seen this done too many times in other books.
Head My Plea 4/5
Head my Plea was quite surprising to read! On one hand, it's very different from his usual style. On the other, Akutagawa did something similar. I often wonder what propelled him to read about Christianity. I attribute it to the changing times. The onslaught of Western culture might have made him curious where Western Philosophy stems from? Either way, it was surprising to learn that the had dictated the entire story in one shot. He must have spent some time thinking about it before speaking. I knew it was going to be a religious story because of the little motif at the top of the title. It was interesting to see the story from Judas' point of view. I knew Dazai would sympathize with Judas and try to show the thoughts behinds his actions. I don't know much of the story so I had to rely on Dazai's words and story. I liked how he created a conflicting character to show the devotion someone can have. Many of us might dedicate ourselves to something/someone only to find that dedication spurned. Many people would easily say that it's because the person was looking for appraisal over having a pure devotion to whatever the thing/person was. However, I like how Dazai shows that it's possible to want attention for something you're dedicated to. He constantly compared Judas and Jesus. I like how he was showing the impossibility of being 100% pure and authentic yet also impossible of being 100% evil and malicious. Even Jesus had moments where he showed more of the so called "low", "unwanted" human emotions and Judas had moments where he showed admired human traits. In other words, both men were still human despite the thematic levels they were raised to. It really shows in the ending when Judas says that he's just the merchant. It's a resignation to the mass mentality. He knows his words will mean nothing compared to that of Jesus who has a huge following and even accused Judas in front of everyone. Likewise, today, there are so many people who get the wrong reputation or just a misunderstood one based on who they are and what people thought of them. I don't know at all if that was Dazai's intention. The only way I can connect this story to him is how people often had the wrong impression of him and he didn't try to correct them (much). I may be way off the mark here, but it's the message I got.
Melos, Run! 5/5
The story is quite simple but it still makes you anxious and generates in you a feeling of sympathy for Melos. Does Melos give up or does he make it? Is his friend still alive? Does his friend hate him? I don't know why the king got let off at the end of the story (I thought it was funny how he wanted to become friends with the duo. I also thought it was funny how his name is Dionysus). I know nothing about the original story but this was well done. I liked the contrast he showed in the book where he has Melos running at inhumane speeds, yet, when confronted with the robbers his stance as a herdsman comes to play and he explains that he wouldn't normally do this. It's funny because it's also true, at least for me.
On the Question of Apparel 5/5
On the Question of Apparel was interesting to read. It's so sad to see how no matter what Dazai wore or what he thought about his clothes, people passed their unwanted opinion. I think the only person who was kind was his friend who said that no one would pay much attention to him. It really goes to show how shy he was and how he was in eternal conflict with what he wanted and what other people wanted from him. But it also shows his flaws as he easily blames circumstances on himself and his decisions (and in a very humorous way). In this case, his choice of clothing.
A Poor Man's got his Pride 3/5
This was an interesting tale that shows how pride still remains in a person no matter where they are in life. It shows how the pride can be have different interpretations. Idiotic (by the reader) and honorable (by the characters).
The Monkey's Mound 5/5
The Monkey's Mound was very sad but I like how it flows. I liked the realism it shows when two people elope. In a lot of books you see the elope and the story ends or they elope and live happily if somewhat poorly. There were a lot of quotes I highlighted. I didn't find much to analyze because most the the analysis was told to you but I still enjoyed it very much. Dazai is really showing how even if you have good intentions, you will still struggle in life. In other words, tragedy is unavoidable in a person's life.
The Sound of the Hammering 5/5
I loved this story. It's filled with so much symbolism and shows the guts Dazai had to pop the bubble in a post WW2 Japan. Our protagonist goes through life but every time he feels energetic or enthusiastic (not matter how small) he hears a sound that causes him to lose complete interest in the activity. It occurs over and over again against his wish and understanding. I think this story can be taken in 2 ways. The first being the loss that many Japanese must have felt at the end of the war. The emptiness they felt along with the question of how to move on and start anew. The events of your life always has a way of effecting you and in this case I feel it was depression. I think Dazai wrote this story really well because you can take out the WW2 setting and still get an effective piece of literature that shows how depression affects an individual, especially the situation where they lose interest in doing things.
The last 2 stories I have previously read and reviewed in another book so I will not do that here but nonetheless, I really enjoyed this book. I had some issues with the translations and interpretations by the translator but I'll let them slide.
September 12, 2023
4 stars overall with many 5 star stories within. This collection is often laugh out loud funny and absurd. Dazai stridently plays with caricature (especially in the rewritten traditional tales) and questions narrative norms through, what was at the time, an innovative autobiographical voice. What is also structurally quirky is "ryutodabi", or anticlimax. Dazai often employs a humorous, ironic or meandering anticlimax.
I am not sure that the translation was the best in order to capture unique qualities of each story. My sense is that James O'Brien has gone for a generic bias and we might be missing out on word play. As a result, some of the stories read flat.
I am not sure that the translation was the best in order to capture unique qualities of each story. My sense is that James O'Brien has gone for a generic bias and we might be missing out on word play. As a result, some of the stories read flat.
November 14, 2016
Slick collection of stories from one of Japan's most significant 20th century authors, Dazai's "Crackling Mountain" is mostly a rich retelling of classic Japanese stories, reshaped to reflect and draw sense to World War 2-era Japan, leading, during, and following the war.
