The Beggar Student (1940 novel)

The Beggar Student (乞食学生, Kojiki Gakusei) is a 1940 Japanese novella by Osamu Dazai. Set in Tokyo during WWII, the story stars a fictionalized version of the author who is roused from his depression by a high school dropout named Saeki and convinced to take his place as the live narrator for a silent film. Sharing a title with an 1882 operetta by Carl Millöcker, the book makes frequent reference to classic European literature and touches upon aspects of early twentieth-century cinema.