Good-Bye

by Osamu Dazai, Ralph McCarthy, Brian Nishii (Narrator)

Here to slake the unquenchable thirst of Dazai’s legions of loyal fans are eleven works of short fiction and vignettes, most of which have never before appeared in English. Beginning with “Memories” (which tells a tale of teenage love, based on the autobiographical events that inspired Dazai’s famed No Longer Human), and ending with “Good-Bye” (the chapters of a comic romance that the author left unfinished when he took his own life), the short works here show the range and breadth of an author best known for his meditations on squalor and despair. But there is laughter here too, as in “Tengu,” a tongue-in-cheek critique of august hucksters of haiku. And there is also suspense on “A Bluff Illusion” presents a literary murder story in which a harmless prank escalates into a deadly pose.

“A Warning on Worldly Pleasures” retells Saikaku’s famous story about the temptation of a holy ascetic, and “ Autumn” unfolds a quiver of epigrams (seemingly) drawn at random from the author’s notes. All are masterfully translated by Ralph McCarthy. Spanning the breadth of Dazai’s delightfully multifaceted, if tragically foreshortened, career, Good-Bye is a must-have for any Dazai fan.

Genres: Short Stories, Japanese Literature, Japan

Audible Audio

Published July 2, 2026

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

[Diego Jurado · Rating 5 out of 5]

The newly published translated anthology Good-Bye serves as a comprehensive, career-spanning showcase of Osamu Dazai’s erratic literary timeline. Masterfully translated by Ralph McCarthy, and published by New Directions, the 11-story book functions as a perfect lens for tracking Dazai’s technical evolution across, what I believe are his five major creative phases.

While the collection is framed by his earliest and final works, the undeniable artistic core of the book belongs to Dazai’s golden mid-career periods, proving that his technical peak happened well before the post-war debauchery that made him famous.

The Bookends: Chronological Value vs. Technical Deficit


The collection is structurally anchored by two pieces that offer immense biographical value but ultimately falter in technical execution:

“Memories” (1933) As a raw, proto-version of No Longer Human, this opening piece provides fascinating, unfiltered insight into Dazai's childhood and teenage years. However, as a work of fiction, it suffers from an overly detached prose style and a fragmented structure, lacking the sharp writerly polish he developed later.

“Good-Bye” (1948) The titular, unfinished final novella is a comic romance meant to usher in a new era for Dazai. While a compelling piece of history, the prose feels uncharacteristically alien—lacking his signature, sharp human observations and intimacy. It simply "doesn't feel like him."

The Standouts: The Artistic Sweet Spot

The true triumphs of Good-Bye lie squarely in the middle of the book. Three masterful stories highlight Dazai's peak technical skill, showing how he brilliantly balanced semi-autobiographical I-Novel elements with profound narrative control:

“An Illusory Bluff" (1934) Ironically written about an up-and-coming author as a self-insert, it highlights his emerging mastery of pacing and tone. A harmless literary prank escalates into a gripping, psychological study of human vanity.

“Narcissus”(1942) Written when censorship forced him to look outward. It features a dazzlingly sharp, controlled, and deeply empathetic narrative voice. While, also allowing his personality to shine through in the remarkable self-insert narration style I’ve come to enjoy.

“Ocean” (1946) A beautifully constructed, melancholic piece. It balances the devastation of his landscape with a profound, quiet literary maturity.

Ultimately, Good-Bye reinforces a vital truth for deep-dive readers: Dazai's commercial legacy relies heavily on the pitch-black nihilsm of his final years, but his true genius as a stylist was forged in the controlled empathy, psychological suspense, and brilliant prose of his middle years.

[Emma Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I once recommended an Osami Dazai book to someone, and they said that it was boring because "nothing happens". If you read Osami Dazai and think that "nothing happens," I truly believe you are reading him wrong. This short story collection perfectly encapsulates the emotional journey that Dazai's characters, himself, and the reader go on, which leads to the opposite of "nothing".

Dazai's writing takes the reader into the deepest emotions one can have- the good, the bad, the scary, as well as the beauty of human emotions, life, relationships, and thoughts. Every page takes you into the emotional journeys and character arcs, forcing the reader to feel each and every emotion and to see the complexities of life as they are.

The short story collection introduces us to fictional characters who, when you read deeper, start to learn that many of them are self-inserts of Dazai himself, and he not only as the writer but as the main character takes us on these emotional journeys and experiences the same love, loss, and life that he has.

Dazai is best known for his sad stories, but one aspect of his writing that is constantly overlooked is that he has wit, humanity, and some characters that have such a unique look at life that bring a wave of energy to the short stories and show a different side of his writing that his most famous books don't often show. That is what I love most about this collection and so many others, because it shows the vast talent and range he has as a storyteller.

Everytime I read a Dazai book I leave from it understanding the complex feelings humans can have and how that can lead to some of our darkest thoughts. Hanging over his work alwasy, even when there is human, is eventual suicide that sadly took his life and the final story in this collection that shares the same title as the collection "Good-Bye" brings the reality of tourture creative's final and unfinished work to the page and with the respect it deseves as the transaltion is not only beautiful but also respects the abrupt ending that the passing of Dazai caused.

Osamu Dazai is and will probably always be a favorite author of mine, and seeing how his work brings so many sides to the human spirit, and his ability to make all his characters feel so real to the reader, is why I will always come back to his writing, which leaves me in awe so often.

[GONZA · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories, including the one that gives the book its title—a story that remains unfinished due to the author’s suicide. Among my favorites are the one that parodies the most famous haiku and the first story, which recounts the author’s own childhood and adolescence.

Raccolta di racconti, tra cui quello che da il titolo al libro e che non é finito per via del suicidio dell'autore. Tra i miei preferiti quello che fa la parodia agli Haiku piú famosi e il primo, che racconta l'infanzia e l'adolescenza dell'autore stesso.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.