The Late Years
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in Osamu Dazai's literary world who want to understand its origins.
- Readers who love the I-novel tradition in Japanese literature and appreciate delicate psychological portraiture.
- Young readers in a period of youthful uncertainty who think deeply about existence and emotion.
- Literary scholars or writers who want to analyze the formation of an author's early style.
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking light entertainment or clear answers to life's questions.
- Readers uncomfortable with or unable to connect to the pervasive gloom and decadence of the works.
Reading tips
- Read it alongside Dazai's later No Longer Human to trace the evolution of his inner life and style.
- Don't rush to seek complete plots; focus instead on the emotional atmosphere and fragmented inner monologues.
- Read with reference to Dazai's biography (background, emotional experiences), but distinguish literary fiction from the author's real life.
About the publisher
Chongqing Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher known for its titles in the humanities, social sciences, literature and arts, with about 940 books in its catalogue. Its publishing areas cover world history, science fiction, foreign literature, architecture and philosophy. Representative titles include Xiang Da's A History of Communications Between China and the West, Liang Sicheng's Rules of Qing-Style Construction, Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem II: The Dark Forest and III: Death's End, Ann Rand's The Fountainhead (25th Anniversary Edition), and Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive series. Its authors include Xiang Da, Liu Cixin, Liang Sicheng and Ann Rand. The press has developed distinctive strengths in historical source editing, the introduction and creation of science fiction, the translation of foreign literature, and architecture and philosophy titles, balancing scholarly value with general readership. As public information is limited, this profile outlines its publishing directions based only on the books in the catalogue.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 叶
- 回忆
- 鱼服记
- 列车
- 地球图
- 猴岛
- 麻雀游戏
- 小丑之花
- 猿面冠者
- 逆行
- 他不再是他
- 传奇
- 玩具
- 鬼火
- 盲草纸
- 附录
FAQ
Is The Late Years a posthumous work by Osamu Dazai?
What is the main difference between this book and No Longer Human?
Does the book include the novella The Setting Sun?
Comments
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About the author
Osamu Dazai (1909–1948) was a Japanese novelist born Tsushima Shūji into a wealthy landowning family in Aomori Prefecture. A leading figure of Japan's "Buraiha" or decadent school, he entered the literary world in the 1930s, and his early work The Setting Sun was shortlisted for the first Akutagawa Prize. In the postwar years he produced his most important writing, including The Setting Sun and No Longer Human, works marked by self-mocking confession and a gloomy, sentimental tone that portray outcasts, alienation, and self-destruction. His influence on later Japanese literature is profound. In 1948 he drowned himself with his lover, Yamazaki Tomie, at the age of 38. His fiction centers on self-exile, the disintegration of family, and the spiritual crisis of postwar Japan, and his decadent yet sincere style has earned him a wide readership in the Chinese-speaking world as well.
Zhu Chunyu is a Chinese-language book author about whom little public information is available. The records currently accessible show only that three of his works have been collected, commonly classified under foreign literature. His representative works include Wan Nian (Old Age) and Sheng Wei Nü Ren (Born as a Woman); Wan Nian appears twice in the collection, which may indicate different editions or separate catalog entries, though this cannot be confirmed. Judging from the existing classification, Zhu's writing or editing is related to foreign literature, and his works may involve the translation or compilation of literary works from abroad. Since his nationality, dates of birth and death, education, and professional career are all unknown, no further biographical details can be provided. As for the works available, the number of titles under his name is small, and the themes center on the later years of life and women's destinies; the titles themselves suggest a concern with individual life experience. Readers who wish to understand his writing style and literary influence would need to examine the texts and related publication information more closely.
