No One Knows

by Osamu Dazai, Ralph McCarthy (Translator)

No one really understands how we suffer. One day, when we're adults, we may come to recall this suffering, this misery, as silly and laughable, but how are we to get through the long, hateful period until then? No one bothers to teach us that.

Osamu Dazai was a master raconteur who plumbed--in an addictive, easy style--the absurd complexities of life in a society whose expectations cannot be met without sacrificing one's individual ideals on the altar of conformity. The gravitational pull of his prose is on full display in these stories. In "Lantern," a young woman, in love with a well-born but impoverished student, shoplifts a bathing suit for him--and ends up in the local newspaper indicted as a crazed, degenerate communist. In "Chiyojo," a high-school girl shows early promise as a writer, but as her uncle and mother relentlessly push her to pursue a literary career, she must ask herself: is this what I really want? Or am I supposed to fulfill their own frustrated ambitions? In "Shame," a young reader writes a fan letter to a writer she admires, only to find out, upon visiting him, that he's a bourgeoise sophisticate nothing like the desperate rebels he portrays, and decides (in true Dazai style): "Novelists are human trash. No, they're worse than that; they're demons. . . They write nothing but lies."

This collection of 14 tales--a half-dozen of which have never before appeared in English--is based on a Japanese collection of, as Dazai described them, "soliloquies by female narrators." No One Knows includes the quietly brilliant long story "Schoolgirl" and shows the fiction of this 20th-century genius in a fresh light.

Genres: Short Stories, Classics, Fiction, Japanese Literature, Japan, Translated Fiction, Literature

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 4, 2025

About the author

Osamu 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.

Reviews

[nadia]

For all his misogyny he's weirdly good at writing compelling female narrators imo...

[Bella Azam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dazai wrote frivolously. He was a master storyteller when it comes to self reflective, inner most confession of one's own suffering & plights. As miserable as his characters were, there are quiet strengths to each of these narrator's voice shown through their actions and words. With 14 tales of female centric narration, at the centre of this collection were the female characters and their unobstrusively, unfiltered thoughts on their life & feelings. From a young girl's love for her lover as she suffered great deals of shame of theft, a schoolgirl's stream of consciousness of the day in her life as she contemplates on her grief & uneasy life as a girl, an older sister affection for her ailing young sister with the hope her innocent love remained pure, a wife breaks out in skin rashes reflecting on her marriage, an unknown feelings during her youth and a friendship that lost its connection, of a wife initially comfortable with their poverty stricken life but found unbearable when her husband struck gold, a talented young writer being pushed to submit more essays to literary competitions, and so many more.

Each stories were told in a simple way but molded into a narrative that felt closer to the reader as if we are reading from their innermost thoughts. Some of the stories felt closer to truth, almost similar to Dazai's own story or rather an ominous prediction of what could be such as the double suicide in the last story. Its both disturbing & sad to read once you know what truly happened. Exploring on themes of alienation, loneliness, self-worth, beauty, the struggles of motherhood, youth, one's individuality, suffering aftermaths of war, while delicately touched on the complex emotions of one's desire to love and be loved, to find a comfortable place in society & to just find happiness in a bleak, insufferable world. They are tragic stories but some are written humorously with a depth of unintentional hope & consolation to be felt & this book prove that Dazai was a graceful writer of exposing our inner darkness with a touch of humor and hopefulness to it

Thank you Definitely Books #pansing for the review copy

[Tosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dazai narratives through various women, who I suspect are talking about Dazai, among other things. Close to perfection as perfection can be. The short story form is made for Dazai, and every narrative in this volume stings a bit. It's a remarkable collection.

[Riko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had (have) my reservations about a man writing ‘soliloquies by female narrators’ and I am also aware that I lack the historical (written and set in the 1930-40’s) and cultural (set in Japan) knowledge to judge whether the experiences and emotions of young Japanese women then are accurately depicted in this collection of stories. With that being said, I do believe the stories reflect a general cultural mindset in (post-)war Japan.

