Scan barcode
moono's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Classism, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Violence, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Sexism, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Sexual content, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Drug use
daynacruz01's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Cursing, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Death, and Drug use
Moderate: Sexual assault and Blood
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Forced institutionalization, and Abandonment
leojpeg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Minor: Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny
_tabby_'s review against another edition
- 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
Osamu Dazai writes the role of the self-loathing yet hypocritical man, (who believes himself to be an exception from the rules simply because he believes himself to not be human and to be above the understanding of humans) incredibly well but you will never like Yozo. I believe that is the point of the book: to pity the ones who were involved in the life of our main character.
Edit: I just found out this was a suicide note written by Dazai that he wrote in the form of a book... uh.. at least he had a creative outlet???
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Drug abuse, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Blood, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Misogyny
flower_ink's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Drug abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Drug abuse, Grief, Sexual violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Rape
Minor: Death of parent, Sexism, and Emotional abuse
Depression, anxiety, mental isolationsmoladeryn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Just when I was beginning to forget, that bird of ill-Omen came flapping my way, to rip open with its beak the wounds of memory. —p139
This book is so well written, and a classic indeed. And, still, I’ve never both hated a book so intensely and also not been able to stop reading it.
It’s incredibly poetic at times with vignettes that startled me in their simple and quiet beauty. The blurb describes this account of the character’s life (and perhaps Osama Dorias’) as being without sentiment. Cold? No. It’s a dark, depressing, dank telling of a person’s life, but if you pay attention there is so much sentimentality for his depression and deceitful, destructive ways.
Before I go on, I do also need to address- his disgusting abuse of the women in his life. He very clearly knew he was despicable for it but he never truly realized just how awfully abusive and destructive he was. He often wrote about these women as if they deserved it because they were weak, ugly, or “crippled”.
I found myself thinking about reading this through a modern 2022 lens, how much mental illness and pain is clear in the character. In today’s world, no doubt we could see any number of diagnoses for this character. I wonder if it would have changed things.
The thing I struggled most with was how much this book is one of utter self loathing, but somehow, at the same time he fails to ever take responsibility for a single thing that happens to him. In fact, he describes it all as simply happening to him as if he’s a pacifist in his life. And maybe that’s how he truly experienced it - but oh if he knew all he had to do was simply take responsibility and self reflect! Even in his, clearly later years of life, the self reflection that is this book is actually just self indulgence!
The narcissism and self centred perspective often made me nauseous and gave me vertigo how quickly he’d both dwell in what was surely a very awful life as well somehow believe he was so special as to be the only person in the entire world suffering in the way he did. Not only this, him! A boy from a rich family who lost that connection through his own poor choices! And sure, he lacked a loving family, but my lawd, even many who experience serious child abuse can find a way through life without feeling so utterly sorry for themselves.
I think this is what kept me most from feeling compassion for him. Although, at times I would start to feel some compassion, it would be ripped away by the next paragraph’s grandiose claims at how hard done by he was.
It is curious, but the cathedrals of melancholy are not necessarily demolished if one can replace the vulgar “What a messy business it is to be fallen for” by the more literary “What uneasiness lies in being loved” —p47
Somehow he is so poetic in the narcissism I couldn’t shake how haunting it was. It reminds me of Bukowski, a poet I love in a way, but also hate.
(I am very susceptible to other people’s suggestions. When people say to me, “You really shouldn’t spend this money, but I suppose you will anyway…” I have the strange illusion that I would be going against expectations and somehow doing wrong unless I spent it. I invariably spend all the money immediately.) —p161
Even toward the end, when he should be starting to find clarity on his mistakes he blames everything around him for his terribleness.
BUT THE POETRY, ugh it kills me. I’m so conflicted.
But materialism could not free me from my dread of human beings; I could not feel the joy of hope a man experiences when he opens his eyes on young leaves. —p66
Just when I was beginning to forget, that bird of ill-Omen came flapping my way, to rip open with its beak the wounds of memory. —p139
Finally, at times I actually laughed out loud. I often wondered where his (supposedly) magnificent humour was in all of this. His grandiose claims at how funny and charming everyone found him rarely materialized. But there were glimpses.
Then, just when I had begun to entertain faintly in my breast the sweet notion that perhaps there was a chance I might turn one of these days into a human being and be spared the necessity of a horrible death, Horiki showed up again. —p138
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
fairyribs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Sexual violence, Mental illness, Suicide, Sexism, Rape, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Grief, Gaslighting, Ableism, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Addiction, Abandonment, Self harm, Drug abuse, Drug use, Cursing, Colonisation, and Body horror
passionateham's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
pattycrabby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Child abuse
orange_splice's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Addiction, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, and Suicide
Moderate: Child abuse, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Rape, Blood, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Cultural appropriation, Medical content, Classism, and Racism
It was a product of its time, unfortunately. Consistent, but brief, sexist stereotypes mentioned throughout the book (The main character saying that women enjoyed doing domestic chores handed to them, calling them emotional and complicated a lot.) Near the beginning, there's a weird mention of the main character doing an 'Indian Dance' jokingly in a loin cloth as a child. It's also mentioned, briefly, that the main character is repeatedly sexually assaulted by women around him from the time he is a child to the end of the book. The most triggering parts of the book are