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Dazai Osamu wrote The Fairy Tale Book (Otogizoshi) in the last months of the Pacific War. The traditional tales upon which Dazai's retellings are based are well known to every Japanese schoolchild, but this is no children's book. In Dazai's hands such stock characters as the kindhearted Oji-san to Oba-san ("Grandmother and Grandfather"), the mischievous tanuki badger, the fearsome Oni ogres, the greedy old man, the "tongue-cut" sparrow, and of course Urashima Taro (the Japanese Rip van Winkle) become complex individuals facing difficult and nuanced moral dilemmas. The resulting stories are thought-provoking, slyly subversive, and often hilarious.
In spite of the "gloom and doom" atmosphere always cited in reviews of The Setting Sun and the later No Longer Human, though, Dazai's cutting wit and rich humor are evident in the entire body of his work. His literature depicts the human condition in painfully blunt and realistic terms, but, like life itself, is often accompanied by a smile.
344 pages, Paperback Bunko
First published October 25, 1945
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4839 people want to read
About the author
Osamu Dazai
1,122 books9,451 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
March 22, 2022
What an interesting concept this book is! During World War II, a Japanese father takes his young daughter down to the bomb shelter in their yard during an air raid. To relieve the young girl, the father begins telling classic Japanese fairy tales to her. He has the book on hand, but the simple text rather infuriates him as he is an academic and writer himself (the father is unnamed at the time, but rather implied to be the author himself), he decides to elaborate upon these tales.
The structure of the stories are rather fascinating for those who like looking at origins and the historic nature of these tales. A line or two of the original text is included in a different font, then the father reinterprets these simple words, turning them more into a traditional narrative and giving origins and personalities to these characters, explaining their actions. When he comes across a line that he finds peculiar, he will examine the historic context and wonder aloud about why an oni may be portrayed as a horrible monster in stories and yet how in critiques an author may be compared to an oni as praise.
This is a self-examining story, looking at Japanese history and culture all through a humorous fairy tale lens. While it is fascinating in regards to Osamu’s own examination of history, it is actually fairly historically important in its own right. While the author’s earlier work is consider much more important, this one has the honor of being one of the first Japanese published longer works (and by that I mean that though it may be a short book at 123 pages, it is not just a single short story) after WWII. In fact, Osamu most likely set it in a bomb shelter, as he probably came up with it in one. As he was writing the book, he and his family had evacuated to the countryside after his home was destroyed in an air raid (and again, his second home would also be destroyed in one). It is not hard to imagine that he was in a similar situation as the father in this book, telling his children stories to calm them, and interjecting his own sense of humor to keep his own spirits up.
The four stories are The Stolen Wen, Urashima-San,Click-Clack Mountain and The Sparrow Who Lost Her Tongue. The first tale is mostly just a humorous introduction to how Dazai will be taking on these stories, without getting into the depth that future stories will. Urashima-San in many ways seems to be Dazai pondering about how one should live a “proper” life. This is also where he begins to really analyze the tales from multiple directions (he makes comparison to this story and both Pandora’s Box and the Garden of Eden), while also comically interjecting reality; like how a tortoise would be very unlikely to show up in the village where he story takes place and tries to find a reasonable reason for its appearance there.
With Click-Clack Mountain he takes the interesting approach of telling you how the story ends in the first couple of paragraphs. It is important to note that these are all well known tales in Japan, so he would obviously think his reader already knew how it ended. He does this though to demonstrate the gruesome history of the tale and why it was altered in the then modern form to be more fitting for children. He analyses the story before even attempting to tell it, as he wants to show that depending on the version read, the lead character is either a monster absolutely deserving of a horrible fate, or someone who in self defense slightly injured an old woman and is met with a ghastly fate way out of proportion with his actions. Through this we see how the moral seems to change depending on how the tale is told (something we could apply to modern reworking of the works of the Brother’s Grimm as well).
Before beginning his final story, he tells us that he originally intended to include the story of Momotaro, but that it felt unfitting. All the works in this book come off as comedic tragedies, but Momotaro is such a distinctly heroic Japanese figure that he couldn’t rework him without coming off as insulting to Japanese history. In his own words, Momotaro is “Japan’s number 1,” how could he mock him without mocking Japan? Considering when this was written, I am unsure if this is a moment of patriotism or fear of censorship, but either way it adds to his examination of these tales in its own way.
The final story is, in my opinion, nowhere near as funny as the others. It doesn’t examine the story as much either… it’s just rather melancholy and yet seems a fitting conclusion. With this book Dazai set out to examine Japanese fairy tales and frequently points out the lack of a true moral to many of them, expressing that they are really just tragic comedies that can be understood by children. Here the comedy seems to fall off as if the project is no longer as amusing as it was, and instead we leave off with a note of sorrow.
This collection comes highly recommended for those with a love of Japanese stories or for anyone interested in the “hows and whys” behind the tales.
The structure of the stories are rather fascinating for those who like looking at origins and the historic nature of these tales. A line or two of the original text is included in a different font, then the father reinterprets these simple words, turning them more into a traditional narrative and giving origins and personalities to these characters, explaining their actions. When he comes across a line that he finds peculiar, he will examine the historic context and wonder aloud about why an oni may be portrayed as a horrible monster in stories and yet how in critiques an author may be compared to an oni as praise.