I've little to say about these stories as I am not familiar with the original texts they reappropriate. I'm no scholar of Japanese literature, but I have read a certain quantity of anthologies where classic Japanese tales have been translated into English, yet still there was only one story in here that I recognized with any substance, with the rest being either completely new to me or ones I had only heard/read about in passing. If you're a real hound for the classics, then maybe you'll be better off with this work; but if you're catalog is smaller than 10 collections or so, chances are you'll be in the same, out-of-the-loop position I was.
There's something missing, anyway. I can see what Dazai is doing with these works; it's really rather transparent/obvious, as ultimately he just seems to model the main hero either an alcoholic or depressed lunatic. But these stories also retain the reserved and less-detailed style of classic Japanese; so there's nothing fun or overtly tragic about the heroes, or certainly not without knowing the classic source and what exactly Dazai's retelling is doing.
I really can't recommend this book as a casual read for a person unfamiliar with Japanese culture, history, and classic stories. Just too distant; there's much lost in translation, but even more so is there is no possible translation which could ameliorate the divide this book makes between someone familiar with its sources and those not.
I've little to say about these stories as I am not familiar with the original texts they reappropriate. I'm no scholar of Japanese literature, but I have read a certain quantity of anthologies where classic Japanese tales have been translated into English, yet still there was only one story in here that I recognized with any substance, with the rest being either completely new to me or ones I had only heard/read about in passing. If you're a real hound for the classics, then maybe you'll be better off with this work; but if you're catalog is smaller than 10 collections or so, chances are you'll be in the same, out-of-the-loop position I was.
There's something missing, anyway. I can see what Dazai is doing with these works; it's really rather transparent/obvious, as ultimately he just seems to model the main hero either an alcoholic or depressed lunatic. But these stories also retain the reserved and less-detailed style of classic Japanese; so there's nothing fun or overtly tragic about the heroes, or certainly not without knowing the classic source and what exactly Dazai's retelling is doing.
I really can't recommend this book as a casual read for a person unfamiliar with Japanese culture, history, and classic stories. Just too distant; there's much lost in translation, but even more so is there is no possible translation which could ameliorate the divide this book makes between someone familiar with its sources and those not.
April 7, 2014
Most people seem to start with No Longer Human when reading Dazai, but I chose this one because it was cheaper (and I love short stories, of course). I'm glad, because it's a really diverse collection of brilliant stories. He's more comical than I expected (the author died young from a double suicide), but just as poignant as I figured. I'd definitely recommend this book, although I must say that I found the translator's notes prefacing every single story to be almost completely unnecessary.
I'll definitely read his last two novels, asap.
I'll definitely read his last two novels, asap.
October 6, 2019
When the lovers elope, their journey is described in terms that suggest a michiyuki. This type of literary scene, especially notable in the plays of Saikaku’s contemporary, Chikamatsu Monzaemon, evokes the beauty and pathos of a pair of lovers as they seek out a place to die. In the final line of “The Monkey’s Mound,” Dazai departs drastically from Saikaku’s original tale by sending his lovers off once more. This time there is no attempt to render the poetic feeling of the michiyuki, the lovers now being past the stage of dying for one another.
April 29, 2011
A potent bunch of stories come together to give a funny view on things: sometimes insightful, and sometimes just another thing to laugh about.
January 10, 2020
Dazai was at his finest of his signature self-mockery, absurdity, and humor in some of his retelling of tales and some personal accounts in this collection.
February 20, 2021
This compilation of short stories of Osamu Dazai consists of the lesser known ones, except Run, Melos! Most of them are autobiographical, reflecting on the then-trend of I-novels, where the readers demand of a semi-autobiographical short stories or novels. This trend, was essentially an inquisition circle by the public, forcing them to write a confession regarding their apparently sinful and decadent life as an artist. The authors then faced the choice of either relenting to this public perusal of the dark nooks and cronies of their past life, or cease to be relevant. This puts the author into immense strain, the shame of having one’s life bared for the feast of everybody’s eyes, and also the trauma from reopening old wounds.
The life of Osamu Dazai is one of those individuals which you don’t want them to talk about their past. By forcing a person like him to reveal his past, we essentially have unlocked a Pandora’s Box. While certainly scandalous and salacious, one finished reading thinking that he should not poke his head into this one. It is through this relationship of expediency the public treated him, the whole loop of abandonment restarted back for Dazai.
The first story, Memories, could be best described as the bloopers for his masterpiece No Longer Human. It allowed the reader to further peek into his troubling childhood; his abandonment, his clowning, his precocity…Being the 10th out of eleven siblings, he was more or less ignored by his mother. He grew up raised by his aunts and successive maids he doted on, which all of them leave him eventually. He fall in love with a maid, only to be abandoned by his first love through a horrifying revelation. At the end of the memoir, he saw a new painting brought by his older brother, displaying three women. His mother, his aunt and the maid, they all looked the same to him.
Undine. It is a short story about a 14 year old girl named Suwa who lived alone with his father, a charcoal-maker. When his father is out for work, Suwa would sell candies and lemonade by a great waterfall, the only thing that seemed to actively alive with all its bellowing and thundering in that idyllic village. Suwa recounted the story where a student who was collecting ferns at the falls fall to his death, and the tale about a brother who reneged on his promise to keep his brother’s supper, turned into snake. Upon remembering this tale, Suwa wept and put his father’s finger into her mouth. The climax of this short story was the charcoal-maker’s drunken return to the house and tried to push himself against her daughter, who understandably resisted and ran away to the falls. While expecting herself to be transformed into a serpent, she turned into a carp. The contrast between the alive waterfalls against the idyllic village perhaps pointed to the symbolism of the boundary between mundaneness and adventure, a transition between an innocent childhood to adulthood via puberty. The gateway seems to be the only thing that is alive, resisting the Edenic village, naturally was supplied by its own fair share of magical and horrifying stories, lest the unready approached the falls. Suwa’s action of putting his father’s finger into her mouth, in my opinion, was a sign of regression resisting the coming turbulent waves of puberty. The climax, was her forceful separation from his parents (separation from parents necessarily entails certain degrees of trauma). Regarding her transformation into a carp, I can only speculate that her transition towards puberty has been completed.
The Monkey Island. Well, this short one is like a parody of the Plato’s parable of the cave, but instead of people strapped facing the wall, we have monkeys as our protagonists. The monkeys thought that the people below them were putting a show for them, with their weird idiosyncrasies and what not. But when a couple of child visitors murmuring that the monkeys have always been doing the same thing every time they visited, they realized; it was themselves who are putting a show. Struck by this realisation, they wish to break through their cages. Sartre once said, “Hell is other people”.
Heed My Plea. This one is basically an appeal from Judas’ side. It’s a reversal point of view, an attack on the Christian virtues as immoral. Christ’s independence, Judas argued, could be seen as pride and refusing to be seen while claiming to be omnipotent. The Apostles’ companionship is merely an exasperated attempt for royal offices in the otherworld kingdom while it was Judas who is condemned for being attached to the world when he asked donations for their daily bread. Judas’ relationship to Jesus, from Dazai’s perspective, is a different kind of love from the Apostles. It was a certain form of domestic and selfish love, reminiscing one of a jealous women’s love (as if not all women are ever jealous!), wishing her loved one all for her. She can’t understand why he looked so far away, towards a kingdom out of this world, while she is right there with him. This shame of impotency, and failing to monopoly her loved one’s love is what drives one crazy.
Run, Melos! This is one of the more widely read of Dazai’s. It’s a story about a hero named Melos declared his intent to oust the tyrant of Sicily. Enraged by this, the tyrant ordered his execution, but Melos asked for a three day delay for he wanted to officiate his sister’s weddings, orphans they were. The tyrant grinned and agree to this only if Melos give him a hostage. It he was to be late, then the hostage would be executed in his place. Sentineleus was then to be given as the hostage. Upon his return to Syracuse, Melos was tempted by his secret wish to remain alive with his remaining family, he also had to swim through a flooded river, beat an entire troupe of bandits sent by the tyrants and he collapsed flat due from exhaustion from those endless challenges. But he persevered and arrived in the nick of time. He asked Sentineleus to slapped him because he thought of reneging his promise and live happily with his family. Slapped Melos hard, Sentineleus did. But slap me also, for I also had my doubts that you would even come. Slapped Sentineleus hard, Melos did. The anime version had a fabulous quote, albeit with an original ending. “...Is it painful to be the person who waits? Or is it more painful to be the person who makes others wait? Either way, there's no need to wait anymore. That's what is most painful…” Sentineleus might think that his ordeals are far greater because he was the one who is forced to wait, but Melos felt the same thing too, if not even more severe, because of his regret of making somebody wait to top off his entire being’s exhaustion. Nevertheless if one of them dies, while there is no need for waiting anymore, this would be the most painful option.
On the Questions of Apparel. Apparel symbolised external features, they are one of the first things you notice on people. This story captured Dazai’s feeling of alienation from other people, their judgment criticising his choice of apparel, which in our superficial modern world sometimes equal to a rejection of our existence. The story ended with a comical scene, where his action trying to quiet his drunken friend ended up with him being chased out from the pub. He wanted to emulate the heroic feat of Benkei hitting his master Yoshitsune’s head to deceive the guards, but ended up flunked. He contemplated the reason of the failure was due to his appearances and features.
A Poor Man’s Got His Pride. A simple story featuring the pride that a poor man has. He was ashamed for having been helped, so he tried to project his shame by overcompensating by throwing a feast. When one of the coins he received as charity went gone, they all went scampering looking for it. And lo, a coin has been found in a dark corner. He must’ve missed it! But then the samurai’s wife informed that the missing coin was in fact always by her side, obscured by a pot’s lid. Incensed by this act of charity, the samurai raged and ragged on inquiring on who thought him to be so poor he must be helped.
The Sound of Hammering. This poignant recounting of post-war Japan depicted the everyday life of a man. Upon the surrender of Japan by her Emperor, he heard a faint sound of hammering. This sound of hammering, I believe, is an allusion towards the hard work reconstructing Japan from the ashes of war; not only economically, but at all levels. The reconstruction involved grit and hard work enough to made one’s idyllic idealism to be extinguished, by the sound of the hammer. And so, all of the dreams for a military life extinguished by the sound of hammer heard by him. His aspirations to became a writer extinguished by the sound of hammer. His bashful one-sided crush towards a girl, also extinguished by the sound of the hammer, with a dog leaving a sizeable pile of dung behind her lying visage.
The rest of the story, I must confess, interests me very little.
The life of Osamu Dazai is one of those individuals which you don’t want them to talk about their past. By forcing a person like him to reveal his past, we essentially have unlocked a Pandora’s Box. While certainly scandalous and salacious, one finished reading thinking that he should not poke his head into this one. It is through this relationship of expediency the public treated him, the whole loop of abandonment restarted back for Dazai.
The first story, Memories, could be best described as the bloopers for his masterpiece No Longer Human. It allowed the reader to further peek into his troubling childhood; his abandonment, his clowning, his precocity…Being the 10th out of eleven siblings, he was more or less ignored by his mother. He grew up raised by his aunts and successive maids he doted on, which all of them leave him eventually. He fall in love with a maid, only to be abandoned by his first love through a horrifying revelation. At the end of the memoir, he saw a new painting brought by his older brother, displaying three women. His mother, his aunt and the maid, they all looked the same to him.
Undine. It is a short story about a 14 year old girl named Suwa who lived alone with his father, a charcoal-maker. When his father is out for work, Suwa would sell candies and lemonade by a great waterfall, the only thing that seemed to actively alive with all its bellowing and thundering in that idyllic village. Suwa recounted the story where a student who was collecting ferns at the falls fall to his death, and the tale about a brother who reneged on his promise to keep his brother’s supper, turned into snake. Upon remembering this tale, Suwa wept and put his father’s finger into her mouth. The climax of this short story was the charcoal-maker’s drunken return to the house and tried to push himself against her daughter, who understandably resisted and ran away to the falls. While expecting herself to be transformed into a serpent, she turned into a carp. The contrast between the alive waterfalls against the idyllic village perhaps pointed to the symbolism of the boundary between mundaneness and adventure, a transition between an innocent childhood to adulthood via puberty. The gateway seems to be the only thing that is alive, resisting the Edenic village, naturally was supplied by its own fair share of magical and horrifying stories, lest the unready approached the falls. Suwa’s action of putting his father’s finger into her mouth, in my opinion, was a sign of regression resisting the coming turbulent waves of puberty. The climax, was her forceful separation from his parents (separation from parents necessarily entails certain degrees of trauma). Regarding her transformation into a carp, I can only speculate that her transition towards puberty has been completed.
The Monkey Island. Well, this short one is like a parody of the Plato’s parable of the cave, but instead of people strapped facing the wall, we have monkeys as our protagonists. The monkeys thought that the people below them were putting a show for them, with their weird idiosyncrasies and what not. But when a couple of child visitors murmuring that the monkeys have always been doing the same thing every time they visited, they realized; it was themselves who are putting a show. Struck by this realisation, they wish to break through their cages. Sartre once said, “Hell is other people”.
Heed My Plea. This one is basically an appeal from Judas’ side. It’s a reversal point of view, an attack on the Christian virtues as immoral. Christ’s independence, Judas argued, could be seen as pride and refusing to be seen while claiming to be omnipotent. The Apostles’ companionship is merely an exasperated attempt for royal offices in the otherworld kingdom while it was Judas who is condemned for being attached to the world when he asked donations for their daily bread. Judas’ relationship to Jesus, from Dazai’s perspective, is a different kind of love from the Apostles. It was a certain form of domestic and selfish love, reminiscing one of a jealous women’s love (as if not all women are ever jealous!), wishing her loved one all for her. She can’t understand why he looked so far away, towards a kingdom out of this world, while she is right there with him. This shame of impotency, and failing to monopoly her loved one’s love is what drives one crazy.
Run, Melos! This is one of the more widely read of Dazai’s. It’s a story about a hero named Melos declared his intent to oust the tyrant of Sicily. Enraged by this, the tyrant ordered his execution, but Melos asked for a three day delay for he wanted to officiate his sister’s weddings, orphans they were. The tyrant grinned and agree to this only if Melos give him a hostage. It he was to be late, then the hostage would be executed in his place. Sentineleus was then to be given as the hostage. Upon his return to Syracuse, Melos was tempted by his secret wish to remain alive with his remaining family, he also had to swim through a flooded river, beat an entire troupe of bandits sent by the tyrants and he collapsed flat due from exhaustion from those endless challenges. But he persevered and arrived in the nick of time. He asked Sentineleus to slapped him because he thought of reneging his promise and live happily with his family. Slapped Melos hard, Sentineleus did. But slap me also, for I also had my doubts that you would even come. Slapped Sentineleus hard, Melos did. The anime version had a fabulous quote, albeit with an original ending. “...Is it painful to be the person who waits? Or is it more painful to be the person who makes others wait? Either way, there's no need to wait anymore. That's what is most painful…” Sentineleus might think that his ordeals are far greater because he was the one who is forced to wait, but Melos felt the same thing too, if not even more severe, because of his regret of making somebody wait to top off his entire being’s exhaustion. Nevertheless if one of them dies, while there is no need for waiting anymore, this would be the most painful option.
On the Questions of Apparel. Apparel symbolised external features, they are one of the first things you notice on people. This story captured Dazai’s feeling of alienation from other people, their judgment criticising his choice of apparel, which in our superficial modern world sometimes equal to a rejection of our existence. The story ended with a comical scene, where his action trying to quiet his drunken friend ended up with him being chased out from the pub. He wanted to emulate the heroic feat of Benkei hitting his master Yoshitsune’s head to deceive the guards, but ended up flunked. He contemplated the reason of the failure was due to his appearances and features.
