What Dazai Osamu works are translated in these books?
March 8, 2008 10:18 PM Subscribe
Can anyone tell me what works of Dazai Osamu's are translated in (1) Phyllis I. Lyons's "The Saga of Dazai Osamu: A Critical Study with Translations"; and (2) James O'Brien's "Dazai Osamu: Selected Stories and Sketches"?
Original Japanese titles would be ideal, but I'd be 99% as delighted with the English titles that Lyons and O'Brien gave the works.
More generally, if you know of a good way to find this sort of information online (e.g. a really great library catalogue available to anyone over the Internet) I'd love to hear it.
Original Japanese titles would be ideal, but I'd be 99% as delighted with the English titles that Lyons and O'Brien gave the works.
More generally, if you know of a good way to find this sort of information online (e.g. a really great library catalogue available to anyone over the Internet) I'd love to hear it.
Response by poster: Thanks bluefly, you're as awesome as Phyllis Lyons!
Google's search results have often tantalized me with JSTOR, but unfortunately I have no academic affiliation and so can't get inside. (As far as I know...) I don't suppose, since you seem to have access, you could copy and paste some relevant part of this promising-sounding (from the Google snippet) review of book (2)?
posted by No-sword at 6:51 AM on March 9, 2008
Google's search results have often tantalized me with JSTOR, but unfortunately I have no academic affiliation and so can't get inside. (As far as I know...) I don't suppose, since you seem to have access, you could copy and paste some relevant part of this promising-sounding (from the Google snippet) review of book (2)?
posted by No-sword at 6:51 AM on March 9, 2008
Best answer: Here's what I could paste (I'm not sure this is all the stories):
'Memories' (Omoide, 1934): One of the longest in this collection, also most poig-
nant, and most revealing. The 'I' here is rarely more frankly naked to his self-imposed
enemies.
'Toys' (Gangu, 1935): Short, sweet, deceptively gentle, actually quite a little horri-
ble.
'Das Gemeine' (Dasu Gemaine, 1935): Very choppy, also self-consciously ironic.
'Putting Granny Out to Die' (Obasute, 1938): Would you believe suicide? Of course
it doesn't come off. It almost never does. But what a mess!
'My Older Brother' (Anitachi, 1940): Sibling rivalry, hardly original, or unique in
Dazai's approach here, but unmistakably his, the conjoining of bitterness and almost
maniacal affection.
'Eight Views of Tokyo'
(Tokyo Hakkei, 1941): Much thought of by literary critics,
but from my perspective it is an extended exercise in withholding information and
unnecessarily leading the reader to think that something of interest is about to be re-
vealed. It isn't.
'On the Question of Apparel'
(Fukusd ni tsuite, 1941): Quintessential Dazai, so nar-
cissistic it smarts, and delightfully concluded. The poor 'I' undergoes the torments of
the darned because he never quite knows what to wear. He suggests: 'How about a
citizen's uniform?' The point is made, beautifully.
'Taking the Wen Away' (Kobutori, 1945): A folk tale, a comedy, a put-on, a-but
here's Dazai in the last two sentences: 'And so, the impatient reader asks what in the
world this story is about. If pressed, I can give only one answer: the comedy and
tragedy of personality, a problem which always runs through the depths of our lives.'
'Currency' (Kahei, 1946): Did Dazai ever read Booth Tarkington? It is unlikely he
could have written this bit of nothing had he done so.
The reader who has read this far can safely be assumed to be on his way to get Dr
O'Brien's latest book.
posted by bluefly at 6:35 PM on March 9, 2008
'Memories' (Omoide, 1934): One of the longest in this collection, also most poig-
nant, and most revealing. The 'I' here is rarely more frankly naked to his self-imposed
enemies.
'Toys' (Gangu, 1935): Short, sweet, deceptively gentle, actually quite a little horri-
ble.
'Das Gemeine' (Dasu Gemaine, 1935): Very choppy, also self-consciously ironic.
'Putting Granny Out to Die' (Obasute, 1938): Would you believe suicide? Of course
it doesn't come off. It almost never does. But what a mess!
'My Older Brother' (Anitachi, 1940): Sibling rivalry, hardly original, or unique in
Dazai's approach here, but unmistakably his, the conjoining of bitterness and almost
maniacal affection.
'Eight Views of Tokyo'
(Tokyo Hakkei, 1941): Much thought of by literary critics,
but from my perspective it is an extended exercise in withholding information and
unnecessarily leading the reader to think that something of interest is about to be re-
vealed. It isn't.
'On the Question of Apparel'
(Fukusd ni tsuite, 1941): Quintessential Dazai, so nar-
cissistic it smarts, and delightfully concluded. The poor 'I' undergoes the torments of
the darned because he never quite knows what to wear. He suggests: 'How about a
citizen's uniform?' The point is made, beautifully.
'Taking the Wen Away' (Kobutori, 1945): A folk tale, a comedy, a put-on, a-but
here's Dazai in the last two sentences: 'And so, the impatient reader asks what in the
world this story is about. If pressed, I can give only one answer: the comedy and
tragedy of personality, a problem which always runs through the depths of our lives.'
'Currency' (Kahei, 1946): Did Dazai ever read Booth Tarkington? It is unlikely he
could have written this bit of nothing had he done so.
The reader who has read this far can safely be assumed to be on his way to get Dr
O'Brien's latest book.
posted by bluefly at 6:35 PM on March 9, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
Recollections (Omoide), Eight Views of Tokyo (Tokyo Hakkei), Going Home (Kikyorai), Hometown (Kokyo), An Almanac of Pain (Kuno no Nenkan)
(Also Phyllis Lyons rocks!)
posted by bluefly at 5:58 AM on March 9, 2008