Schoolgirl: Book Review

Book Review

Title: Schoolgirl
Author: Osamu Dazai
Translated by Allison Markin Powell
Genre: Translation (Japanese)

Picked up this title from a fellow reader’s list of recommendations. 

Schoolgirl is a narrative that takes place in just one day. The story starts from the time the narrator opens her eyes, gets ready, boards a train to school, walks back home along the countryside until she goes to sleep at midnight. 

She is prone to a lot of thoughts, wishful thinking and being observant of people around her. She appears to be wrapped in her own world and is critical of herself. Her self loathing comes across disturbing at times. She ruminates about the problems in the world, worries about being different and exhibits bouts of frustration about her tryst with adolescence.

Written in first person narrative, schoolgirl explores the themes of loneliness, pain and suffering. The tone has a critical ring to it coupled with a tinge of wistfulness and sorrow. The sense of sights and smell is captured well here. It showcases how a particular smell triggers some good old memories as in the case of the protagonist. While the book was penned in 1939, a lot of it is still relevant in today's world, especially the part about the coming of age process. 

Schoolgirl is a sensitive read. It's abstract, fascinating and bound to evoke a lot of emotions within the reader. 

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