Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

91 reviews

aframe's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Alcoholism, Misogyny, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Death, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

Minor: Rape

marsmartis's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexism, Addiction, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Alcoholism, Death, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, and Death of parent

Minor: Eating disorder and Death of parent

cheskann'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? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Suicide, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Addiction, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Sexual violence, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Rape, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Misogyny, and Child abuse

Minor: Death of parent

maddeesryan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

loved it. dandyism, unique, unreliable narrator, semi-autobiographical—how does that semi-autobiographical nature interact with the unreliable narrator? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Rape, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Mental illness

erraticpickle's review against another edition

dark reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Alcoholism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Self harm

Minor: Child abuse, Rape, and Death of parent

ch1l1peppers's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

5.0

two words: HOLY SHIT. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, War, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship, and Misogyny

Minor: Death of parent and Sexual assault

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

nat_kiverse's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Vomit, Addiction, and Alcohol

honeyvoiced's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Rape and Suicide

Minor: Death of parent and Forced institutionalization

ceeeejay's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

5.0

The direct translation of this title is far more apt I feel than the English title. “Disqualified from being human” while more wordy it accurately sums up this book. Yozo is born fundamentally different in a way that simply disqualified him from fitting in before he can even try. 

This book is a devastating look into the mind of a man so deeply troubled he feels alien. Yozo is so deeply afraid of this alien species he’s surrounded by- terrified by their reactions and expectations of him. He chases his tail to fit in, to find a place where he can exist. Not for any want of community or kinship- but simply because he fears what would happen if people saw him for what he was. Other. He slips into the role of the clown- his performance and jesting is what he uses to get by. His peers accept him as a goofball, someone not to be taken seriously. And it’s in that hollow act that Yozo can carry on the Herculean task of simply existing. 

This book feels and reads like the worlds longest suicide note. Looking into the author and knowing more about his life and how deeply it seems to have inspired No Longer Human is devastating. To know a man so miserable and alienated existed and never found comfort is so deeply disturbing to me. To get attached to this deeply flawed and sometimes toxic character to know there is no good end. To feel like I understand Dazai- knowing the outcome will remain the same. 

It’s the most deeply relatable work I’ve ever read, and it makes the outcome all the more devastating.

I’ve struggled for a while to finish books and to feel anything while reading- and this rekindled a love in me that hasn’t been there in a long time. 

I finish my review with the final lines of the book. Words that when put into the context of dazai are heart-wrenching to read. Making you feel a sadness so visceral you could almost choke on it. 

“The Yozo  we knew was so easy-going and amusing, and if only he hadn’t drunk—no, even though he did drink—he was a good boy, an angel.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Suicide, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts