What happens when a young man travels abroad seeking knowledge, only to find himself sinking into loneliness?

In Disillusion, a semi-autobiographical novella by modern Chinese author Yu Dafu, a Chinese student in Japan struggles with alienation, desire, and identity. He longs for love, but finds only silence. He yearns for friendship, but sees only closed doors. Caught between cultures, rejected by others, and increasingly at odds with himself, he descends into despair.

Filled with vivid inner monologues, natural imagery, and raw emotion, Disillusion is a powerful story of disillusionment and longing. Originally published in 1921, it was a groundbreaking work in modern Chinese literature—a bold and intimate voice for a new generation caught between East and West, self and society.