The conflict between meeting societal expectations at the cost of one’s individuality serves as an interesting common thread in this series. The stories were easy to read and riveting. It felt like a deep-dive into the brains of some handpicked individuals and read as such: some felt like a fever dream, others were relatable in unexpected ways, and the different narrators came across as authentic in their own ways. The stories touch upon themes like familial relationships, (extra)marital affairs (a lot of drunken husbands), juggling external expectations, morality, beauty and passion, reality vs. fiction, in a casual manner, and don’t shy away from the obsessive, pervasive, the shame and the fears attached to those themes. The book (in my opinion) invites a refreshing amount of (self-)reflection (e.g., to which degree (if any) can an author’s character be judged by a work of fiction they have written? When the world around you goes to war, what does safety look like to you? Etc.)

I appreciate the simplicity of the writing and the insights into the then (and probably still, to some degree) present gender roles in relationships. As a theme across the different stories though, it seems like the drunken husband(/men) rarely changes while the wife seems to twist herself into knots to accommodate him or at the very least, she shifts emotionally in their relationship. Favourite story from the bundle was ‘Osan’.

[S. Alberto ⁻⁷ (yearning) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"To master your feelings and quietly turn your own world around is the true revolution."

"Listen. When a woman convinces herself that it doesn't matter what may come tomorrow, that's when she's at her most womanly. Don't you agree?"

Dazai really said “let’s spiral, but make it literary”—and I was here for it (at least in the first half). The narrators in those early short stories had that signature Dazai touch: deeply reflective, existential, and painfully aware of their own contradictions. That sense of honesty and internal conflict is what always draws me to his work, and it was so present in the beginning of this collection.

But somewhere around the second half, the momentum started to fade a bit for me. The reflective moments I was loving earlier began to thin out, and some stories dragged more than they delivered. It didn’t fully lose me, but the emotional punch definitely softened.

That said—shoutout to the female narrators in this one. They were stellar. The way Dazai wrote their interiority felt sharp, layered, and at times, even more nuanced than his usual male voices. It gave the collection a distinct balance and a fresh angle that I really appreciated.

Overall, No One Knows was a moody, self-aware, and at times, devastatingly human collection that reminded me why I keep coming back to Dazai’s writing. Not perfect, but still one of his more memorable ones for me.

[Mori · Rating 3 out of 5]

a collection of fourteen short stories all in the pov of a female narrator. some of them are still girls going to school, some are sisters and half of them are wives. what they all have in common is that they're all struggling in a way, either with their husbands, self-deprecating thoughts or something else.

i didn't like all of them but i don't think you have to. some of them have pitiful narrators with zero luck, especially the last two, but i liked the variety and realness of the stories.

[witch of trouble · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m always wary when a male author chooses to write from a female character perspective especially an author like dazai. However I find the characters compelling and their torment believable. Quite funny reading about the contempt they feel to various artist men who are just a collective image of himself. Sad he opens the book with preface confessing he finds these stories cringe.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has so few reviews, I'm kind of proud of myself and also have to bless the taste of the place I found it.

It's a refreshing, somewhat life changing take on first person narration.

I was surprised that the author chose to write a series of short stories with female narrators, but was immediately drawn to the idea.

His portrayal of the women is just that- a portrayal. Each character and story is distinct enough that you don't feel as if you're reading the same thing, but without names, it's hard to pin down exactly what makes them different.

The sublety of Dazai's prose needs to be studied. If words were food, then this would be a fine cuisine restaurant I would want to frequent over and over. But even better than any restaurant. I can't even express it in mundane words. Like I said, it needs to be studied.

It's well-aligned, yet sophisticated enough so as to not be blunt. Some lines and revelations bring tears to your eyes. It's as if he says the deepest things in the lightest way, without any need for buildup, just as part of the character's story.

It's the kind of book you want to carry around, but deceptively heavy, so that you need to concentrate if you want to make a deep dive.

Definitely the best thing I've read this year and my favorite Japanese author (and translator) so far.

[jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

genuinely really liked this collection. they're not all great, but they are all very solid stories, with interesting and compelling characters that seem to both be dazai and speak of him.
schoolgirl, chiyojo, december 8, one snowy night and osan were my favorites. an entertaining lady and waiting are honorable mentions, since the aforementioned short stories—particularly schoolgirl and chiyojo—really stuck with me. i'm hoping to own this & no longer human soon, i really like how dazai writes and explores despair and misery.
there are moments where you get glimpses of misogyny, of course, but overall i would say he writes extremely complex and intriguing female characters, and all of the narrators had something different going on in their lives even if they shared traits with each other (being a mother, a wife, a schoolgirl, etc.)

[hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

14 tales in a ‘soliloquies by female narrators’ mostly set in a traditional Japanese household told and explored through a day-to-day premise; from a bittersweet marriage, of one’s affair and relationship concerns to a playful teenage girl adventure and stories of heartbreaks, one’s pride, ambition, on loneliness and survival. Loved Dazai’s melancholic writing tone with its almost bleak during a war time backdrop, so tender and strangely comforting in a way it gets quite addictive to devour most of the stories for its mix of beauty and subtle sadness— appealing much for how it was all narrated by a woman narrator but so intimately well written by a male author.

Favoured most of it and few that memorable much to me— Lantern (a woman in her anxious state of committing theft trying to make sense of her fool act with a list of her witty dramatic reasons), Schoolgirl (a teenage girl’s adventure over the course of one day—read it in another translation edition before and still enjoyed it as much), Skin and Soul (a delicate tale on one’s appreciation of beauty told in an interesting interaction in between a wife and her husband), Osan (a gripping story of a woman who is torn in between her love and knowledge about her husband’s infidelity) and La Femme De Villon (of poverty, disillusionment and survival told through a wife’s POV about her selfish, self-destructive husband).

I liked how some stories layered its theme with a touch of literary related character and premise like in Shame (of humiliation, self-loathing and dignity tale about a young reader and her fav novelist), Chiyojo (a promising young writer who was pushed by her mother and uncle to pursue a writing career) and the titular story; No One Knows (story of friendship and love with an avid reader character).

A raw with emotional subtlety prose and enticing exploration overall. A recommendation if you love a tender relatable-to-life stories with classic lifestyle setting, of personal, moral and selfhood theme.

(Thank you Pansing Distribution for the gifted review copy!)

[Liwia Tarkowska · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book, wondering if I could really enjoy an anthology of female-narrated stories written by a man?

I still have no clear answer, as this book left me with a lot of conflicting feelings. On one hand, I read each story like a feast; I wanted to savor every word, but more often than not, I greedily devoured them whole. On the other hand, I was wondering whether the subtle hints of misogyny
come from cultural differences, the passage of time, or the author's intentional irony. Regardless, I find this book valuable and enjoyable for many of its other qualities, beyond its portrayal of gender equity.

In each story, we get a glimpse of the daily life of Japanese women of different ages and statuses. The IIWW casts its shadow over their routines, but their biggest troubles seem to come from the men surrounding them, not the dark realities of war. The heroines may not feel like traditional strong female leads; instead, their strength comes from putting up with the everyday life with incapable men: alcoholics, cheaters, and unfulfilled poets.

The female narrator's perspective reveals a humble approach to coping with men who drown their demons in sake, take their own lives, or squander their family savings by smuggling, all while harboring silent resentment towards the West. Dazai strips his characters of any privacy, exposing their every thought and deepest darkest secrets to the reader, making them very easy to identify with. Each of the 14 brilliantly written stories is thought-provoking and leaves you with a sense of literary satisfaction.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's strange to read a bunch of short stories from the perspective of female protagonists, but all written by a male author (and then translated from Japanese to English). Didn't love the book, but not awful by any means.

[Harriet Fardon · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of these Goodreads reviews say the collection was surprisingly sharp given Dazai’s rampant misogyny. Am I taking crazy pills? Each of the women in this collection seemed to pretty much hate themselves, and I kind of had trouble differentiating them. Maybe I’m not sophisticated enough…

I do enjoy the fact that the husbands of this collection (idiots whose self-importance destroys those around them) seem to resemble Dazai. I also appreciated the implicit commentary he was making about class and gender in post-WWII Japan.

[Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
Osamu Dazai just hits for me for some reason, almost in a similar way to John Steinbeck

[Borislava Velkova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Четиринайсет истории, разказани от женска гледна точка, в които Дадзай - с типичния си цинизъм и унищожителна ирония - отново се захваща с натиска на обществото върху индивида. Самият Дадзай не е особено горд с тях или поне с деветте, които публикува заради положителния отклик на читателите в сборник със заглавие Women. Към това издание са включени още пет.

