In no way I’m trying to blame the author for the trauma and pain he went through , but from infidelity to engaging three women in double suicide attempt , lets just agree on the fact that the author was very very emotionally and mentally unwell . For him to go on and write a book and express his ideas and story through the protagonist , it features pretty messed up things . As much as I liked the depiction of pain and sadness through a twisted and unique mindset ,the book isnt even that well written but then again i read the english translation. But this book is literally a suicide note in the most loud yet discreet manner . It’s haunting and visceral. I just dont understand how people consider it to be a masterpiece is beyond my sanity . Maybe its the author’s real life story that makes me utterly biased but honestly I dont know what to feel .
Lemme know what you guys felt while reading this book and why you guys like it
For full transparency, I did not enjoy the work. Dazai is a bit much of a “sad boy” for my standards, and it felt like I was reading a 1930s Japanese boy’s anachronistically hosted Tumblr blog.
However, to answer your question, why do people enjoy listening to King Von? It is not exactly the moral character that people are attracted to, but rather the extreme applications of a human’s negative emotions.
While you might not relate to spinning the block on your opps the way Von does, you might harbor feelings of violence from time to time. While you may not be as suicidal as Dazai, there might be times where you feel tired with your spirit eroded away by life’s misfortunes. During those times, it is satisfying to have some sort of vicarious emotional catharsis.