Scan barcode
A review by caspyreads
No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai
dark
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
4.0
Utterly depressing. I think that's the point though. The author himself was incredibly depressed, which ultimately resulted in him ending his own life. If you're sensitive to these topics and other potentially triggering themes, I don't recommend reading this. It is heavy.
No Longer Human follows the character Ōba Yōzō through parts of his childhood and adulthood. He doesn't seem to understand common human experiences and puts on a mask to seem like he is participating. Yōzō finds mundanity to be joyless and boring. He seeks ways to cope in substances, mostly alcohol, which brings him further into his depression.
I think anyone who has dealt with depression and/or anxiety can relate to Yōzō. He feels like an outsider. Set in pre-WWII Japan, a time in which mental health was not talked about or studied as much, No Longer Human presents a character based on Dazai himself and his struggles who seeks validation in all the wrong things and ultimately doesn't survive his depression.
This book is certainly not for everyone, but I think this is a good depiction of how many people managed, or didn't manage, their mental health in a time when people didn't fully understand what it was and never talked about it.
No Longer Human follows the character Ōba Yōzō through parts of his childhood and adulthood. He doesn't seem to understand common human experiences and puts on a mask to seem like he is participating. Yōzō finds mundanity to be joyless and boring. He seeks ways to cope in substances, mostly alcohol, which brings him further into his depression.
I think anyone who has dealt with depression and/or anxiety can relate to Yōzō. He feels like an outsider. Set in pre-WWII Japan, a time in which mental health was not talked about or studied as much, No Longer Human presents a character based on Dazai himself and his struggles who seeks validation in all the wrong things and ultimately doesn't survive his depression.
This book is certainly not for everyone, but I think this is a good depiction of how many people managed, or didn't manage, their mental health in a time when people didn't fully understand what it was and never talked about it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Suicide