Allison Markin Powell

Osamu Dazai

The novella that first propelled Dazai into the literary elite of post-war Japan. Essentially the start of Dazai's career, Schoolgirl gained notoriety for its ironic and inventive use of language. Now it illuminates the prevalent social structures of a lost time, as well as the struggle of the individual against them--a theme that occupied Dazai's life both personally and professionally. This new translation preserves the playful language of the original and offers the reader a new window into the mind of one of the greatest Japanese authors of the 20th century.

Schoolgirl

You wait and wait for happiness, and when finally you can't bear it any longer, you rush out of the house, only to hear later that a marvelous happiness arrived the following day at the home you had abandoned, and now it was too late.

I go about saying how pained and tormented, how lonely and sad I feel, but what do I really mean by that? If I were to speak the truth, I would die.

Hana—⁠☆

When I'm eating alone in the dining room, I get this wild urge to travel. I want to get on a train.

anonymous

Sometimes happiness arrives one night too late.

aywen

The truth is that I secretly love what seems to be my own individuality, and I hope I always will, but fully embodying it is another matter. I always want everyone to think I am a good girl. Whenever I am around a lot of people, it is amazing how obsequious I can be. I fib and chatter away, saying things I don't want to or mean in any way. I feel like it is to my advantage to do so. I hate it. I hope for a revolution in ethics and morals. Then, my obsequiousness and this need to plod through life according to others' expectations would simply dissolve.

arabelle tiara

“There I go again—pondering the purposelessness of my day-to-day life, wishing I had more ambition, and lamenting all the contradictions in myself—when I know it's just sentimental nonsense. All I'm doing is indulging myself, trying to console myself.”

Fiona

And once when I was putting rice into an ohitsu serving bowl, I was struck by—well, it would be an exaggeration to call it inspiration but I felt something charging within my body—zipping through me like, how shall I say, I would almost call it a philosophical glimpse—and I gave myself over to it, then my head and my chest became transparent all the way through as a sense of my own existence floated down and settled over me and, silently, without making a sound, as pliant as tokoroten before you make them into noodles, I felt at the mercy of these waves, a light and beautiful feeling that I would be able to live on this way.

A quick glimpse to a life of a girl going about her day; with all her thoughts, dark and hopeful. I see myself with the Schoolgirl, how mornings are depressing to her, and how her own life seemed to be without a purpose in her head. Her relationship with her mother isn't bad, but her mind sometimes make her think about her mother badly. School seemed to be unimportant either. The will to learn is there, but to be around people all say must be exhausting. Still, the little things made her happy. The grassy field, the scent of the lily flower, and the thought that someone from across the world is also staring at the same moon with the same dreadful thoughts as her - maybe she is not alone, after all. In the end, she realize her mother is great. She is. She cares for her a lot despite performing to other people for the rest of her days. In the evening, she realizes there are good things within her days. And maybe while we are still miserable in life, there are still little things to be happy about. I see myself in the Schoolgirl's shoes; in a way that I try to be happy about life during the start of the day but end it with so many dreadful thoughts. Perhaps, I am the person the Schoolgirl is taking about who is staring at the moon in the evening thinking about life.

I've never felt so seen before. A good read for when you're not feeling like reading or doing anything in particular.

The story follows the character (a schoolgirl) as she narrates her depressing life. The main topic of this short novel is depression but the novel itself is not depressing, in my opinion. In fact, I'm feeling relaxed after reading it.

I've never felt so seen before. A good read for when you're not feeling like reading or doing anything in particular.

The story follows the character (a schoolgirl) as she narrates her depressing life. The main topic of this short novel is depression but the novel itself is not depressing, in my opinion. In fact, I'm feeling relaxed after reading it.

Schoolgirl by Dazai Osamu captures the fleeting inner world of a young girl on the cusp of womanhood, unfolding in a single day through her stream of consciousness. The book paints a vivid portrait of adolescence, its quiet anxieties, small joys, and moments of existential reflection. The protagonist navigates the contradictions of her emotions, swinging between a desire to hold onto childhood’s innocence and the inevitable pull towards the complexities of adulthood. We are drawn into her raw, unfiltered thoughts, revealing her struggles with loneliness, self-doubt, and the search for identity.

Through the protagonist's introspection, Schoolgirl touches on the universal experience of growing up, the tension between yearning for freedom and fearing the unknown. Beneath the mundane details of daily life lies a profound exploration of the self, where every fleeting thought and moment of silence holds weight. The story becomes a quiet, poignant reflection on the inner turbulence that defines the transition from childhood to maturity.

Schoolgirl by Dazai Osamu captures the fleeting inner world of a young girl on the cusp of womanhood, unfolding in a single day through her stream of consciousness. The book paints a vivid portrait of adolescence, its quiet anxieties, small joys, and moments of existential reflection. The protagonist navigates the contradictions of her emotions, swinging between a desire to hold onto childhood’s innocence and the inevitable pull towards the complexities of adulthood. We are drawn into her raw, unfiltered thoughts, revealing her struggles with loneliness, self-doubt, and the search for identity.

