No Longer Human

ByOsamu Dazai & Donald Keene

Release Date: 2012-09-30
Genre: Fiction & Literature

Score: 4.5

4.5

From 590 Ratings

Description

The poignant and fascinating story of a young man who is caught between the breakup of the traditions of a northern Japanese aristocratic family and the impact of Western ideas.

Mine has been a life of much shame. I can’t even guess myself what it must be to live the life of a human being.

Portraying himself as a failure, the protagonist of Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human narrates a seemingly normal life even while he feels himself incapable of understanding human beings. His attempts to reconcile himself to the world around him begin in early childhood, continue through high school, where he becomes a “clown” to mask his alienation, and eventually lead to a failed suicide attempt as an adult. Without sentimentality, he records the casual cruelties of life and its fleeting moments of human connection and tenderness.

Still one of the ten bestselling books in Japan, No Longer Human is an important and unforgettable modern classic: “The struggle of the individual to fit into a normalizing society remains just as relevant today as it was at the time of writing.” (The Japan Times)

Reviews

Amazing
5
By OODaisy
Depression is beautiful described and represented. It’s a book I’ve had to take a break from, but it’s grown to be one of my favorite reads.
A review
4
By AnonymousPearl3929
I find it fascinating how so many find this book to be incredibly resonating, but also some that find it incomprehensible, or even appalling, but I feel that to not understand this book, is to not understand oneself. The message was clear: society is an individual. Ultimately we are all alone and with that comes unavoidable despair, for at least those that don’t fear facing it, or intense discomfort for those who fail to see themselves in it.

Thanks for reading my review!
Interesting
4
By mia_618
The beginning was a little slow but the more I read the better it got. I believe that book was well written and ended with a little mystery and a good message, which I love.
genuine reaction after reading
4
By problems...must fix
:(
japanese holden caufield
1
By colleenwomack
was expecting profound, devastating, transformative (as described). found misogynistic, self-pitying, pathetic. not sure what anyone has ever found moving in this novel. thank god it was so short.
😶
5
By ႦυႦႦʅҽɠυɱ Ⴆʅυҽʂ
A hard to put down writing
Read twice
5
By Margrettwokids
Insane
Horrifically beautiful book
5
By Toast-KunOwO
This book deals with a lack of belonging and is humbling.
A life without love is confusing
3
By Arwum
What a sad story so many people who live without any truth to guide them
Pitiful human being
5
By nulocenicieta
Yozo is the most debased human being. His mind is detached and floating above him, unable to confront himself with others. What a mad lad. FIVE STARS!