This is a self-examining story, looking at Japanese history and culture all through a humorous fairy tale lens. While it is fascinating in regards to Osamu’s own examination of history, it is actually fairly historically important in its own right. While the author’s earlier work is consider much more important, this one has the honor of being one of the first Japanese published longer works (and by that I mean that though it may be a short book at 123 pages, it is not just a single short story) after WWII. In fact, Osamu most likely set it in a bomb shelter, as he probably came up with it in one. As he was writing the book, he and his family had evacuated to the countryside after his home was destroyed in an air raid (and again, his second home would also be destroyed in one). It is not hard to imagine that he was in a similar situation as the father in this book, telling his children stories to calm them, and interjecting his own sense of humor to keep his own spirits up.
The four stories are The Stolen Wen, Urashima-San,Click-Clack Mountain and The Sparrow Who Lost Her Tongue. The first tale is mostly just a humorous introduction to how Dazai will be taking on these stories, without getting into the depth that future stories will. Urashima-San in many ways seems to be Dazai pondering about how one should live a “proper” life. This is also where he begins to really analyze the tales from multiple directions (he makes comparison to this story and both Pandora’s Box and the Garden of Eden), while also comically interjecting reality; like how a tortoise would be very unlikely to show up in the village where he story takes place and tries to find a reasonable reason for its appearance there.
With Click-Clack Mountain he takes the interesting approach of telling you how the story ends in the first couple of paragraphs. It is important to note that these are all well known tales in Japan, so he would obviously think his reader already knew how it ended. He does this though to demonstrate the gruesome history of the tale and why it was altered in the then modern form to be more fitting for children. He analyses the story before even attempting to tell it, as he wants to show that depending on the version read, the lead character is either a monster absolutely deserving of a horrible fate, or someone who in self defense slightly injured an old woman and is met with a ghastly fate way out of proportion with his actions. Through this we see how the moral seems to change depending on how the tale is told (something we could apply to modern reworking of the works of the Brother’s Grimm as well).
Before beginning his final story, he tells us that he originally intended to include the story of Momotaro, but that it felt unfitting. All the works in this book come off as comedic tragedies, but Momotaro is such a distinctly heroic Japanese figure that he couldn’t rework him without coming off as insulting to Japanese history. In his own words, Momotaro is “Japan’s number 1,” how could he mock him without mocking Japan? Considering when this was written, I am unsure if this is a moment of patriotism or fear of censorship, but either way it adds to his examination of these tales in its own way.
The final story is, in my opinion, nowhere near as funny as the others. It doesn’t examine the story as much either… it’s just rather melancholy and yet seems a fitting conclusion. With this book Dazai set out to examine Japanese fairy tales and frequently points out the lack of a true moral to many of them, expressing that they are really just tragic comedies that can be understood by children. Here the comedy seems to fall off as if the project is no longer as amusing as it was, and instead we leave off with a note of sorrow.
This collection comes highly recommended for those with a love of Japanese stories or for anyone interested in the “hows and whys” behind the tales.
March 2, 2018
I wonder how much I can gush about this author and his books. When you read something by an author you love and admire, it just relaxes you because you know you're in for a good time. That's what reading anything by Osamu Dazai is like for me. There is an instant click and I know that no matter how short the book is, it will be something I relish to the very last word.
This is actually the first book of his (that I read) which was purely fictional. While he is an author that draws heavily from his own life and experiences, this was the first time I read something that he had created himself. Well, almost. He took four fairy tales from Japan and really looked at it. Have you ever pondered about why characters said something or did something in a fairy tale? Well, Dazai did and felt it should be broken down and analysed to its finality. Throughout each novel, he jumps back and forth from the story to the narrator's (him) perspective and discusses why the plot/character did what they did. Spread out are snarky/sparky comments upon society, human nature, life, and basically everything in between.
I really like the methodology of this book. If you're the type to really like breaking down and analyzing things, not just in books but in every aspect of your life, you will really enjoy this book. I don't ever know how to discuss books that I really love because it satisfies a craving in me that even I don't fully understand. As I have said, when you really admire someone and their work anything they do/say becomes something you take to heart. So, all I can do is hug this book and give a bashful silly smile to you when you ask if I enjoyed it.
This is actually the first book of his (that I read) which was purely fictional. While he is an author that draws heavily from his own life and experiences, this was the first time I read something that he had created himself. Well, almost. He took four fairy tales from Japan and really looked at it. Have you ever pondered about why characters said something or did something in a fairy tale? Well, Dazai did and felt it should be broken down and analysed to its finality. Throughout each novel, he jumps back and forth from the story to the narrator's (him) perspective and discusses why the plot/character did what they did. Spread out are snarky/sparky comments upon society, human nature, life, and basically everything in between.
I really like the methodology of this book. If you're the type to really like breaking down and analyzing things, not just in books but in every aspect of your life, you will really enjoy this book. I don't ever know how to discuss books that I really love because it satisfies a craving in me that even I don't fully understand. As I have said, when you really admire someone and their work anything they do/say becomes something you take to heart. So, all I can do is hug this book and give a bashful silly smile to you when you ask if I enjoyed it.
May 6, 2017
“Why can’t people get along without criticizing one another?” Urashima shakes his head as he ponders this rudimentary question. “Never have the bush clover blooming on the beach, nor the little crabs who skitter o’er the sand, nor the wild geese resting their wings in yonder cove found fault with me. Would that human beings too were thus! Each individual has his own way of living. Can we not learn to respect one another’s chosen way? One makes every effort to live in a dignified and proper manner, without harming anyone else, yet people will carp and cavil and try to tear one down. It’s most vexing.”
Rating: 4 / 5
Otogizōshi: The Fairy Tale Book of Dazai Osamu is a collection of four fairy tales written by renowned Japanese author, Dazai Osamu. In literary terms, this also falls into Japanese literature, and Japanese culture.