Отначало нещата тръгнаха наистина зле и бях напълно склонна да се съглася със собствените му думи, че опитите му да наподоби женски глас са "нескопосани". Ако не бях чела No Longer Human и му нямах пълно доверие, сигурно щях да се откажа. За щастие, продължих и стигнах до доста силна поредица, а като теглим чертата - повече от половината разкази се оказаха много добри. Само погледнете началото на La Femme de Villon:

"Будя се посред нощ от тропота при отварянето на външната врата. Знам обаче, че е само мъжът ми, който се прибира пиян, и просто си лежа тихо в леглото." (прев. мой)

...

В тях говорят жени, напълно интериоризирали обществената догма, че съществуват, за да служат на другите и особено на мъже, за които прототип явно е самият Дадзай - беден писател, негоден за военна служба, безполезен вкъщи и отдаден на пороци.

Най-любимият ми е може би Shame, където благочестива гражданка хуква да спасява някакъв пропаднал според нея писател, само за да установи, че нищо му няма, и това я хвърля в имиджова криза. А ние остава да се чудим кой е по-големият лицемер - той, симулирайки окаяност, или тя, симулирайки добродетел, все за едно и също - одобрението на публиката.

Следват:
December 8 - за майка с малко дете и безполезен съпруг в началото на войната за Япония, чието чувство на несигурност я кара да изпадне в дива омраза към врага;
La Femme de Villon, най-бруталният, където една жена изтърпява такива невероятни унижения, че й остава само биологичното съществуване;
Osan - за жена, която е толкова зависима от съпруга си, че предпочита да го предостави на друга, стига настроението му да не страда;
An Еntertaining Lady, където някаква уж "привилигирована" особа, всъщност самотна вдовица, буквално се саморазрушава заради неспособността си да казва "не" на всякакви екстремни състезатели в жертвеническата олимпиада - супер актуално.

Естествено, историите носят белезите на местната култура и историческия момент, но са абсолютно разпознаваеми и днес. Някои биха ги нарекли феминистични, но за щастие, вместо обичайната напоследък идеологическа чистота, тук се открива сериозна доза амбивалентност. Така имаме възможност да разберем и да съчувстваме на причините, довели до изключително лично страдание, но и да видим как, като се премине прага на търпимост, то прерства в противоречия, морален разпад и дори разрушителност. Това, естествено, не отменя критиката към опресията на жените, напротив, показва логичния резултат от това да притиснеш някого в ъгъла.

Или както обичам да казвам - извинявай, че не съм образцовата жертва. Ама не.

[Dxdnelion · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone who is well known for his misogyny, Dazai Osamu is weirdly good at writing compelling female characters. No One Knows is a 14 short-story collection that involves female-centric narrators, each written in a quietly devastating but strangely beautiful manner. These short stories prove Dazai's rich writing style, in a way he is able to capture the quiet chaos of being human whether it involves shameful, unfiltered thoughts or being miserable, including things that they wish to keep hidden. From a young girl who had to bear the burden of the weight of shame after get caught stealing, an adventurous day in the life of a schoolgirl trying to navigate the complexities of being a girl and her grieving, an older sister's love toward her sick younger sister, a wife who breaks out in skin rashes and starts having uneasy thoughts on her marriage and beauty, a talented young writer who faces pressure from her uncle and her mother to pursue a literary career, a devoted wife who discovers her husband's infidelity, a wife who lives happily and comfortably in their poor life and starts to resent her husband's sudden success and more.

I feel like most of the stories, especially one that includes most of the self-hatred and loathing sentiment, are a disguise of Dazai’s own thoughts and outlook on life, making the character seem like a different version of the same man. Maybe that's why these short stories feel intimate, as they're not crafted to impress but instead to show the harshness of being human, of a life that either feels fortunate, challenging or painfully unfair. I appreciate how each of the women carries their guilt, shame and pain differently, but you can see the quiet strength and resilience in them. It is strange how he is able to write them with so much empathy and tenderness. My favorites (mostly memorable for me) are Schoolgirl, Cherry Leaves and the Whistler, Skin and Soul, Shame, Waiting, One Snowy Night and Osan. 4.5 ⭐️ Thank you @definitelybooks for the review copy.

[Vincent Collet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un livre qui me fait hésiter à le critiquer de par son sujet et le sentiment de non légitimité qu'il me provoque : No One Knows est un recueil d'histoires courtes de Dazai, écrites entre 1937 et 1948 (c'est important) et ayant pour particularité de ne proposer que des récits de femmes.