A Poor Man’s Got His Pride. A simple story featuring the pride that a poor man has. He was ashamed for having been helped, so he tried to project his shame by overcompensating by throwing a feast. When one of the coins he received as charity went gone, they all went scampering looking for it. And lo, a coin has been found in a dark corner. He must’ve missed it! But then the samurai’s wife informed that the missing coin was in fact always by her side, obscured by a pot’s lid. Incensed by this act of charity, the samurai raged and ragged on inquiring on who thought him to be so poor he must be helped.
The Sound of Hammering. This poignant recounting of post-war Japan depicted the everyday life of a man. Upon the surrender of Japan by her Emperor, he heard a faint sound of hammering. This sound of hammering, I believe, is an allusion towards the hard work reconstructing Japan from the ashes of war; not only economically, but at all levels. The reconstruction involved grit and hard work enough to made one’s idyllic idealism to be extinguished, by the sound of the hammer. And so, all of the dreams for a military life extinguished by the sound of hammer heard by him. His aspirations to became a writer extinguished by the sound of hammer. His bashful one-sided crush towards a girl, also extinguished by the sound of the hammer, with a dog leaving a sizeable pile of dung behind her lying visage.
The rest of the story, I must confess, interests me very little.
January 4, 2024
Had me giggling and smiling. :) It was very nice to see different writing styles and some versatility after reading No Longer Human. I appreciate the translator's notes at the beginning of each story and the footnotes as well. Even with the added context, I'm sure some of these stories made more sense if you knew the old tales, culture, time periods, etc. My favorite stories: Monkey Island, Heed My Plea, A Poor Man's Got His Pride, The Sound of Hammering. Way too many quotes incoming because so much of this made me laugh.
"He was just itching to be slain."
"I became an utter demon of vengeance."
"I'd rather hurl myself from a cliff into the raging sea than throw away over a hundred yen on a suit of clothes."
"Harada would drink from early in the morning and pretend he was going to disembowel himself."
"Dumb fellows like you and me shouldn't try to think about things. It's better not to."
"All this is completely beyond a stupid person like me."
"A maiden's ire can be scathing and merciless, especially when her victim is both ugly and dumb."
"But, when it comes right down to it, I want to run around screaming, I'M CRAZY ABOUT WOMEN!"
"He was just itching to be slain."
"I became an utter demon of vengeance."
"I'd rather hurl myself from a cliff into the raging sea than throw away over a hundred yen on a suit of clothes."
"Harada would drink from early in the morning and pretend he was going to disembowel himself."
"Dumb fellows like you and me shouldn't try to think about things. It's better not to."
"All this is completely beyond a stupid person like me."
"A maiden's ire can be scathing and merciless, especially when her victim is both ugly and dumb."
"But, when it comes right down to it, I want to run around screaming, I'M CRAZY ABOUT WOMEN!"
July 25, 2020
Un recueil de contes populaires qui nous fait voyager et nous emmène dans un petit cocon hors du temps. Je n’ai qu’une envie : me plonger encore plus dans l’oeuvre d’Osamu Dazai !
Article : https://comaujapon.wordpress.com/2020...
Article : https://comaujapon.wordpress.com/2020...
June 10, 2018
Osamu Dazai (1909-1948) began writing short stories as a college student and gained recognition in the West after World War II for his novels The Setting Sun (1947) and No Longer Human (1948). Many of the stories here are older folktales retold by Dazai. While the notes for each story by translator James O'Brien give valuable literary and historical context, the back blurb's claim that these short stories are "by turns hilarious, ironic, introspective, mystical and sarcastic" didn't ring true with me. Rather than chalking it up to something being literally lost in translation, I would say that there is a generational and cultural gap here that was too broad for me to traverse, much as I generally admire Japanese fiction.
May 28, 2025
This is one of the best, most well-rounded Dazai short story collections I've read. While I didn't love James O'Brien's English translations as much (I prefer Ralph McCarthy's version of many of the texts, especially the two tales taken from Otogizōshi: The Fairy Tale Book of Dazai Osamu; he captures Dazai's humor a bit better), I still think this edition is smooth and professionally done with utmost care. There is a good introduction, as well as helpful summaries for each short story that put the tale in context quite efficiently. I also really appreciated the additional notes at the end; not a lot of Dazai editions have those, so I was very grateful. In short, I highly recommend this collection since it's got a good mix of Dazai's experimental short story styles -- the eleven stories this book features are funny, empathetic, self-destructive, ridiculous, tragic, and strangely cozy. I loved reading (and rereading) them in my room listening to the spring rain fall outside my window.
Favorites from this collection:
“Memories” (a classic)
An oldie but a goodie. This short story collection chose one of Dazai's longer, more autobiographical works to start it off with and I was happy to look at it again with fresh new eyes. I think O'Brien's translation of this text wasn't as up to par with the ones I'm used to, but I still believe it was good, albeit lacking some of Dazai's tongue-in-cheek, melodramatic style. Some of the sections of this familiar narrative actually had different vibes to me, like the part when Dazai talks about Miyo and his efforts to "attract" her. Nevertheless, it was still amusing reading Dazai's "version" of some of his earliest childhood memories.