Otogizōshi is a collection of fairy tales that Dazai wrote during the last years of the Pacific War.
Despite the gloom and suicidal overtones of books such as No Longer Human and The Setting Sun, Dazai shows his wit and humour in this book and I’m welcome to a wonderful change from his works. Since reading Schoolgirl and Blue Bamboo, I just had to read this one as well.
Thanks to Scribd, I got to read this for free because of my 30 day free trial (please note a 30 day free trial only gives you three book credits and allows you to only read three full books).
The Stolen Wen
This is the story of an old man with a wen on his cheek, and how he cares and loves for it. His family have no care for him, and Ojii-san, a drunkard, needs a change of pace. This was a wonderful story. I really enjoyed it, after I got through Dazai’s constant breaks of ‘so I couldn’t do this with this story because of this and that’. These were quite annoying, in all honesty, to read in the middle of the story. It was very distracting and it was hard to get back into it after having to trudge through it, especially when you’re enjoying the story as much as I was. Dazai has a peculiar way of writing, and within his stories, this shows and it aids them. When he writes like this, I feel that, personally, it takes away from the story. It’s not as smooth as usual, when he breaks the fourth wall, and as much as I love that in things such as Deadpool, I don’t think fourth wall breaks works so well within this piece. I feel like I definitely could have enjoyed this a lot more than I did, had Dazai left out his narrations until the end. A shame, really. If this was a stand alone book, I would only give it 2.5 stars.
Urashima-San
What if Westerners were to get wind of this and run around claiming that Japan’s fairy tales are more brutal or gruesome than their darling Greek myths? - Dazai, calling out the Whites. I love it.
I found this story to be quite educational, actually. Dazai teaches us of tortoises in a passage (in another author note, fourth wall break), and I found I didn’t know of the things he wrote before reading this.
I wasn’t enjoying this when I first started reading it. I found Dazai’s constant annotations, as in the previous story, very off putting. However, as I continued reading into Dazai’s writing in this, I became entranced, and ended up extremely glad I didn’t DNF this book as a whole. The descriptions in this are just marvellous, and Dazai has created a remarkable fantasy land that I just wish to escape to and hole up for a while, despite the time limitation. This is a wonderful story that has just sparked my imagination in the most wonderful way. Reading this allowed me to adjust to Dazai’s writing of annotations within his stories as well, and for that, I’m grateful as I can read freely without the interruptions.
This was a remarkable story and dissection of social standing and how humans view each other and the world. I found myself to be quite taken aback, realising that every word that Dazai wrote is true; it’s how humans perceive and how we act. It was a bit down putting, really, to realise how much we do out of good practice that is really no good at all. This has definitely given me a new outlook on life, and many things to ponder on in my behaviour and to wonder if they’re worth changing or not.
I have to say though – it was weird as hell learning all of this from a damn tortoise!
Click-Clack Mountain
I finally understand the fourth wall break! It’s Dazai discussing the stories of the child’s book he’s using as a prompt for the whole story. That took me too long.
I really enjoyed this story actually. It’s a story of too much revenge for one small act but I found it really sweet to read. It was evil, and definite overkill. The rabbit in this is wonderfully wicked, and I found I really enjoyed her character. She’s a devious little minx and I couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit of love for her. We’re meant to feel sorry for the tanuki in this but honestly? I just wanted him gone. He annoyed me no end and I’m actually glad he got the ending he did. Whoops.
This was a brilliant story and Dazai did this wonders.
The Sparrow Who Lost Her Tongue
I cried reading this. I legit cried. I felt so bad for the sparrow, I just wanted to give her a hug. I think this was a really strong story about trusting the people you’re supposed to love in the things they say, in my interpretation. The things that are said within this by one of the main characters really made me think about humankind and the way we do things. It’s strange to learn these things through the way they have been taught but they have seriously made me think about the things that humans do in social standing and have really helped me to outlook on my own life.
Overall, I think this was a really sweet book. I really enjoyed reading it, despite it taking me too long to get through. I was put off, at first, by Dazai’s constant authors notes, but when I reached “Click-Clack Mountain”, I realised that he was, in fact, explaining his decisions and thoughts on the stories that he was rewriting from a children’s book whilst stuck in a bomb shelter. I think this is pretty ingenious. It allows us a look into his mind as he writes, and allowed me, a foreigner, to understand the traditional children’s tales a lot more.
This was a great little read, and I recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy and faerie tales.
October 8, 2025
Japonya’da Muromachi döneminde (14.–16. yy) yazılmış Otogizōshi, çoğu kısa anlatılardan oluşan, farklı elyazmalarında bir araya getirilmiş yaklaşık 350–500 civarında masalı kapsayan bir edebiyat türü/derleme, bir külliyatın adıdır.
Japon Masallarını Osamu Dazai yorumu ile okumak çok zevkli. Dört masalı kendi yorumu ile düzenlemiş, çok da güzel bir çalışma olmuş. Dazai tarzından çok farklı.
Çok beğendim.
Japon Masallarını Osamu Dazai yorumu ile okumak çok zevkli. Dört masalı kendi yorumu ile düzenlemiş, çok da güzel bir çalışma olmuş. Dazai tarzından çok farklı.
Çok beğendim.
November 17, 2022
What an absolute blast of a book. The exceedingly sarcastic retellings of some of Japan's favourite children's fairy tales.
My favourite has to be Urashima-san who rescues a turtle or a tortoise from mean children and the turtle falls in (platonic) love with him and takes him to the Dragon Palace under the sea. It sounds mild enough, like all the fairy tales but there are hard edges everywhere and the turtle is the most sarcastic creature on the planet seemingly.