Je trouve que Dazai, à travers ces différentes histoires courtes, aborde de façon aussi intéressante que terrifiante la place des femmes dans la société japonaise de la moitié du siècle dernier (qui n'a pas tant vieillit que ça...). On y retrouve des personnages complexes, menant des vies différentes (mais qui se répondent parfois) avec leurs réflexions propres, parfois poussées à l'extrême. Ce n'est pas toujours très fin, on sent une certaine misogynie de fond propre à son époque, mais en même temps des pistes de réflexions étonnantes pour des récits écrit par un homme dans les années 40.

J'ai aussi trouvé très intéressant de sentir la différence de ton entre les récits datant d'avant et d'après la guerre. On sent que l'ambiance générale est bien plus morose, les thèmes abordés plus marqués par cette défaite et ce qui en a découlé pour le Japon.

En bref une lecture intéressante, pas toujours très juste, qui a parfois mal vieillit mais qui impressionne tout de même par la faculté de Dazai à capter le lecteur très rapidement et l'entraîner dans les tréfonds de l'âme de ses personnages, ceux-ci reflétants un monde qui semble terrifier autant qu'il fascine leur auteur.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

14 short stories, all ostensibly with female narrators, but Dazai is very clearly either the person who is narrating most of these stories, or the stories center around how women view him. Some great stories here, the true highlight is "Schoolgirl", but a few others were also very good, with most being rather strong. The longest stories were definitely way too long, though.

If you want a lighter hearted Dazai short story collection, this is preferable to Self Portraits. If you're looking for more of his 1940s stories that center around WW2 and life in war-torn Japan, while that is here, you'll get more of it and more deeply in Self Portraits.

[Brennan Eddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the narrative switch from his other books which gave a breath of fresh air. It felt nice taking my time in this book compared to others where I try to finish it quickly. I felt myself scouring/savoring each story and enjoying each unique experience that they gave me.

[Zenab Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

why do people keep calling him a misogynist? where is the misogyny? he writes complex and compelling female characters who feel real and intelligent and are so unashamedly ~feeling~.

stand out stories for me were katydid, chiyojo, shame and osan.

[i.carrion · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Tomorrow, no doubt, will be another day just like today. Happiness will never come. I know that. But when you’re going to sleep, it’s probably better to believe that it will, that it’ll be here tomorrow.”

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this to get a better understanding of the Dazai character in Bungo Stray Dogs (lol), but was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked these short stories and how relatable I found some of the feelings Dazai describes. Definitely will be reading No Longer Human by him at some point.

[Jasmin Capitan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unhinged male author creates unhinged female characters… yields a surprisingly good collection of stories.

[Khairia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow
4.5 ⭐️

[Melita · Rating 4 out of 5]

leave it to Dazai to get me out of my reading block

[Zachary Podlewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A scattered collection of stories narrated by women who simply aren’t happy. Every story feels like the inner-turmoil of Dazai through the eyes of women. Very melancholy with just enough heart to make it a breezy read. All of the narrators feel fully fleshed out no matter how little time we spend with them.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really cool volume of short stories by Dazai. The editors selected stories that featured a female, first-person narrator. This was a common thread in Dazai’s shorter fiction. Favorites: “Schoolgirl,” “No One Knows,” “La Femme De Villon,” “Osan,” and “An Entertaining Lady.”

[:3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will always love Dazai's honest record of personal history. The fragility of post wwii Japan and

[Juno · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really did have high hopes for this book. I love Dazai's writing and I think he does an excellent job portraying the depressed man. BUT when I started to read this book I was extremely disapointed. When he writes "from the girl/woman's perspective" it is truly pathetic. I really wanted to like this book. I just could not stomach the portrayals of these women. Groveling about a man, hurting animal, etc. Maybe that is how some depressed women are but as a femme, and as a person who has mostly women/femme friends, this is not how depressed women act or think. I managed to get aboiut halfway through the book before I had to put it down. I would say stick to writing about depressed men, but he is dead. SO I guess we are in the clear.

It feels strange too because he is one of my favorite authors. I would not reccomend this book, to men, women, or anyone in between.

[tsukibookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 round up.

No One Knows is a short story collection with women as the pov. Each story — which was written in different years — captured the situation in society, hence the different vibe. At some point I thought they were talking about Dazai himself. I think he put the thought about himself in his stories, which of course, unsuprising. This collection only proved to me once again the richness of his writing style.