“Monkey Island”
(This short story collection has a lot of monkey-centric stories. This isn't a bad thing, but I couldn't help but take notice of it). Dazai tends to keep the majority of his stories in Japan, so I was surprised to read this one supposedly set in England. As far as I know, Dazai's never travelled outside of his home country, but he did have a handful of opinions on foreigners and the West. In general and in theory, I think he had a relatively positive relationship with the West because he grew up reading works by Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, and a lot of classic French authors, but this short story hints at a wariness Dazai has to white non-Japanese due to their anti-Asian sentiment and ostracization of his race. The monkey, though usually revered in Eastern regions, was often used as a racist caricature to dehumanize Asian men, which I'm sure Dazai would've been aware of even though he's never been outside Japan. Though the tale is mostly comic, I still sense a hard political undertone to it, which is why I liked it so much despite being kind of ridiculous.
“Heed My Plea”
Dazai's Judas Iscariot x Jesus Christ Bible fanfiction that he wrote during the height of his Christianity phase. Throbbingly gay and hilarious. Cannot take anything about this story seriously.
“Melos, Run!”
Another oldie but a goodie. This one I definitely preferred McCarthy's translation of it. I practically skipped O'Brien's version because I felt it was kind of dry.
“The Sound of Hammering”
I'd say this is the most serious short story in the collection, although Dazai ends it with a sort of punchline response by the oh-so-wise author the narrator is desperately addressing his letter of anguish to. (I snorted with the opening: "Dear Sir: Agonizing, isn't it?"). This one is a postwar story focused on a disillusioned, borderline cynical young man that represents Japan's younger generations following the aftermath of the country's devastating defeat to the Allies. The narrator describes moments of sudden hope for the future being totally undercut by the story's central sound of hammering. It reminded of the ominous train sounds in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. The sharp contrast of the music/sound of love that the narrator alludes to being silenced by that industrial, cold, and metallic sound of hammering was brilliant: “When you fall in love, music permeates the soul, doesn’t it? I think that’s the surest sign of this affliction.”
I sympathized a lot with his constant back-and-forth of a trembling optimism with the world immediately followed by a chasmic apathy. This one has traces of The Setting Sun but a bit less refined, moreso confused and begging for answers that are never given. I'd say this one was my favorite story out of the whole collection.
Favorites from this collection:
“Memories” (a classic)
“At such times I always sought refuge in a bookstore. There was one close by, and I hurried there now. Just to see all the books lining the shelves would lighten my mood as if by magic. This particular store had one corner containing a half dozen volumes that I couldn’t buy even though I wanted to. Now and then I would linger there and peek inside the covers. I would try to act casual, but my knees would be shaking. Of course, I didn’t go to bookstores just to read articles on anatomy. I went because any book gave me comfort and solace at the time.”
An oldie but a goodie. This short story collection chose one of Dazai's longer, more autobiographical works to start it off with and I was happy to look at it again with fresh new eyes. I think O'Brien's translation of this text wasn't as up to par with the ones I'm used to, but I still believe it was good, albeit lacking some of Dazai's tongue-in-cheek, melodramatic style. Some of the sections of this familiar narrative actually had different vibes to me, like the part when Dazai talks about Miyo and his efforts to "attract" her. Nevertheless, it was still amusing reading Dazai's "version" of some of his earliest childhood memories.
“Monkey Island”
(This short story collection has a lot of monkey-centric stories. This isn't a bad thing, but I couldn't help but take notice of it). Dazai tends to keep the majority of his stories in Japan, so I was surprised to read this one supposedly set in England. As far as I know, Dazai's never travelled outside of his home country, but he did have a handful of opinions on foreigners and the West. In general and in theory, I think he had a relatively positive relationship with the West because he grew up reading works by Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, and a lot of classic French authors, but this short story hints at a wariness Dazai has to white non-Japanese due to their anti-Asian sentiment and ostracization of his race. The monkey, though usually revered in Eastern regions, was often used as a racist caricature to dehumanize Asian men, which I'm sure Dazai would've been aware of even though he's never been outside Japan. Though the tale is mostly comic, I still sense a hard political undertone to it, which is why I liked it so much despite being kind of ridiculous.
“Heed My Plea”
Dazai's Judas Iscariot x Jesus Christ Bible fanfiction that he wrote during the height of his Christianity phase. Throbbingly gay and hilarious. Cannot take anything about this story seriously.
“Melos, Run!”
Another oldie but a goodie. This one I definitely preferred McCarthy's translation of it. I practically skipped O'Brien's version because I felt it was kind of dry.
“The Sound of Hammering”
I'd say this is the most serious short story in the collection, although Dazai ends it with a sort of punchline response by the oh-so-wise author the narrator is desperately addressing his letter of anguish to. (I snorted with the opening: "Dear Sir: Agonizing, isn't it?"). This one is a postwar story focused on a disillusioned, borderline cynical young man that represents Japan's younger generations following the aftermath of the country's devastating defeat to the Allies. The narrator describes moments of sudden hope for the future being totally undercut by the story's central sound of hammering. It reminded of the ominous train sounds in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. The sharp contrast of the music/sound of love that the narrator alludes to being silenced by that industrial, cold, and metallic sound of hammering was brilliant: “When you fall in love, music permeates the soul, doesn’t it? I think that’s the surest sign of this affliction.”
