"Pandora no Hako" by Dazai Osamu. A double feature: first story is "Seigi to Bishou" (justice and smile), diary of a teenager who wanted to become an actor. Second story is "Pandora no Hako" (Pandora's box), letters from a hospitalized man about his surroundings.
"Seigi to Bishou" I did not like very much -- the main character is an idealistic and arrogant juvenile, perhaps a bit Dunning-Kruger, although he does become a bit more mature near the end. The writing is great as usual, but I would have preferred a different personality for the narrator. I can see why this story is bundled, since I might not want to read this by itself.
"Pandora no Hako" was great all around. Great detail went into developing each character and how the narrator perceived them. I especially like how each person got a nickname, and some of their nicknames were updated later. There is a fair bit of humor and some bit of romance, and so much going on that sometimes you forget they are all hospitalized, and actually the environment is really quite depressing. This story was great and well worth reading.
Previous (2012-12-11): "Ame no Hi no Airisu" by Matsuyama Takeshi
Next (2013-01-04): "Ningen Shikkaku"