All the tales are "fiddled with" in some way by Dazai Osamu. They're funny, mean and there are nods to other myths and legends littered in the script. Great fun!
My favourite has to be Urashima-san who rescues a turtle or a tortoise from mean children and the turtle falls in (platonic) love with him and takes him to the Dragon Palace under the sea. It sounds mild enough, like all the fairy tales but there are hard edges everywhere and the turtle is the most sarcastic creature on the planet seemingly.
All the tales are "fiddled with" in some way by Dazai Osamu. They're funny, mean and there are nods to other myths and legends littered in the script. Great fun!
October 11, 2016
Although Dazai is better known for his downbeat works such as No Longer Human, this short book is at the same time amusing and thought-provoking. Written in the aftermath of WW2, these re-imagined traditional folktales are humorous and wry by turns, thanks in great part to the amazing skill of the translator. Ralph McCarthy uses accessible, contemporary language without falling into the trap of making it too colloquial or Americanised.
There are only four tales in this short work, and the author places himself in the weft as another character, the storyteller. Only one of the stories has the traditional "happy ending" expected in the West; however, the stories are all revealing of human character. The only tale I didn't particularly care for was "Click-clack Mountain": I found it confusing and rather pointless, but then I felt the same about the Tar Baby story in Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit. Also, having first met the versatile, shape-shifting tanuki in contemporary anime such as "Pom-Poko", I was surprised that the gluttonous tanuki in Dazai's tale would require any kind of boat, given that they use their testicles for boating (and just about everything else) in other stories.
There are only four tales in this short work, and the author places himself in the weft as another character, the storyteller. Only one of the stories has the traditional "happy ending" expected in the West; however, the stories are all revealing of human character. The only tale I didn't particularly care for was "Click-clack Mountain": I found it confusing and rather pointless, but then I felt the same about the Tar Baby story in Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit. Also, having first met the versatile, shape-shifting tanuki in contemporary anime such as "Pom-Poko", I was surprised that the gluttonous tanuki in Dazai's tale would require any kind of boat, given that they use their testicles for boating (and just about everything else) in other stories.
March 4, 2015
3.5/5
Aunque la producción literaria de Osamu Dazai se halla un tanto desperdigada por el panorama editorial de nuestro país, no se me ocurre un sello mejor que Satori para emplazar esta estupenda colección de cuentos populares (o de cabecera) que reescribe el incomprendido autor japonés con su particular estilo y su heterodoxa versión de las enseñanzas que pretenden transmitir sus homólogos originales. Concebida como una antología de cinco relatos breves, finalmente son cuatro los cuentos que se hallan recopilados en este libro: El lobanillo desaparecido, La historia de Urashima, La montaña Kachi-kachi y El gorrión de la lengua cortada, cada uno de ellos más sórdido, sorprendente y onírico que el anterior, pero todos ellos formando un conjunto compacto y sólido que personifica a las mil maravillas el espíritu admonitorio de la tradición japonesa y saca a relucir por otro lado una soterrada guerra de sexos transformada en sátira costumbrista. Con una edición muy cuidada, salpicada de notas aclaratorias, una fabulosa introducción y la versión original de los relatos, este 'Cuentos de cabecera' constituye una opción bastante recomendable para los enamorados de la cultura nipona.
Aunque la producción literaria de Osamu Dazai se halla un tanto desperdigada por el panorama editorial de nuestro país, no se me ocurre un sello mejor que Satori para emplazar esta estupenda colección de cuentos populares (o de cabecera) que reescribe el incomprendido autor japonés con su particular estilo y su heterodoxa versión de las enseñanzas que pretenden transmitir sus homólogos originales. Concebida como una antología de cinco relatos breves, finalmente son cuatro los cuentos que se hallan recopilados en este libro: El lobanillo desaparecido, La historia de Urashima, La montaña Kachi-kachi y El gorrión de la lengua cortada, cada uno de ellos más sórdido, sorprendente y onírico que el anterior, pero todos ellos formando un conjunto compacto y sólido que personifica a las mil maravillas el espíritu admonitorio de la tradición japonesa y saca a relucir por otro lado una soterrada guerra de sexos transformada en sátira costumbrista. Con una edición muy cuidada, salpicada de notas aclaratorias, una fabulosa introducción y la versión original de los relatos, este 'Cuentos de cabecera' constituye una opción bastante recomendable para los enamorados de la cultura nipona.
October 4, 2015
Dazai Osamu retells four classic Japanese fairy tales, in a way only he could tell them. He takes these classic stories and reimagines them into delightfully fun fables as he works with his audience to decipher a meaning. He gives the once simple characters life by applying to each a fascinating personality. The old man with the wen is a happy go lucky drunk with the most solemn son one could ever imagine having. The protagonist of 'The Tongue-Cut Sparrow' now spends his days silently in a lazy unmoving stupor because he's fed up with the lies people speak. The narratives are quite clever and full of humor, some of which comes from Dazai's self depreciating comments spoken by him, the narrator, directly to us, his audience. There is also a touch of sadness behind them, knowing that Dazai ended his life far too soon. Anyone previously familiar with these tales should seek out this short, but wonderful, little book. You're in for quite a unique treat.
January 8, 2025
Team zajączek. Była okrutna i mściwa, ale jenot? To utożsamienie najobrzydliwszego starego podrywacza, który napastuje młodą kobietę.
