The I-Novel, Osamu Dazai, and No Longer Human

Today, we’re talking about the I-Novel—the highest form of literature in Japan in the 1910s and 20s.It’s a genre one American scholar describes as “perhaps the most striking feature of modern Japanese literature.”And it’s a genre Haruki Murakami claims to have an allergy to.We’ll also be looking at the life and work of Osamu Dazai and asking, “What does it take to get disqualified as a human being?”Content warning: This episode addresses addiction, rape, suicide, and misogyny.Notes and source...