Young Susumu Serikawa is at a turning point. Should he continue his boring school education or chase his dream of becoming Japan’s most famous actor? And how can he do that now that his father is dead, his mother is bedridden and his older brother is a university dropout? In the hands of skilled author Osamu Dazai, Susumu’s dilemma becomes a uniquely powerful tale of teenage angst and survival. Based on the diary of a real-life actor, Serikawa’s entries are full of biting judgement and egotism alternating with shame and self-reproach-but also a touching idealism and faith that ultimately guide him forward. This novel, translated into English for the first time, probes the same self-destructive dynamics that torment the young characters in Dazai’s other works, but with a vastly different outcome. The bold, contemporary translation by Michael Day delivers an unforgettable new protagonist for Dazai’s many fans.