I sympathized a lot with his constant back-and-forth of a trembling optimism with the world immediately followed by a chasmic apathy. This one has traces of The Setting Sun but a bit less refined, moreso confused and begging for answers that are never given. I'd say this one was my favorite story out of the whole collection.
June 26, 2021
Whenever I feel like I'm a shitty person, I reread No Longer Human to cheer myself up. At least I'm not as horrible as Dazai! I was looking for Setting Sun on Libby, but unfortunately, it's not there. I did find this book though, which turned out to be a win!!
I was not impressed with Memories (Omoide). All this guy can do is write about his sad, miserable life, I thought. But of course I'm wrong, and Dazai is a fantastic writer. Even though I didn't like the story at all, I did think there were some particularly pretty and profound lines.
My favorite stories were Monkey Island (Sarugashima), Heed My Plea (Kakekomi uttae), The Sound of Hammering (Tokatonton), Taking the Wen Away (Kobutori), and Crackling Mountain (Kachikachiyama). Even though the last part of "Crackling Mountain" made me scoff, and confirm my dislike for Dazai as a person. A horrible guy, but an amazingly hilarious author. His prefaces for his own stories are extremely funny, and I love his rambling commentary. I wish he wrote prefaces for all books, because have you ever read an entertaining preface?? I haven't, before reading these stories. And I absolutely love discourse on whether a rabbit should have acted like a true warrior and dispatched its enemy with a single blow. Dazai is spitting facts here. To sum up, "Monkey Island" was a cute story, I liked the format of "The Sound of Hammering," and the rest of the ones I liked were humorous.
The other stories weren't as memorable, except I was disappointed by "Run, Melos." I've heard of it, so I was surprised by that lame ending. Unless it was irony or satire I didn't catch.
I was not impressed with Memories (Omoide). All this guy can do is write about his sad, miserable life, I thought. But of course I'm wrong, and Dazai is a fantastic writer. Even though I didn't like the story at all, I did think there were some particularly pretty and profound lines.
My favorite stories were Monkey Island (Sarugashima), Heed My Plea (Kakekomi uttae), The Sound of Hammering (Tokatonton), Taking the Wen Away (Kobutori), and Crackling Mountain (Kachikachiyama). Even though the last part of "Crackling Mountain" made me scoff, and confirm my dislike for Dazai as a person. A horrible guy, but an amazingly hilarious author. His prefaces for his own stories are extremely funny, and I love his rambling commentary. I wish he wrote prefaces for all books, because have you ever read an entertaining preface?? I haven't, before reading these stories. And I absolutely love discourse on whether a rabbit should have acted like a true warrior and dispatched its enemy with a single blow. Dazai is spitting facts here. To sum up, "Monkey Island" was a cute story, I liked the format of "The Sound of Hammering," and the rest of the ones I liked were humorous.
The other stories weren't as memorable, except I was disappointed by "Run, Melos." I've heard of it, so I was surprised by that lame ending. Unless it was irony or satire I didn't catch.
September 21, 2023
A decent collection of stories, though most of them are not great. A few are retellings of Biblical stories and Japanese folklore, which sounds interesting...
-The first story, "Memories," is great and feels closely related to Dazai's A Shameful Life. Read this if you enjoyed that book and want to learn more about Dazai's possible perspectives and psyche.
-"Undine" and "Monkey Island" are well-written and strange, and I see connections to modern Japanese writers who use surreal elements in their stories today (Haruki Murakami especially).
-"Heed My Plea" is an interesting take on Judas Iscariot.
-"Melos, Run!" is silly.
-"On the Question of Apparel" is tedious.
-"A Poor Man's Got His Pride," "The Monkey's Mound," "The Sound of Hammering," and "Taking the Wen Away" are all okay.
-"Crackling Mountain" is absolutely my least favorite. Being the headlining story of the volume, I had high expectations. Dazai repeats himself far more than the previous stories. He offers subjective analysis of the older tale and children's version he borrows the story from--this meandering nonsense is not successful. In fact, this story and structure are quite awful. If there is comedy here, it's lost in translation.
I started skipping the translator's introductions for each story, instead reading each one immediately following the story to avoid plot elements. This allowed me to prevent the translator's judgments and analysis from affecting my interpretations as well. The background on some of the stories is more interesting than the stories themselves in some cases (like "Heed My Plea").
-The first story, "Memories," is great and feels closely related to Dazai's A Shameful Life. Read this if you enjoyed that book and want to learn more about Dazai's possible perspectives and psyche.
-"Undine" and "Monkey Island" are well-written and strange, and I see connections to modern Japanese writers who use surreal elements in their stories today (Haruki Murakami especially).
-"Heed My Plea" is an interesting take on Judas Iscariot.
-"Melos, Run!" is silly.
-"On the Question of Apparel" is tedious.
-"A Poor Man's Got His Pride," "The Monkey's Mound," "The Sound of Hammering," and "Taking the Wen Away" are all okay.
-"Crackling Mountain" is absolutely my least favorite. Being the headlining story of the volume, I had high expectations. Dazai repeats himself far more than the previous stories. He offers subjective analysis of the older tale and children's version he borrows the story from--this meandering nonsense is not successful. In fact, this story and structure are quite awful. If there is comedy here, it's lost in translation.
