The Setting Sun: A New Translation of Osamu Dazai's Novel

Dazais best novel [...] focusing on a woman forced to deal with the consequences of heedless, Dazai-like behavior. --The New York Times "Carpenter conveys Dazais discordant voices while sweeping away some of the rhetorical cobwebs of Donald Keenes 1956 translation and its dated introduction, making this the definitive edition of an epochal classic of postwar Japan for a new generation." ?CoLibrary Journal A completely new translation of one of Osamu Dazais best-loved novels, by award-winning translator, Juliet Winters Carpenter. The Setting Sun tells the story of Kazuko, a strong-willed young woman from an aristocratic family that has fallen into poverty since the war. The book follows Kazukos journey as she and her family struggle to adapt to the harsh new conditions of a Japan destroyed by American fire-bombings. In addition to having to move from the city to the countryside, where she has to work in the fields to support her family, she has to deal with a divorce, her mothers illness, and the return of her drug-addicted brother from the army. An inspiring portrait of one womans determination to survive in a society in the grip of a social and moral crisis, this classic work will appeal to those with an interest in modern Japanese literature as well as to those familiar with Osamu Dazai from the popular manga and anime series Bungo Stray Dogs, where he is the lead character.