The Real Osamu Dazai: A Life in Twenty Stories

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.

© 2025 Tuttle Publishing (Audiobook): 9781955634120

Translators: James O'Brien

Release date

Audiobook: 3 September 2025