Osamu Dazai

One more time I am amazed by an interesting Japanese writter, Osamu Dazai, he is considered one of the most important writters of the 20th century in Japan, his work is full of imagination and a nice engaging flow which seems simple althought full of Japanese traditions and cultural particularities, like the obsesion for suicide, so common in Japanese culture, in fact the author attempted suicide three times in his life for different reason and this and other situations that he lived in his childhood are relived in many of this books.
I am recomending his novel The setting sun, which is by far one of the most known and recognize pieces of Japanese literature.
Is a simple story about the falling of an empire and the society in Japan after the second world war. It is a floating story, very vivid, althought melancholic is beautifully written. If you have the chance to get it you will definetelly enjoy this enchanting reading.

Other curiosities of Dazai life were that he ran away with a gaisha and he was thrown out of his family and his social status due to this, he was a marxist follower and deplee depressed his entire life only ending with his suicide
The pic and information was obtained from the author website