Publisher's Synopsis
A classic of Japanese literature, brought to life in manga for the first time!
This is the first manga edition in English of The Setting Sun, Osamu Dazai's classic novel, often considered his masterpiece.
Set in the aftermath of World War II, this is the story of Kazuko, a strong-willed young woman from an aristocratic family that has fallen into poverty since the war. The book follows Kazuko's journey as she and her family struggle to survive and adapt to the harsh new conditions. In addition to having to move from Tokyo to the countryside, where she is forced to work in the fields to support the family, she has to deal with a difficult divorce, the birth of a stillborn child, and the return of her drug-addicted brother from the war. This gripping and inspiring portrait of one woman's determination to survive in a society that is in the grip of a social and moral crisis tells one story in a fast-changing world, with universal themes that resonates with readers today.
After Soseki Natsume, Osamu Dazai is Japan's most popular writer. Dazai is enjoying a surge in interest among young people today thanks to the success of the manga, anime and film series Bungo Stray Dogs, whose protagonist, a detective named Osamu Dazai, is based on the real-life author.
"Dazai's brand of egoistic pessimism dovetails organically with the emo chic of this cultural moment...and with the inner lives of teenagers of all eras." -- Andrew Martin, The New York Times
"Though not as autobiographical as Dazai's subsequent novel, No Longer Human, The Setting Sun draws heavily on his experiences...[and] would transform its author into a celebrity, the literary poster child for Japan's postwar malaise..." -- The Japan Times
