Reviews tagging 'War'

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

22 reviews

sunshinemoth's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Rape, Suicide, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Classism, War, and Confinement

osmond's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

it's shit.
genuinely don't get how this is viewed as a "classic" and I dont get how Osamu Dazai is known as a "legendary author"???

like I'm actually convinced (after reading the translators notes) that the only reason people find this book "good" is because it gave them (mostly Americans) a peek into lives outside of the US and how it would affect someone. especially given that the book was released in the late 1950's so people had little to no ways of knowing what life was like outside of the US.
but now, in 2023 I'm convinced that the only people that likes this book are misogynistic incels with untreated mental illness(es) and who relates to Dazai.

the only good thing about this book is that you'll get an insight of how it feels to be him. hated everything else about this book especially his views towards women... 

misogynistic freak. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, War, Drug use, Rape, Alcohol, Drug abuse, and Misogyny

joudkhalid21's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Overrated and confusing ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual content, War, and Sexism

pn__'s review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Blood, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Suicide, Death, Suicide attempt, and Rape

Minor: Vomit and War

generalnui's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, War, and Toxic friendship

vixenreader's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Boy, this book is bleak. However, the level of cruelty is not as exaggerated as the manga adaptation. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Cultural appropriation, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Alcoholism, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Abandonment, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Rape

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Death of parent, Child abuse, and War

A lot of trauma is between the lines, especially in his childhood. Also, if you experience anxiety and depression, brace yourself for a difficult read.

virdix14's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

The narrator is generally unlikeable for the majority of the book.

However, the last line of the epilogue, where the madam of the bar reflects that she and his acquaintances remember him as a good and kind person, forces the reader to look back on him with some sympathy. The narrator sees himself as sub-human and a failure, and it's because of this (and his constant masking or "clowning") that his narrative of himself differs so greatly from others' perception.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism

Moderate: Rape, Drug abuse, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual assault, and Mental illness

Minor: War, Abandonment, and Death of parent

gabrielleclarke05's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I cried numerous times in the last 40 pages, not like sobbing cause it’s sad it was just dark and I felt a hole in my chest.
The books writing reminded me of “Call Me by Your Name” writing when it went on tangents and rambled which I didn’t love but it makes sense in this because it is a fractured mind speaking.
It took me a long time to get through this book because it was so grim and depressing but I’m glad I read it.
I’m conflicted on how to rate this because it was a man’s life and his feelings so I don’t want to speak on the subjects. the book is a lot more depressing when you know the author killed himself after publishing it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, War, Death, Confinement, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Gaslighting, Vomit, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Violence

dandanone's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Infidelity, Alcoholism, and Mental illness

Minor: War

idajoh's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

very deep and reflective. i liked it a lot

i did not love the view of women (especially prostitutes), but in all fairness, Yozo hated everyone. In addition, this was written in 1940s Japan.

Dazai mentions in the Epilogue (sort of) that the notebooks were still relevant ten years after they were written, and even today. 

As someone who struggled with depression, I could feel the authenticity from the author that a lot of other books about mental illness lack, namely that they were written by a neurotypical author.

It was very obvious how his own thoughts were merged with the main character's.

I highly recommend this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Blood, Death, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Vomit

Minor: War