A review by shonarpakhi
No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

dark reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
agonising. just ~175 pages of endless and inescapable and constant submersion in a water torture chamber of the depths of human misery, yet without the gratuity you'd expect given such a summary. i think the framing device is what really makes this novel outstanding amidst others of its genre; it's what haunts me and will make me come back repeatedly to evaluate the judgments i make of it. there's also a fascinating (horrific and depressing) gender reading of this i'd like to explore given time. i don't recommend reading it in one sitting, but i do recommend multiple readings.
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