Reviews with content warning for Panic attacks/disorders - No Longer Human

Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

24 reviews

straaay's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

Content Warnings

books_onthe_ground's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

I was drawn to this boo on my search for literature that was horror related, disturbing or simply unpleasant to read but not in a ‘this book is shit’ way and yeah this book definitely fits that criteria. More so, I finally picked this up after it being on my list for a while after a youtuber I really admire published a video on this book titled “The most disturbing book I’ve ever read”. Safe to say, I finally bit the bullet and bought it soon after that video was published.

This book isn’t an enjoyable read and it’s so good at making you simply unhappy without wanting to put the book down. It is depression on paper. This thing is, is that it’s also beautifully written. There are some truly beautiful lines and the impact they create is masterful. The subject matter is painful and deeply upsetting but the wording makes it impossible to put down. There are no monsters and it’s not particularly graphic. There is nothing that would exist outside of this world to take the horror from. No, the horror in this book is human. It's human and goes undedicated. There is no help, no support and no hope. This book is depressing in its complete lack of hope in humanity.

You have to look up trigger warnings for this one because it contains most of the things that come to mind when you think of what trigger warnings might include. Suicide, self-harm, derealisation, desocialisation, death, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse and more. This book has the lot. Its definitely one of the darkest books some people will ever read and it’s a book that will stay with you long after you’ve read it. It is a perfect example of a car crash you can’t look away from. It’s a difficult book to rate because of this because it’s difficult to say I loved it or enjoyed it because how can I? I’m happy I bought and read it and I’ll probably read it again. I’m also intrigued by Dazai’s other works now.

For these reasons I gave it 4 stars. Would I recommend it to someone? It very much depends on the person and they would have to be in the place to read it because this book really does have the ability to impact someone negatively, especially if they are in a vulnerable place. But yes, if I think it’s okay to do so, I would recommend it. It’s one of those books where if it wasn’t about the topics it is and what I previously stated wasn’t true, this would be a book that you could argue everyone should read but again, I said what I said.

Content Warnings

myynverse's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

No Longer Human is such a good book to show the hypocrisy embedded in our mindset of mental illness. The actions and words never align, and when they do, they start to change completely. We see the perspective of this man who is struggling and can acknowledge it, yet cannot change it. He is stuck in this pattern of vices to try and feel, even if it hurts in the end because he wants to feel something. Oba struggles with the perception of himself, how others see him, and how society will see him. He treads on the fine line between feeling above and below everyone. We get to see the perspective of someone being stuck in this void, especially during a time period and culture that doesn't speak of mental illness as human.

The misogyny and his vices were hard to look at but I don't think it ruined the book for me. I don't think he was meant to be liked as an individual. It is harder to try and want him to do better due to the impact he has had on others, but that doesn't make his trauma any less. He still deserves to have good mental health - but man, he is pretty annoying with his actions.

The Epilogue was also amazing in terms of commentary about societal views on mental illness.

The fact that his journals were viewed as a good story instead of a narrative about someone's life? Whewww. The fact that Oba was referred to as a madman and had his private journals viewed shows an immense lack of empathy. He was judged harshly for not having good mental health and considering this was Osamu Dazai's last book before committing suicide, one can assume Osamu experienced a similar harshness.

Content Warnings

manel_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

dark 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

5.0

Content Warnings

afi_whatafireads's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Never in my life would I feel that I would be comforted by a very depressing story.

Before I start, I would like to say, to any of you who relates to this book in a sense that gives you so much pain, I hope that you're healing now at your own pace, and that you will find your own peace.

"Unhappiness. There are all kinds of unhappy people in this world. I suppose it would be no exaggeration to say that the world is composed entirely of unhappy people."

No Longer Human is said to be a semi-autobiography of Dazai before his death. A story that reflects of him but written in the character of Yozo, a boy who felt he no longer deserves to be called nor considered as a human. A story set in a journal-like-confession type of writing, of Yozo and his life.

Personal Ratings : 4.75🌟

I had to sleep on the book first before actually write my thoughts on this book. Its funny how a story like this serves somewhat a comfort read. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing positive in this book, but in some ways, it comforted you in a sense that you don't feel alone.

No Longer Human is a spiralling thought of Yozo who didn't feel he deserved to live, who sees himself as a monster and a menace to other people, and brings pain to everyone that he ever came across. You can't help but feel sorry for Yozo. Whilst his character was pitiful, he was also very very unlikeable, in which makes me sympathise him more. In a sense, as Yozo didn't see himself deserving to be human, he acted in the most inhumanely as possible, in which, drinking his woes away every night, sleeping with different girls everyday and turning to drugs to live. There is nothing likeable to his character and you will feel remorse and anger while reading as you'll feel he's somewhat wasting his life and talents away. What made it sad was how he acknowledged that everything that happened in his life, was His fault but he can't seem to break from the cycle. Since the story is set in the early 1940s, the idea of someone diagnosed is as foreign to taking drugs for your mental wellbeing, in which, Yozo became a character that is so hateful but you can't seem to hate him as he's trying to stay alive.

Not only that, this book reflected a lot on the political and societal expectations at the time, in which turned Yozo to the person he is. The inner-struggles that he faced with his parents and friends, the expectations of others for him. Dazai has a way in writing his stories in a cryptic way but with much to reflect. What made me sad was how at the end, Dazai had wrote that everything will pass eventually, and it hurts because he didn't make it. In some ways, he gave hope to us, that even if you feel life is hard, and hurtful and you feel that you're not a good person, you still and can change. It's not too late.

This is definitely a messy review. This book is NOT for everyone. I don't recommend picking it up if you don't need to. For those who feel that the story is comforting, I sincerely pray that better days are for you, and for those who can't understand, take the story with a grain of salt.

Content Warnings

zoellea's review against another edition

Go to review page

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? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Content Warnings

cait's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

gabrielleclarke05's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

Content Warnings

f18's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

4.5

Content Warnings

luwalhati's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

No Longer Human was heavier than I'd expected to be, and I have no idea if it was due to my own naivety or if it was due to Dazai's vivid and realistic writing style.

If Osamu Dazai wished to achieve this languid and gut-emptying writing, then he has done more than excellent. As I've read through the novel, more of the themes that had settled in started to penetrate me word by word.

That being said, it is quite scary to think that I can relate to a character like Yozo. It was too frightening, to the point where I told myself to pick myself up even if his themes and motives were like mine.

spoilers ahead from here:

In the first notebook, our main character, Yozo, already realizes that he cannot be human, lest even understand humans. It is a pouring shame into him, and he carries it out thoughout until the end of the third notebook. There are certain arcs of the story that I wish I understood better, such as the importance of Horiki's character, the implications of ghosts, and the literary references— the verses by Guy-Charles Cros mentioned as well I believe there is more to the story than simple despair and anguish that a person can go through.

Content Warnings

More...