Of Dogs and Walls

I had no idea Yuko Tsushima is related to Osamu Dazai, but having found that, it sure puts this book into a different light. Initially I thought I was getting a Yukio Mishima book, but upon re-reading the name on the cover I shrugged and decided to buy it anyway and didn't give it another thought. I wonder how my reading experience would have changed if I would have known Yuko Tsushima and Osamu Dazai are related before reading the book.

The Watery Realm The first of the two short stories didn't catch my attention at first, but I soon became very interested. I liked how the narrative kept switching from one perspective to another. It sure added something and it was fun to figure out how everything connects. Later, after reading that Tsushima is the daughter of Osamu Dazai, I liked the difference in perspective between The Watery Realm and No Longer Human.

Of Dogs and Walls The second story was harder to get into. Like the first one, it caught my attention later on, but it confused me. It's a rather thought provoking story and I'm not sure I'm going to fully get it. It's very possible that I'm missing something or I need more context.

Overall, a nice read, but the stories didn't seem to lead anywhere. I read them as random, disjointed diary entries. Not quite my cup of tea.