(Opowiadania zupełnie nie kojarzą się z Dazai, jakiego znamy)
(Opowiadania zupełnie nie kojarzą się z Dazai, jakiego znamy)
October 20, 2023
ogólnie bardzo fajne, tylko trzaskająca góra była lowkey mizoginistyczna i nie podobała mi się cała koncepcja zmiany tej bajki, więc nie mogę dać 5☆
jakim cudem dazai miał kochanki, które jeszcze chciały z nim popełnić podwójne samobójstwo with the way he wrote about women :/
urashima tarō za to bardzo fajne, myślę że zrozumiałam przekaz
jakim cudem dazai miał kochanki, które jeszcze chciały z nim popełnić podwójne samobójstwo with the way he wrote about women :/
urashima tarō za to bardzo fajne, myślę że zrozumiałam przekaz
June 20, 2022
I am so happy I read this! I kept reading about Dazai's sense of humor and I hadn't experienced the reality of it until I read this... I finished it one day past the 桜桃忌, which was most fitting. I adored the way Dazai interrupted the story to explain some specific parts and to bring little facts to the reader's attention. I found the way he also spoke to us readers from his sad reality during the war, most entertaining and captivating.
I am once again wondering why I bought this book in English instead of just forcing myself to read the original but I will soon enough (I bought Blue Bamboo in English as well so that will have to wait...). Still, Dazai is just a pleasure to read in English so I'm pretty sure once I get my hands on the original texts, I'll be all the more captivated by his talented writing.
Can't recommend this fun book enough, especially for a reader that may not have a lot of knowledge about Japan's traditional tales.
I am once again wondering why I bought this book in English instead of just forcing myself to read the original but I will soon enough (I bought Blue Bamboo in English as well so that will have to wait...). Still, Dazai is just a pleasure to read in English so I'm pretty sure once I get my hands on the original texts, I'll be all the more captivated by his talented writing.
Can't recommend this fun book enough, especially for a reader that may not have a lot of knowledge about Japan's traditional tales.
March 27, 2025
"(…) esistono anche parole di gioia, ma a quelle sono stati avviluppati sordidi espedienti, perché gli esseri umani nell'allegria trovano l'angoscia."
Otogizōshi di Dazai Osamu è una raccolta di quattro avvincenti rivisitazioni di fiabe giapponesi. L'autore parte dal presupposto che il lettore conosca già le fiabe di riferimento da cui prende spunto per narrare la sua versione delle storie, pertanto consiglio a chi non le conosca di leggersi le prime quattro facciate della postfazione prima di iniziare il libro, in modo da capire qual è la trama originale delle fiabe che Dazai andrà a rielaborare in modo estremamente originale.
Grazie al suo acuto umorismo, da un lato è piacevole e divertente leggere queste storie che scorrono veloci come un ruscello ma, al contempo, si ha sempre la strana sensazione di star scappando da qualcosa. Quando si entra nel villaggio dei passerotti in mezzo al bosco di bambù, o nel Palazzo del Drago nelle profondità marine, nonostante la meraviglia, aleggia sempre un'atmosfera malinconica e dolceamara che ha la sua origine nella nostra realtà. Infatti, le fiabe sono state scritte negli anni in cui infuria la seconda guerra mondiale in Giappone e nelle mani di Dazai diventano un mezzo per sfuggire da una realtà troppo brutta da vivere. Così, si mettono in scena storie straordinarie che vanno oltre il comprensibile, alla ricerca di un sollievo impossibile da trovare, perché prima o poi si torna sempre indietro, nella vita reale.
Dazai Osamu è sempre una garanzia. Lettura consigliatissima!
January 16, 2020
Mientras se leen estos cuentos de cabecera, la madre, el padre y la hija están abajo en un refugio anti aéreo. Arriba los aviones B-16 bombardean. Afuera la Segunda Guerra Mundial.
Lo que hace Osamu Dazai es estilizar en sus formas estos cuentos tradicionales japoneses y mirarlos con cierta visión comparativa con la mitología griega. Los hace dialogar con su tiempo.Los cuentos no están muy modificados, conservan plenamente su esencia.
Estas historias ocurren alejadas del hombre social, ese que se desarrolla en las grandes ciudades. Acá todo pasa en el bosque (ese lugar mágico y de fantasía) y en el fondo del mar, en el castillo del Dragón. Los animales interactúan normalmente y sin ninguna dificultad con los hombres.
Los animales son la metáfora y en ellos recaen las lecciones moralizantes de estas narraciones.
Lo que hace Osamu Dazai es estilizar en sus formas estos cuentos tradicionales japoneses y mirarlos con cierta visión comparativa con la mitología griega. Los hace dialogar con su tiempo.Los cuentos no están muy modificados, conservan plenamente su esencia.
Estas historias ocurren alejadas del hombre social, ese que se desarrolla en las grandes ciudades. Acá todo pasa en el bosque (ese lugar mágico y de fantasía) y en el fondo del mar, en el castillo del Dragón. Los animales interactúan normalmente y sin ninguna dificultad con los hombres.
Los animales son la metáfora y en ellos recaen las lecciones moralizantes de estas narraciones.
September 23, 2023
"Ya me has quitado las ganas de creer en nada. Por eso no me gusta la aventura. Porque, aunque te engañen, no hay modo de estar seguro de ello. Uno no tiene más remedio que seguir las indicaciones de su guía. Y si te dice que algo es así o asá, no queda sino creérselo. La aventura consiste en que te engañen".
Qué habilidad la de Dazai para reinterpretar cuentos clásicos con la visión descarnada del presente, para buscar sentidos útiles hoy a los mitos de siempre y para personalizarse él mismo y sus circunstancias en las historias ancestrales. No es perfecto pero es fascinante.
