Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

22 reviews

marissasa's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

This book is depressing, strange, dark, difficult, and somehow so real. Despite the consistent themes of alienation throughout the book, the main character's thoughts and feelings, while quite intense, are at times surprisingly relatable. Instead of feeling sad for him or rooting for him, as I read on about his spiral into depression, alcoholism, and suffering I found myself simply understanding him. I can appreciate that this story feels like it was written not to make you cry or have sympathy for its main character, but to simply show the main character's unfiltered thoughts and feelings and make you think about what makes us human and what can make people feel like they aren't.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Rape, Vomit, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Grief, Physical abuse, and Suicide attempt

thespencerj's review against another edition

dark 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicide, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Incest, Child abuse, Rape, and Adult/minor relationship

squidknees's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Ableism, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Rape, War, Vomit, Violence, Self harm, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcohol, Misogyny, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Drug use, and Death of parent

straaay's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Suicide, Blood, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Death of parent

myynverse'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? 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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault

Minor: Rape

maddie_is_literate's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Addiction, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Medical content, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Misogyny

Minor: Vomit

ye_li's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.5

What does it mean to be human? The book explores this question through the eyes of someone who does not understand, will never understand, and will die without knowing—what does it mean to be human? Oba Yozo is not a likable character. An intriguing, unlikeable character; I cannot help but be fascinated, though I'm certain I would detest him if I were to ever meet anyone like him. You are not your body, not your mind; not your thoughts, not your feelings; you are nothing at all, not even human.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, and Death

Minor: Vomit and Sexual harassment

kakeyame's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Drug use, Addiction, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, and Death

orange_splice's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

the main character's alcoholism, reaction to his wife getting raped, and his morphine abuse which are explored in more detail.

pissdrawerlmfao's review against another edition

dark reflective tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Medical content, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, and Pedophilia

Minor: Excrement, Vomit, and Incest