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A review by ashureads
No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai
5.0
As someone who's been diagnosed with depression and anxiety, no longer human by Osamu Dazai was a mental rollercoaster for me to the point where it could be exhausting. As a whole I loved the book in the way I could see myself reflected in the main character, Yozo, and often empathised with him.
The main theme for this book in my opinion was the negative views on a subject known as a taboo in Japan, mental health. Along with the dehumanisation that comes with being mentally ill within Japan.
Yozo often talks in a way that makes him seem alienated, this show's that even he sees himself as a monster because of his suffering. Throughout the book I felt that Yozo wasn't human from the start since the way he described the world was like a view from an outsider with no understanding of humanity. Later I think Yozo becomes more human only to be degraded again and again by society and himself.
I feel like the book reflected the author a lot. A while ago I did research on him for a project. I could definitely see Osamu Dazai's beliefs and struggles portrayed in the book. It made me extremely sad to know that he was suicidal and because of the way Japan handles that he felt like he was inhuman.
For people who don't know he killed himself with someone else, this idea is written within no longer human in the second notebook. However the suicide attempt in the book failed this leads Yozo to live a life in misery after the woman he attempted suicide with succeeded. This was one of the main parts in the book that I could barely get through knowing that this had been successful in real life. It was a thought he wrote about then acted upon.
Despite the sadness that i had while reading double suicide attempt made in the second notebook it was one of my favourite parts in the sense that it was extremely well written. I feel like both Yozo and Tsuneko were both depressed this is becomes more obvious towards the attempt. You could feel it coming up but you don't expect it to happen so abruptly.
The way Dazai paints the scene as a normal day. Only to the point where Yozo realised how poverty-stricken he is does the thought come into mind. He realised just how sad Tsuneko is too. The attempt is only written in a paragraph and ends with the news of Tsuneko being the only one who succeeded. This truly begins the spiral of Yozo's mental health, he describes as Tsuneko being the only person he loved.
Opinions and thoughts:
I think the notebooks we read through are written as if someone is looking back on their life. In my opinion I think the notebooks are almost like a suicide note from Yozo as he describes the turmoils in his life and his struggle to understand humans and their nature. The way it was written was amazing which to me was surprising since it's a translation.
My thoughts on this book were completely torn. It was distressing to see yourself in someone else, even more so when it's biographical... A part of me would have liked to meet the character in the book. But even if I said that things would be okay I know it wouldn't have made it better since when that is said to me I feel nothing but sadness and guilt that to me my life not ok.
Depression is like a plague and even more like one in Japan where being depressed and/or mentally ill is looked down upon and seen as a taboo. This is one of the few books that I can barely describe my thoughts on other than heartbreak and mentally exhausting.
I would reccomed this too anyone who feels like they don't fit in the world. But if you are sensitive to subjects like suicide and alcoholism then I'd advise reading against it. However I'd reccomed this book to anyone.
The main theme for this book in my opinion was the negative views on a subject known as a taboo in Japan, mental health. Along with the dehumanisation that comes with being mentally ill within Japan.
Yozo often talks in a way that makes him seem alienated, this show's that even he sees himself as a monster because of his suffering. Throughout the book I felt that Yozo wasn't human from the start since the way he described the world was like a view from an outsider with no understanding of humanity. Later I think Yozo becomes more human only to be degraded again and again by society and himself.
I feel like the book reflected the author a lot. A while ago I did research on him for a project. I could definitely see Osamu Dazai's beliefs and struggles portrayed in the book. It made me extremely sad to know that he was suicidal and because of the way Japan handles that he felt like he was inhuman.
For people who don't know he killed himself with someone else, this idea is written within no longer human in the second notebook. However the suicide attempt in the book failed this leads Yozo to live a life in misery after the woman he attempted suicide with succeeded. This was one of the main parts in the book that I could barely get through knowing that this had been successful in real life. It was a thought he wrote about then acted upon.
Despite the sadness that i had while reading double suicide attempt made in the second notebook it was one of my favourite parts in the sense that it was extremely well written. I feel like both Yozo and Tsuneko were both depressed this is becomes more obvious towards the attempt. You could feel it coming up but you don't expect it to happen so abruptly.
The way Dazai paints the scene as a normal day. Only to the point where Yozo realised how poverty-stricken he is does the thought come into mind. He realised just how sad Tsuneko is too. The attempt is only written in a paragraph and ends with the news of Tsuneko being the only one who succeeded. This truly begins the spiral of Yozo's mental health, he describes as Tsuneko being the only person he loved.
Opinions and thoughts:
I think the notebooks we read through are written as if someone is looking back on their life. In my opinion I think the notebooks are almost like a suicide note from Yozo as he describes the turmoils in his life and his struggle to understand humans and their nature. The way it was written was amazing which to me was surprising since it's a translation.
My thoughts on this book were completely torn. It was distressing to see yourself in someone else, even more so when it's biographical... A part of me would have liked to meet the character in the book. But even if I said that things would be okay I know it wouldn't have made it better since when that is said to me I feel nothing but sadness and guilt that to me my life not ok.
Depression is like a plague and even more like one in Japan where being depressed and/or mentally ill is looked down upon and seen as a taboo. This is one of the few books that I can barely describe my thoughts on other than heartbreak and mentally exhausting.
I would reccomed this too anyone who feels like they don't fit in the world. But if you are sensitive to subjects like suicide and alcoholism then I'd advise reading against it. However I'd reccomed this book to anyone.