A review by tilda_bookworm
No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Sadly I related to the main character in many ways and he also made me feel some sort of disgust/contempt/pity which I suppose was the point. I didn't care much for the character which was probably also the point - I was experiencing the same disconnect and lack of care towards him as he describes having (reciprocally) with those around him. Very self-absorbed and no growth. It feels a bit weird rating this because it seems to essentially be an autobiography; I think it's a good insight into the author's mind, and that adds a bit of interest to the fact that the character is unlikeable in quite a boring, unexceptional way. We're all (well, most of us) boring and unexceptional really so it is perhaps more honest and raw than glamourised accounts of misery. As a novel, though, I just felt it was lacking... something. I was unmoved and I didn't learn anything. Trauma voyeurs and sad people who fancy themselves tragic heroes may be more likely to enjoy this book... I'm not sure really. Similar themes to A Little Life (which I enjoyed far less than this one). 
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