d_m_alessandro 's review for:

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

3.5

dark reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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A portrait of a man's mdntal illness exacerbated by a society that fails to acknowledge or attempt to understand it. A book that illistrates the diatribe that 'hurt people hurt people'. I can't say I was stunned by the writing or amazed at the progression of this story, but it definitely serves up a serious contemplative heap of depression. That it is something of a semi-autobiographical suicide note gives the work more meaning and depth than it perhaps would have standing on its own. It's quick, so it's solid, otherwise it would risk overstaying its welcome and being too dreadful.