Ripe Mangoes, a blog that highlights great manga, comics and other works from Japan has reviewed A Shameful Life, the new translation of Osamu Dazai's classic, Ningen shikkaku.
A big thank you to Luke Patitsas for diving deep into the text of Mark Gibeau's new translation and creating a thought provoking review of this complicated and dark classic.
"Dazai’s egoism sometimes blunts the expressions of alienation he attempts to convey. But his disturbing, self-analytical writing is harrowing, and truly touches on the anxiety which lines the casing of ourselves. I can read A Shameful life and feel validated in the destructive, self-inflating thoughts.
I find myself pondering, though Yōzō’s form of expression felt more self-fulfilling than productive. However, your perception of Yōzō should not deter you from reading this piece; its exceptional prose and explorative dedication to our inner alienation creates a high compelling, and highly confronting read."
Read the full review here: https://ripeemangoes.com/2019/09/26/review-a-shameful-life/
Grab a copy of the book here: https://www.stonebridge.com/catalog/a-shameful-life-ningen-shikkaku