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Auspicious DayAuthor: Dazai Osamu
| Original Title | 佳日 |
|---|---|
| Author | 太宰 治 |
| Genre | Popular Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In a Tokyo shadowed by wartime austerity, an erudite yet socially maladroit man named Ōsumi Chūtarō navigates life as a perpetual outsider. His vast knowledge alienates peers, and after fleeing to Beijing seeking purpose, he abruptly wires an old university friend—a diffident narrator—to arrange a marriage to a woman he’s never met. The bride’s family, the Kosakas, are stoic descendants of samurai, their quiet dignity masking wartime sacrifices: widowed daughters, absent sons-in-law. As the narrator bumbles through betrothal rituals—clumsy tabi socks, misread social cues—Ōsumi’s return from China reveals a man hardened by exile yet oddly detached, masking vulnerability beneath lectures on geopolitics. Tensions simmer between tradition and modernity, pride and shame, as preparations unfold for a hastily planned wedding on an auspicious date. Amidst ceremonial chaos and borrowed mourning suits, unspoken yearnings surface—for connection, dignity, and a place to belong—in a world where honor and human frailty collide. The story hums with wry humor and quiet pathos, inviting readers into a poignant exploration of identity in turbulent times. |
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