Qué habilidad la de Dazai para reinterpretar cuentos clásicos con la visión descarnada del presente, para buscar sentidos útiles hoy a los mitos de siempre y para personalizarse él mismo y sus circunstancias en las historias ancestrales. No es perfecto pero es fascinante.
March 2, 2025
Dazai nos habla de la naturaleza humana en este retell de cuentos clásicos japoneses. Muy recomendable si buscan una lectura diferente y con mucha personalidad.
July 11, 2025
it was good and then the usual sexism came crashing down
June 16, 2025
Kocham Dazaia Osamu. Szkoda, że nie żyje.
Opowiadania niezwykle przyjemnie się czytało. Pomysł na całokształt tego zbioru jest niezwykle prosty, lecz przy tym poruszający
Opowiadania niezwykle przyjemnie się czytało. Pomysł na całokształt tego zbioru jest niezwykle prosty, lecz przy tym poruszający
October 29, 2024
droooling everywehre
in otogizoshi dazai retells famous childrens stories to his daughter during an air raid in the war. dazai opens up an old picture book and forms his own new twists on the fables; he tells the stolen wen, urashima-taro, click clack mountain, and the sparrow who lost her tongue. he writes these after having evacuated, but likely set it in the shelter because it's where he came up with it. the contrast of reading childrens stories during an active time of war, though unintentional, shows a common theme of dazai's works; the tragic comedy of life, the comic tragedy of life.
in each story, even without having read the originals, i could notice that he really took pains to make each character have an intricate depth to them, making them more than just characters in a childrens story. the old man has an inner moral dilemma at his unhappy family life and his drinking problems, urashima struggles with the toxicity and suffocation of the world of humans, the rabbit is a ruthless teenage girl who tortures and kills a badger, and the wife of the man who loved the sparrow is put through hell by her husband and his whims.
i loved the prose of these stories. dazai takes flat, moral lessons from long ago and sculpts them into something grand; this book exemplifies his writing skills really well. he picks at them and criticizes the stories, saying that there is really no lesson to take away and that all they do is show the tragicomedy that is the undercurrent of our lives.
dazai takes on a more lighthearted, optimistic approach with this story, different from his more famous works. to think that this book isn't as interesting because its not semi autobiographical--and instead only has the hazy self projections that are common in dazai's works--and is not as despairing as the others, would be false. this is easily one of his best works and shows a new side of dazai and his writing capabilities.
in otogizoshi dazai retells famous childrens stories to his daughter during an air raid in the war. dazai opens up an old picture book and forms his own new twists on the fables; he tells the stolen wen, urashima-taro, click clack mountain, and the sparrow who lost her tongue. he writes these after having evacuated, but likely set it in the shelter because it's where he came up with it. the contrast of reading childrens stories during an active time of war, though unintentional, shows a common theme of dazai's works; the tragic comedy of life, the comic tragedy of life.
in each story, even without having read the originals, i could notice that he really took pains to make each character have an intricate depth to them, making them more than just characters in a childrens story. the old man has an inner moral dilemma at his unhappy family life and his drinking problems, urashima struggles with the toxicity and suffocation of the world of humans, the rabbit is a ruthless teenage girl who tortures and kills a badger, and the wife of the man who loved the sparrow is put through hell by her husband and his whims.
i loved the prose of these stories. dazai takes flat, moral lessons from long ago and sculpts them into something grand; this book exemplifies his writing skills really well. he picks at them and criticizes the stories, saying that there is really no lesson to take away and that all they do is show the tragicomedy that is the undercurrent of our lives.
dazai takes on a more lighthearted, optimistic approach with this story, different from his more famous works. to think that this book isn't as interesting because its not semi autobiographical--and instead only has the hazy self projections that are common in dazai's works--and is not as despairing as the others, would be false. this is easily one of his best works and shows a new side of dazai and his writing capabilities.
Read
July 7, 2022“I’ve been writing these fairy tales little by little in what spare time I’ve had, what with being mobilized for civilian duty and dealing with the post-bombing remains of my house and what have you, and despite a persistent fever, hoping only that they might prove a mild diversion suitable for any moments of leisure afforded those fighting courageously to help Nippon through her national crisis.”
In this book, Dazai offers his readers satirical and incredibly witty interpretations of traditional otogizoshi. Dazai’s pen is, as always, unmistakable in its shrewdness and intensity; in this case, the grim reality of wartime emerges in the retellings of the fairy tales, creating stark and uncomfortable contrasts between the worlds of whimsical (but brutal) talking animals and the actuality of war and bomb shelters.
“So, is this an admonition against lust? Or is it a satiric tale with a hint of friendly advice against getting involved with sixteen-year-old maidens? Or is it, rather, a sort of textbook of courting etiquette, teaching that it’s best to exercise moderation in wooing your dream girl, no matter how smitten you might be, in order to avoid earning her hatred and possibly even getting yourself murdered? Or maybe it’s not about right and wrong at all but simply a humorous story suggesting that in our daily lives the people of this world abuse one another, punish one another, praise one another, and serve one another all on the basis of feelings—their likes and dislikes.”
In this book, Dazai offers his readers satirical and incredibly witty interpretations of traditional otogizoshi. Dazai’s pen is, as always, unmistakable in its shrewdness and intensity; in this case, the grim reality of wartime emerges in the retellings of the fairy tales, creating stark and uncomfortable contrasts between the worlds of whimsical (but brutal) talking animals and the actuality of war and bomb shelters.
“So, is this an admonition against lust? Or is it a satiric tale with a hint of friendly advice against getting involved with sixteen-year-old maidens? Or is it, rather, a sort of textbook of courting etiquette, teaching that it’s best to exercise moderation in wooing your dream girl, no matter how smitten you might be, in order to avoid earning her hatred and possibly even getting yourself murdered? Or maybe it’s not about right and wrong at all but simply a humorous story suggesting that in our daily lives the people of this world abuse one another, punish one another, praise one another, and serve one another all on the basis of feelings—their likes and dislikes.”
September 7, 2022
Dazai Osamu's re-telling/re-imagination of four traditional Japanese fairy tales may have been my funniest read to date. In fact, it reminded me why reading can be one of the most magical things in the world. Speaking of magical...
The Stolen Wen, Urashima-San, Click-Clack Mountain, and The Sparrow Who Lost Her Tongue are filled with such wit that I found myself reading certain lines over and over again, finding it hard to believe that something could be so hilarious and equally profound.
My favorite of these stories was Urashima-San, which told the tale of a man riding on the back of a turtle to a magical "Dragon Palace" as a reward for saving said turtle. I won't spoil the ending, but this story (and the others) are filled with humor, beauty, fantasy, and a wisdom that makes this an absolute must-read.
The Stolen Wen, Urashima-San, Click-Clack Mountain, and The Sparrow Who Lost Her Tongue are filled with such wit that I found myself reading certain lines over and over again, finding it hard to believe that something could be so hilarious and equally profound.
My favorite of these stories was Urashima-San, which told the tale of a man riding on the back of a turtle to a magical "Dragon Palace" as a reward for saving said turtle. I won't spoil the ending, but this story (and the others) are filled with humor, beauty, fantasy, and a wisdom that makes this an absolute must-read.
June 16, 2022
okay damnn. historia z żółwiem była jak dla mnie najbardziej interesująca. ogólnie wszystkie opowiadania pokazywały ludzi w tym gorszym świetle ale ich wszystkie zachowanie i cechy są jka najbardziej prawdziwe wiec to najbardziej hitnelo
February 17, 2016
Una reinterpretación de cuentos populares japoneses con muy mala leche. La verdad es que me han divertido y sorprendido.
March 31, 2024
En cuentos de cabecera encontramos cuentos populares japoneses desde la perspectiva de Osamu Dazai, escritor que encontró la fama de ahora en gran medida por Indigno de ser humano, obra que me tocó profundamente y se volvió al momento de mis obras favoritas por lo que decidí que tenía que leer el resto de sus obras.
Volviendo al recopilatorio que nos ocupa, encontramos los siguientes cuentos: El lobanillo desaparecido, La historia de Urashima, La montaña Kachi-kachi, y El gorrión de la lengua cortada, además de que al final del recopilatorio podremos leer las versiones originales para poder hacer una comparación con la versión de este escritor.
Ha sido muy interesante ver la versión de Dazai, donde se nota que entrega una parte de sus pensamientos y experiencias en los cuentos: desde la vida en una familia en la que no encajas hasta el sufrimiento por un amor no correspondido (y cruel). Un gran acierto es que incluyan los cuentos populares para poder ver mejor qué aspectos quería explorar Osamu Dazai, aunque llegue a hacer uno incluso más cruel que el original (en mi opinión).
Cuentos de cabecera ha sido un acercamiento interesante al autor, aunque no se lo recomendaría a todo el mundo tan solo a los interesados por la literatura japonesa y/o el autor.
Volviendo al recopilatorio que nos ocupa, encontramos los siguientes cuentos: El lobanillo desaparecido, La historia de Urashima, La montaña Kachi-kachi, y El gorrión de la lengua cortada, además de que al final del recopilatorio podremos leer las versiones originales para poder hacer una comparación con la versión de este escritor.
Ha sido muy interesante ver la versión de Dazai, donde se nota que entrega una parte de sus pensamientos y experiencias en los cuentos: desde la vida en una familia en la que no encajas hasta el sufrimiento por un amor no correspondido (y cruel). Un gran acierto es que incluyan los cuentos populares para poder ver mejor qué aspectos quería explorar Osamu Dazai, aunque llegue a hacer uno incluso más cruel que el original (en mi opinión).
Cuentos de cabecera ha sido un acercamiento interesante al autor, aunque no se lo recomendaría a todo el mundo tan solo a los interesados por la literatura japonesa y/o el autor.
July 17, 2023
Una reinterpretación maravillosa por parte de Dazai, un compendio que no debería pasarse por alto nunca.
October 21, 2013
I went into this expecting something like the Japanese equivalent of the Canterbury Tales. In this I was mistaken, but in the most fortunate way possible. This book is an overwhelmingly enjoyable, witty, striking commentary on what the author describes as the "tragicomedy" of life.
That word, "tragicomedy", I believe sums up the overarching tone of the book. The setting is framed around a father (the author) sitting in a flimsy air raid bunker in his backyard, with nothing but a child's picture book to keep his family distracted while the land around them is being bombed. Since he can't remember the precise details of the fables, he decides to fill in holes from his own imagination, as well as make interpretations about their often ambiguous morality using the more pragmatic side of his mind. The combination of these two forces - whimsical comedy and a sort of tragic indifference - is what makes this book great.
Overall, entertaining fables, and some razor-edged commentary on human psychology are blended perfectly together into a fairly quick read.
That word, "tragicomedy", I believe sums up the overarching tone of the book. The setting is framed around a father (the author) sitting in a flimsy air raid bunker in his backyard, with nothing but a child's picture book to keep his family distracted while the land around them is being bombed. Since he can't remember the precise details of the fables, he decides to fill in holes from his own imagination, as well as make interpretations about their often ambiguous morality using the more pragmatic side of his mind. The combination of these two forces - whimsical comedy and a sort of tragic indifference - is what makes this book great.
Overall, entertaining fables, and some razor-edged commentary on human psychology are blended perfectly together into a fairly quick read.
August 13, 2022
“i’m afraid i don’t really have a clear understanding of the psychology of the powerful- particularly the absolutely invincible variety, which i’ve never met or known to exist. i’m a story writer with such feeble imaginative powers that unless i myself have experienced something, i can’t write one line- i can’t write a word- about it.”
”it’s because people have aspirations and ambitions that solitude wears on them. if you don’t have a damn about what the rest of the world is up to, you can be alone for a hundred years- a thousand years- with no difficulty whatsoever. at least, you can if you don’t let criticism bother you.”
“speech blossomed from anxiety… words were fermented from the uncertainty of existence, like poisonous red mushrooms that sprout from the rotting earth. it’s true we have words of joy and pleasure, but aren’t those the must unnatural and contrived of them all? apparently human beings experience anxiety even in the midst of joy. but in a place without anxiety there’s no need for such ignoble contrivances.”
”it’s because people have aspirations and ambitions that solitude wears on them. if you don’t have a damn about what the rest of the world is up to, you can be alone for a hundred years- a thousand years- with no difficulty whatsoever. at least, you can if you don’t let criticism bother you.”
“speech blossomed from anxiety… words were fermented from the uncertainty of existence, like poisonous red mushrooms that sprout from the rotting earth. it’s true we have words of joy and pleasure, but aren’t those the must unnatural and contrived of them all? apparently human beings experience anxiety even in the midst of joy. but in a place without anxiety there’s no need for such ignoble contrivances.”
March 1, 2023
JAKIE TO BYŁO SUPER.
HUMOR, CZAICIE, humor i Dazai XD
Nie no, tak poważnie, to zawsze dało się u niego odczuć, ale dotychczas to było takie gorzkie, a tutaj takie uszczypliwe i pozytywne, ach, świetnie się bawiłam ❤️
Dazai zabiera nas w podróż wprost do znanych japońskich legend i bajek, które urozmaicił po swojemu ❤️ I ZROBIŁ TO ŚWIETNIE. To jak przerobił bohaterów na bliższych jego przekonaniom to coś super! Wstawki autorskie też bardzo mi się podobały, Osamu nawet przy przedstawianiu nam własnych interpretacji nie pozwolił nam uciec z krainy baśni. Czułam się jak dziecko słuchające z zapartym tchem co ma mi do przekazania.
Najbardziej podobała mi się historia o uratowaniu żółwia, ale najciekawsza była ta o jenocie i króliku!
Widywałam opinie o słabych wrażeniach, dlatego długo zwlekałam z lekturą, ale to było cudowne :) Muszę to zdobyć by mieć na regale!!!
To jest twórczość przystępna dla każdego, serio, odnajdą się tu również osoby nie będące miłośnikami japońskiej literatury, Dazai potrafi.
Jednak fajnie najpierw znać dane historie 😇
Ode mnie 8/10 ⭐
HUMOR, CZAICIE, humor i Dazai XD
Nie no, tak poważnie, to zawsze dało się u niego odczuć, ale dotychczas to było takie gorzkie, a tutaj takie uszczypliwe i pozytywne, ach, świetnie się bawiłam ❤️
Dazai zabiera nas w podróż wprost do znanych japońskich legend i bajek, które urozmaicił po swojemu ❤️ I ZROBIŁ TO ŚWIETNIE. To jak przerobił bohaterów na bliższych jego przekonaniom to coś super! Wstawki autorskie też bardzo mi się podobały, Osamu nawet przy przedstawianiu nam własnych interpretacji nie pozwolił nam uciec z krainy baśni. Czułam się jak dziecko słuchające z zapartym tchem co ma mi do przekazania.
Najbardziej podobała mi się historia o uratowaniu żółwia, ale najciekawsza była ta o jenocie i króliku!
Widywałam opinie o słabych wrażeniach, dlatego długo zwlekałam z lekturą, ale to było cudowne :) Muszę to zdobyć by mieć na regale!!!
To jest twórczość przystępna dla każdego, serio, odnajdą się tu również osoby nie będące miłośnikami japońskiej literatury, Dazai potrafi.
Jednak fajnie najpierw znać dane historie 😇
Ode mnie 8/10 ⭐
February 28, 2022
Click-Clack Mountain was my favorite story here.
It's a cutesy tale book, very sarcastic, overall fun to read.
He says so himself:
"The characters in this Fairy Tale Book of mine are not Nippon-ichi--or -ni or -san either. Nor are they in any way what you could call representative types. They were born of the doltish misadventures and feeble imagination of an author named Dazai, and as such they're of very little interest."
It's a cutesy tale book, very sarcastic, overall fun to read.
He says so himself:
"The characters in this Fairy Tale Book of mine are not Nippon-ichi--or -ni or -san either. Nor are they in any way what you could call representative types. They were born of the doltish misadventures and feeble imagination of an author named Dazai, and as such they're of very little interest."
March 31, 2025
L'espediente di raccontare le fiabe della tradizione ai figli durante un bombardamento della seconda guerra mondiale l'ho trovato molto bello come gli interventi dell'autore stesso durante il racconto. 3 stelle perché questi racconti non mi hanno fatto impazzire.
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