The Flowers of Buffoonery
Product ID: 457882757
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For the first time in English, Osamu Dazai’s hilariously comic and deeply moving prequel to No Longer Human The Flowers of Buffoonery opens in a seaside sanitarium where Yozo Oba―the narrator of No Longer Human at a younger age―is being kept after a failed suicide attempt. While he is convalescing, his friends and family visit him, and other patients and nurses drift in and out of his room. Against this dispiriting backdrop, everyone tries to maintain a lighthearted, even clownish atmosphere: playing cards, smoking cigarettes, vying for attention, cracking jokes, and trying to make each other laugh. While No Longer Human delves into the darkest corners of human consciousness, The Flowers of Buffoonery pokes fun at these same emotions: the follies and hardships of youth, of love, and of self-hatred and depression. A glimpse into the lives of a group of outsiders in prewar Japan, The Flowers of Buffoonery is a darkly humorous and fresh addition to Osamu Dazai’s masterful and intoxicating oeuvre. Review: Different than No Longer Human - Even though the story follows the same "protagonist" from No Longer Human, it is written in a much different narrative. The protagonist is explored in third person narrative now as opposed to the first person narrative in No Longer Human, and the narrator is self-aware and highly critical of themselves, which acts somewhat as comic relief. Overall I'd say this book is worth the read, it's a very slim read, funny, sad, and with memorable characters with their own distinct personalities that they feel like real people. Review: Love! - I enjoyed reading this book!
| Best Sellers Rank | #62,446 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1,226 in Short Stories (Books) #1,606 in Classic Literature & Fiction #3,643 in Literary Fiction (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 578 Reviews |
B**E
Different than No Longer Human
Even though the story follows the same "protagonist" from No Longer Human, it is written in a much different narrative. The protagonist is explored in third person narrative now as opposed to the first person narrative in No Longer Human, and the narrator is self-aware and highly critical of themselves, which acts somewhat as comic relief. Overall I'd say this book is worth the read, it's a very slim read, funny, sad, and with memorable characters with their own distinct personalities that they feel like real people.
J**Z
Love!
I enjoyed reading this book!
J**M
Not a hard cover
Bought this as a gift, came quickly and is light. Was told it was a good read.
J**J
Good
Good
M**Y
She would recommend it.
My granddaughter loved it
B**H
Good
Good read
J**.
Peak
After reading no longer human, I wanted to read more of Dazai’s work. And I’m enjoying every minute of it. This one is a lot more light hearted compared to no longer human. Book is a good/quick read and it came in perfect condition
H**E
A great help to both those knowing people with mental health issues and just fun reading.
The first reaction most people have is that it is a tiny book, but it uses humor and helps people see past the normal very preachy books on the subject-- and is a great read just as a book to read! This copy is a replacement for a copy that I loaned to several people and that has vanished into the world of "Ya gotta read this!" Not a treatment, not a guide, it is a glimpse into the world I do not want to walk in, but still wind up brushing up against repeatedly.
L**A
Good
Good
D**T
Great book
I absolutely loved the book. The narrative was very unique and interesting since it switched between telling the story about Yozo in third person and then also having a sort of "author's note". The translation is also masterfully done.
P**.
Great value
Great value
N**S
Alles gut
Die Lieferung war sehr schnell! Danke schön 🙏
T**D
No es para cualquier lector.
Éste libro es una extensión de No Longer Human, que si lo hemos leído sabemos que es un libro fuerte y que no cualquiera puede digerir. Éste libro toma una perspectiva un poco más cómica hacia el personaje principal, Oba Yozo. Habla un poco de su estancia en el hospital psiquiátrico mencionado en No Longer Human, y nos ayuda a entender mejor al personaje y su percepción de sí mismo. Es un libro que, al igual que No Longer Human, trata temas sensibles sobre nuestra humanidad y la sociedad que nos rodea. Es muy buen libro, si eres la persona adecuada para entender el pensar del personaje sin llegar a repudiarlo por completo.
Trustpilot
1 month ago
1 month ago