Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

301 reviews

lblackburn04's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-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

3.5

it’s a beautifully written book, and thematically quite moving; however the main character is unbelievably off-putting and you stop sympathising with him maybe halfway through which makes getting to the end of the book quite difficult 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Drug abuse

mikathereviewer's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense 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

I wanted to read this book out of interest in psychology and in the end I learnt more about a person in my life than I thought I will. 

I lack empathy and the same sense of emotions and feelings like others. So I find psychology really interest, as everything is new to me and it is so complex and makes no sense for me that it is actually astonishing again. I thought I just learn a bit more about depression and that's it, but I also learnt a bit more about a person in my life. I always had a feeling like they experienced some kind of trauma, but now I am certain with this book. 

The book isn't long, as it is also written in notebooks by a person who experienced depression throughout their life. I learnt a lot from this book and it was informative, but it was too depressing on the long run. I wasn't sad when I read it, but I can't possibly imagine to be born with depression. It's a psychological issue that happens over time, due to trauma or other factors. And reading that this character Yozo always had depression and was NEVER joyful in his life and never experienced happiness, seems for me unlogical. 

I am also not quite certain if that is the 100% true version of the notebooks and if there weren't things added or removed to it. This book is a translation, I am aware, but I am talking about the original. The translation didn't seem off, it was good, but sometimes I just thought 'would someone really write this in their own notebook?'. 'Cause there were a bit too many things quoted from other persons in his life, that it was too accurate and that he never forgot any name of the people that I started to think that perhaps a few things were added to the notebook. Just like the prologue and epilogue. 

As it was informative for me, I learnt more than expected and it was interesting I will give it 4 stars. Reducing 1 star from my rating due to it's overly unrealistic unhappiness that the person experienced. The suspicion that things were added or left out are not influencing my rating as there is no proof of such.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault

lizbeththesimp's review against another edition

dark funny informative tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Suicide attempt, and Drug abuse

sunfishya's review against another edition

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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It's not for everyone, that's for sure. It's a book that is highly layered and would definitely reveal more with multiple readings. There is content, such as the misogyny and constant detachment from trauma, that surrounds Yozo, but although it is a hard read because of those reasons, I find Dazai's exploration of the ideas of meaning, existence, and connection are very worth the read. There is a bit of sexual abuse that happens to Yozo both as a child and as an adult that seems to be glossed over afyer its mentioned, so if you are sensitive to such topics or treatment of such topics, be warned. I wanted to warn in the content warnings but couldn'  find out how. If you check the content warnings for this novel and want to proceed, it's a slow, meandering read but I find Dazai's exploration in the novel to be nuanced and highly open to connection from an audience.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Suicide, Misogyny, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape

Minor: Drug use, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness

literatureboysmelancholy's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Alcoholism, Suicide, Alcohol, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, and Addiction

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, and Rape

Minor: Death of parent and War

cherrychess's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Mental illness

demonyuki's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

p0tat0es_'s review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I love this book, but be warned that it deals with a lot of serious topics and is not for the faint of heart. Also the history behind this book is insane; it's semi-autobiographical but in the eyes of someone who is likely schizophrenic and bipolar, which adds a layer of mystery that's confusing in the best way possible. If your ok with darker books then I 100% recommend No Longer Human.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Addiction, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, and Toxic relationship

mions's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring 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

4.5

Having struggled with a sense of disconnection from humanity since childhood, the relatable parts of No Longer Human, ironically enough, helped me feel a lot more human. All the content not included in that statement served as a reminder of why that should be held onto, and how lucky I am to get to feel that way. Though the subject matters are heavy, this book left me with a sense of gratitude. Even with all its raw depictions of the harshness of reality, to me, this is a beautifully written novel.

I did not find the book as soul-crushing as it is often described. The overall tone is typically surprisingly neutral, and at times humorous. It’s much more than a monotone angst-dump, but the story and characters are nothing if not tragic.

Yozo as a main character divides people for a reason, and I can’t exactly blame the people who do not like him. By the end of the book, he is undoubtedly not a great person, but even if his actions aren’t great, they do come across as understandable with all the context provided. To those who have struggled with similar issues with mental health, at times his thoughts can be shockingly relatable. At the beginning of the book, there were parts where Dazai touches on some deeply relatable themes, despite being deeply relatable.

I can only hope that the actual plot points aren’t too reminiscent of many readers’ personal experiences, but it is no wonder that the themes present in No Longer Human resonated with many so strongly that the book became Japan’s 2nd best-selling novel.

While not happy, I find a lot of beauty in aspects of the worldview depicted. There is a sense of quiet appreciation for the significance in what is normally deemed as mundane. It doesn’t turn Yozo’s life into a happy one; it made me appreciate the meaning in some of the less exciting aspects of life as well.

Even if thinking of No Longer Human has at times filled me with dread, I’m grateful for its existence, and happy that I read it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Death, Grief, and Sexual assault

Minor: Misogyny, Violence, and Sexism

menagerie_of'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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Mental illness

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Rape