A review by sunfishya
No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

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.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings