You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
lkreadin 's review for:
No Longer Human
by Osamu Dazai
3/7/24 review after the first review (post review): THIS BOOK IS CRAZY GOOD!! It’s raw, and that’s what I appreciate about it- to all the people who complain that it’s too depressing, that’s literally the point. It’s not meant to be a happy read, but strangely it did not make me uncomfortable. It was eye opening and relatable at times, and since I could relate to him in the beginning parts of the story it made me realize I need to get my life together before I become like him (LOL). The way this book is told resonates with me, and I could understand what Yozo felt, most of the time. Some things I couldn’t understand, such as him 1) not finding a singular moment of happiness (well, actually that’s a lie since he does mention it, but it doesn’t feel like happiness to me) in his life, and more shockingly 2) literally not doing anything to help his wife when she was getting violated??? His complete absence of anger toward the abuser I do not understand, but it is interesting how he is completely grief-stricken from this experience and it marks the point where he descends into madness.
FIRST REVIEW 3/6/24: Finished reading this book and it left me shocked with how it ended. I really wasn’t expecting that sad ending, I feel like it didn’t do Yozo justice. It’s kind of crazy how it comes full circle in a way too (I’d go in depth but spoilers), which is a …nice touch but adds to the feeling of incompleteness I got when I finished it. Yozo’s interior monologue is so interesting, sometimes relatable and at times confusing; the entire 3/4ths of the book I was only half-invested, as his interior monologue recounting events of mild engagement was interesting but not groundbreaking enough. It was only after a key event that created a sense of immediacy that my opinion entirely changed, and I appreciated the buildup. I wasn’t merely reading a book about some guy’s life an outcast and how it sucks, I was witnessing his slow descent into madness (which is similar to [b:A Streetcar Named Desire|12220|A Streetcar Named Desire|Tennessee Williams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389153133l/12220._SX50_.jpg|142449] , one I also really liked). Because of this realization I’m going to have to re-read this book sometime soon to fully understand its concepts (and write a better review), now that I know how important the beginning is.
FIRST REVIEW 3/6/24: Finished reading this book and it left me shocked with how it ended. I really wasn’t expecting that sad ending, I feel like it didn’t do Yozo justice. It’s kind of crazy how it comes full circle in a way too (I’d go in depth but spoilers), which is a …nice touch but adds to the feeling of incompleteness I got when I finished it. Yozo’s interior monologue is so interesting, sometimes relatable and at times confusing; the entire 3/4ths of the book I was only half-invested, as his interior monologue recounting events of mild engagement was interesting but not groundbreaking enough. It was only after a key event that created a sense of immediacy that my opinion entirely changed, and I appreciated the buildup. I wasn’t merely reading a book about some guy’s life an outcast and how it sucks, I was witnessing his slow descent into madness (which is similar to [b:A Streetcar Named Desire|12220|A Streetcar Named Desire|Tennessee Williams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389153133l/12220._SX50_.jpg|142449] , one I also really liked). Because of this realization I’m going to have to re-read this book sometime soon to fully understand its concepts (and write a better review), now that I know how important the beginning is.