Description from Goodreads
The Flowers of Buffoonery opens in a seaside sanitarium where Yozo Oba — the narrator of No Longer Human — is convalescing after a failed suicide attempt. Friends and family visit him, and nurses and police drift in and out of his room. Against this dispiriting backdrop, Yozo and his visitors try to maintain a lighthearted, even clownish atmosphere: playing cards, smoking cigarettes, vying for attention, cracking jokes, and trying to make each other laugh. Dazai is known for delving into the darkest corners of human consciousness, but in The Flowers of Buffoonery he pokes fun at these same emotions: the follies and hardships of youth, of love, and of self-hatred and depression. A glimpse into the lives of a group of outsiders in prewar Japan, The Flowers of Buffoonery is a fresh and darkly humorous addition to Osamu Dazai’s masterful and intoxicating oeuvre.
My Thoughts on the Book
The Flowers of Buffoonery has some dark humour to it, but the light tone of the book works as a cover, hiding darkness and despair. There's some segments in this novella that has some amazing prose, and some interesting characters, but personally I wanted a bit more out of the book. Perhaps a bit more depth and getting to know the characters a bit more. Also, it had a bit of a juvenile vibe to it at times.
Not quite sure if I like the book or not, but I'm at least glad I've read it.
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