Through the protagonist's introspection, Schoolgirl touches on the universal experience of growing up, the tension between yearning for freedom and fearing the unknown. Beneath the mundane details of daily life lies a profound exploration of the self, where every fleeting thought and moment of silence holds weight. The story becomes a quiet, poignant reflection on the inner turbulence that defines the transition from childhood to maturity.

Maureen

“In time, when we became adults, we might look back on this pain and loneliness as a funny thing, perfectly ordinary, but—but how were we expected to get by, to get through this interminable period of time until that point when we were adults?”

A slow burn read. But towards the end, schoolgirl’s random musings become awfully relatable. I think some words weren’t the most appropriate choice, but it’s probably just the translation.

sani

felt like reading my own diary when i was a schoolgirl. 

“Really, I don't know which is the true me. What ever will I do when there aren't any more books to read, or when I can't find another role model to imitate? Probably just wither away, helpless and sniveling profusely.”

each and every line struck my heart. it was marvelous, absolutely beautiful. 

“I always want everyone to think I am a good girl.” i still do, unfortunately. 

also, these lines were so painfully beautiful. “You wait and wait for happiness, and when finally you can't bear it any longer, you rush out of the house, only to hear later that a marvelous happiness arrived the following day at the home you had abandoned, and now it was too late. Sometimes happiness arrives one night too late. Happiness ... ”

i wish i had read this when i was still a schoolgirl.

Marz 

My first Dazai reading experience and it certainly won't be my last. 

Schoolgirl is a unique piece of work, you spend an entire day in the mind of a young girl, experiencing every thought that passes through her head. Despite being a bit abstract I enjoyed reading it, the writing felt really authentic to what a young girl thinks like and about at that age. The random bursts of melancholy, the slight self-importance, the endless hopes for the future, all very real for a young girl. Lots of interesting themes were explored despite its brief nature, I really enjoyed seeing the narrator examine her relationship with grief and self-image. Another standout was watching the narrator speak about her mother and watching her think about how she should treat her. 

Overall a really interesting piece of writing

🍁

𓆨

this is and always will be a favorite of mine it's so well written and so realistic,i couldn't give it less than 5 stars rate because i really enjoy reading it and of course i had to disregard a thing or two it wasn't that flashy so i guess it's alright

Claudia Beneyto

y✦

✦ hope is not lost, but it WILL soon run out
✦ short but far from a light read
✦ only the 2nd book i've read of dazai's but i've alr found a new fave author in him
✦ he just gets it, unfortunately, i think he got it too much

Nihan 

miu ⭐️

she's just like me im gonna 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 the line where she says 

"the sly ability to steal someone else's experience and recreate it as if it were my own is the only real talent i possess" got me so bad tears sprung out

ཐིཋྀ

jennifer 

“As I begin to realize from various experiences in my life just how enormous our instincts are and how powerless we are against the force that drives us, sometimes I think I might lose my mind”

Excerpt From “Schoolgirl” Osamu Dazai

she’s just a girl

charisa

oh, dazai. why are you so depressing yet so relatable sometimes? anyway, i liked this one a lot more than no longer human. he captures the essence of loneliness and its fluctuations quite well.

ravio

i honestly loved this novella. such a short and easy read, i could of read in one sitting.
basically a stream of consciousness of a single day of high school girl's life. and oh boy is it quite realistic. she is just so perfectly all over the place, all the time, very relatable. found myself within many of these ideas and thoughts of hers. quite the lighthearted introspective read and not hard to get through at all. the language is very playful and easygoing despite the many different depressing ideas expressed throughout the story. i can see why this is a classic.

Ashley J

3.5- I would’ve made this book my personality if I read it in jr high

acacia

honestly the character was so relatable that it hurt. Literally all of the things I've thought about have been mentioned in this book, one one hand, it makes me feel not so alone but on the other it just makes me feel basic(?). Definitely buying a paperback if i can find it.

 "In time, when we became adults, we might look back on this pain and loneliness as a funny thing, perfectly ordinary, but—but how were we expected to get by, to get through this interminable period of time until that point when we were adults? "

another one 

"I had been staring like this for a very long time, and would be staring from now on, just like this, sitting here in the doorway to the kitchen, in the same pose, thinking the same thing, looking at the trees out front. It felt as if the past, the present, and the future had collapsed into one single instant."

ronghui

this book was relatable and raw, quite a refreshing read

laila

sometimes this made me feel horribly seen and understood. i would read it again and again and find even more pieces of writing that mess with my brain. i really need to get my hands of a physical copy of this so i can write all over it

Schoolgirl

Reviews

Highlights