A review by i_llumi
人間失格 by 太宰治

dark reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

 恥の多い生涯を送って来ました。 (Mine has been a life of much shame.)

 神に問う。信頼は罪なりや。 (God, I ask you. Is trustfulness a sin?)

 神に問う。無抵抗は罪なりや？  (God, I ask you, is non-resistance a sin?)

the fact that this and Kokoro are the two most-read books in Japan is alarming at least.

I started reading this book right before a university entrance exam (Fuvest - the exam to get into Sao Paulo University) on Sunday and finished it the following Tuesday. (my summer break started with this!!! fun !) [UPDATE feb/2022: I actually wrote the essay for the second round of this exam using arguments/allusions from this book and got a 43.3/50, the highest score I got in a specific component of the exam! the essay was about “the different faces of laughter” and I immediately thought of the “clownery” that Yōzō uses to deceive others. I was in shock with that high of a grade bc half of my “argumentative” essay was basically me explaining and analyzing the plot/characters instead of Actually Arguing lol]

I think this might take the spot of "saddest book I've ever read".
between this and "Kokoro", I prefer the latter. both are Very Sad (and obviously Very Good), but (imo) the sadness in Kokoro comes from a man who has completely lost hope in humanity - we basically follow this old dude with a wild past who has just... given up. however, in No Longer Human, the sadness comes from the fact that the protagonist, Yozo, still wants to become human. he talks about himself as if he were some kind of imposter alien but deep down, just wants to feel something - and we must watch everything in his life go wrong. it's heartbreaking shit

I tried writing and condensing my thoughts but tbh my writing skills are no near capable of describing the sheer tragic geniality of this work. this is 100% the kind of book that I'll think about constantly
   
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