We are happy to share Michael Emmerich, Associate Professor of Japanese Literature at UCLA and translator of Yasunari Kawabata's Dandelions has provided his thoughts on A Shameful Life.
Emmerich's blurb reinforces the strength of Mark Gibeau's new translation of the Osamu Dazai's Ningen Shikkaku. He says:
"Certain novels evoke such a vivid sense of a character that it almost hurts to reach the end. This nuanced, engaging translation of Dazai Osamu's masterpiece A Shameful Life is just such a work: subtle and complex, it pulls the reader in and refuses to let go. Indeed, Mark Gibeau's helpful afterword left me wanting to turn right back to the first page and dig into the book again. A Shameful Life has that kind of power: it is Dazai at his finest.”—Michael Emmerich, Associate Professor of Japanese Literature at UCLA and translator of Yasunari Kawabata's Dandelions,
Thank you for your contribution Mr. Emmerich!