I started skipping the translator's introductions for each story, instead reading each one immediately following the story to avoid plot elements. This allowed me to prevent the translator's judgments and analysis from affecting my interpretations as well. The background on some of the stories is more interesting than the stories themselves in some cases (like "Heed My Plea").
January 31, 2024
This book has 11 short stories and I enjoyed them. Going to one story after the other felt like playing with both my feelings and mind because all of them "taste" different. Hence, the aftertaste was a little bit confusing.
If I have to pick a favorite, it would be Heed My Plea and Melos, Run! Meanwhile I liked the others in almost equal measures.
Some in this collection were Dazai's version of old tales. He added his own version and only took the point of the story and expanded it in his own way. This collection also has some that seemed to be semi-autobiographical (if I may say) and I liked to see the differences in each stories in one book. The combination between tragedy and comedy really made me wonder how to feel about it. Should I lean into the tragedy or the comedy?
Reading this collection reminded me of how genius he was. And after reading some of his work so far, it feels like I've been taken to different places and different times. All of them have different vibes, feelings, and experiences. You might not enjoy every one of them but there will be one that hit you right. His writing style is brilliant indeed and that's why he's one of my favorite Japanese author.
Unfortunately, I came across a lot of misspelling and typos in this book. It slightly made me uncomfortable because it made the context slightly astray and I failed to catch the real meaning of the sentence.
If I have to pick a favorite, it would be Heed My Plea and Melos, Run! Meanwhile I liked the others in almost equal measures.
Some in this collection were Dazai's version of old tales. He added his own version and only took the point of the story and expanded it in his own way. This collection also has some that seemed to be semi-autobiographical (if I may say) and I liked to see the differences in each stories in one book. The combination between tragedy and comedy really made me wonder how to feel about it. Should I lean into the tragedy or the comedy?
Reading this collection reminded me of how genius he was. And after reading some of his work so far, it feels like I've been taken to different places and different times. All of them have different vibes, feelings, and experiences. You might not enjoy every one of them but there will be one that hit you right. His writing style is brilliant indeed and that's why he's one of my favorite Japanese author.
Unfortunately, I came across a lot of misspelling and typos in this book. It slightly made me uncomfortable because it made the context slightly astray and I failed to catch the real meaning of the sentence.
September 25, 2023
I picked up this book as an introduction into some of Osuma Dazai’s shorter works before jumping into No Longer Human. I found some of the stories interesting and enjoyable, exploring aspects of Dazai’s life and experience in both allegorical and pseudo-autobiographical mediums. In particular I enjoyed Memories, The Monkeys Mound, and Taking the Wen Away. Despite these, I felt that a lot of the stories were somewhat boring or in some cases, reflected on in the introductions, pointless or unresolved. I am looking forward to continuing on with Dazai’s work in No Longer Human and hopeful that with a longer format his work takes a more substantial form.
April 3, 2021
One of my favourite authors and some of his greatest work. Along with his short story collection Run! Melos this book collects a wide range of his best work - from Judas' monologue reflecting on his betrayal to the quaint story of poverty ridden samurai celebrating Shogatsu (Japanese New Year) to revamped Fairy Tales that he concludes with suitably ambigious morals . I can't recommend it highly enough. Ps. This was my second reading.
October 16, 2022
я не змогла дочитати останні історії з цієї збірки, тому шо мене вже воротило від нудьги. я читала декілька інших робіт дазая - вони чудові, проте ця збірка мене не зачепила. можливо, я занадто мало знаюся на культурних речах, до яких відсилають історії й тому мені було нецікаво. можливо, мені й так би не сподобалося. heed my plea та monkey island - найкращі історії з цієї збірки, усе інше не надто запам‘яталося.
May 26, 2023
Memories is the standout if you are looking for something akin to No Longer Human/A Shameful Life.
I will say, I did not expect his writing style overall to be so whimsical. It would be such a fun dichotomy to have someone read Crackling Mountain immediately after reading No Longer Human.
This is a wonderful addition to your library, and if you are at all interested in Japanese classics or Osamu Dazai it's definitely worth the price of admission.
I will say, I did not expect his writing style overall to be so whimsical. It would be such a fun dichotomy to have someone read Crackling Mountain immediately after reading No Longer Human.
This is a wonderful addition to your library, and if you are at all interested in Japanese classics or Osamu Dazai it's definitely worth the price of admission.
September 10, 2023
I liked 'on the question of apparel' and the other stories kept me entertained however I'm not a fan of the inconclusive and somewhat nihilistic ending to all the stories where Dazai basically says "yeah so this story doesn't really have a lesson or purpose but yeh 😗✌️". I disliked Crackling mountain though as Dazai takes this traditional tale and writes in sympathy of a peedo badger who stalks a 15 year old rabbit and ends the book by saying it's not easy being a man and this is women's fault.
Read
January 26, 2024A very uneven collection of stories, but very much worth the read. Several of the stories did paint a vivid picture of Dazai and made me chuckle out loud, such as Memories and On the Question of Apparel. Also, reading The Sound of Hammering for the second time (first time was in Finnish), I still think the it’s a masterpiece. The reworked old tales, such as the biblical An Urgent appeal didn’t appeal to me much though, except for the amusing A Poor Man’s Got His Pride.
April 10, 2022
I think Dazais short stories are some of my favorite. His writing style is so good. Also I’m impressed by the translator
July 16, 2022
It's so funny yet tragic stories.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews