The Real Osamu Dazai: A Life in Twenty Stories
Osamu Dazai
Sep 2025 · Tuttle Publishing · Narrated by Craig Abbott
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12 hr 10 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook
Discover the many faces of Japan's most enigmatic literary icon in this powerful collection of short stories.
The Real Osamu Dazai features twenty unforgettable tales—some autobiographical, others fictional—that chart the inner life of one of modern Japan's most brilliant and tormented writers. From darkly comic meditations on fashion and identity to heartrending accounts of childhood, love, and war, Dazai's prose is both timeless and emotionally raw.
This compelling collection includes "Memories," "The Sound of Hammering," and "Melos, Run!"—the story that remains required reading in Japanese schools today. Translator James O'Brien introduces these stories with context that deepens our understanding of Dazai's genius.
Whether you're a longtime admirer or discovering Dazai for the first time, this audio edition presents a poignant and multifaceted portrait of a literary legend whose voice still resonates across generations.
The Real Osamu Dazai features twenty unforgettable tales—some autobiographical, others fictional—that chart the inner life of one of modern Japan's most brilliant and tormented writers. From darkly comic meditations on fashion and identity to heartrending accounts of childhood, love, and war, Dazai's prose is both timeless and emotionally raw.
This compelling collection includes "Memories," "The Sound of Hammering," and "Melos, Run!"—the story that remains required reading in Japanese schools today. Translator James O'Brien introduces these stories with context that deepens our understanding of Dazai's genius.
Whether you're a longtime admirer or discovering Dazai for the first time, this audio edition presents a poignant and multifaceted portrait of a literary legend whose voice still resonates across generations.
Discover the many faces of Japan's most enigmatic literary icon in this powerful collection of short stories.
The Real Osamu Dazai features twenty unforgettable tales—some autobiographical, others fictional—that chart the inner life of one of modern Japan's most brilliant and tormented writers. ...
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About the author
Osamu Dazai (1909-1948) was the pen name of Shuji Tsushima, the tenth of eleven children born to a wealthy landowner and politician in the far north of Japan. Dazai studied French literature at the University of Tokyo, but never received a degree. He first attracted attention in 1933 when magazines began to publish his work. Between 1930 and 1937, he made three suicide attempts, a subject he deals with in many of his short stories. Despite his troubled life and rebellious spirit, Dazai wrote in a simple and colloquial style, conveying his personal torments through literature. Dazai's life ended early in a double suicide with a married lover.
James O'Brien is Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has published several translations of modern Japanese fiction and poetry. His most notable work is the short story collection Crackling Mountain and Other Stories by Osamu Dazai. He has published modern translations of poetry by Hagiwara Sakutaro, Kitahara Hakushu, Miyoshi Tatsuji, Takamura Kotaro, and Murano Shiro, and modern tanka by Yosano Akiko..
Craig Abbott is a talented narrator with a thoughtful, soothing style. He has narrated many audiobooks in a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction genres. When not narrating, you will find him reading or listening to books, hiking or biking, and spending time with family, friends, and soon-to-be friends.
James O'Brien is Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has published several translations of modern Japanese fiction and poetry. His most notable work is the short story collection Crackling Mountain and Other Stories by Osamu Dazai. He has published modern translations of poetry by Hagiwara Sakutaro, Kitahara Hakushu, Miyoshi Tatsuji, Takamura Kotaro, and Murano Shiro, and modern tanka by Yosano Akiko..
Craig Abbott is a talented narrator with a thoughtful, soothing style. He has narrated many audiobooks in a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction genres. When not narrating, you will find him reading or listening to books, hiking or biking, and spending time with family, friends, and soon-to-be friends.
Osamu Dazai (1909-1948) was the pen name of Shuji Tsushima, the tenth of eleven children born to a wealthy landowner and politician in the far north of Japan. Dazai studied French literature at the University of Tokyo, but never received a degree. He first attracted attention in 1933 when magazin...
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