Who Would Like This Book:
If you appreciate dark, introspective fiction that doesn't shy away from exploring alienation, mental health, and existential despair, "No Longer Human" will pull you in and stay with you long after the last page. Dazai's prose is quietly haunting, his depiction of inner turmoil and self-doubt both universal and heartbreakingly specific. Fans of coming-of-age stories, psychological realism, existentialism, or semi-autobiographical fiction will find a lot to ponder here - especially if you liked works like The Catcher in the Rye or The Bell Jar. Those curious about postwar Japanese literature or attracted to stories about outsiders will find this a compelling, if unsettling, classic.
Who May Not Like This Book:
This novel isn't for everyone. Its relentless bleakness and emotional detachment can be tough to swallow, especially if you're seeking hope or redemption in your reading. Some readers are turned off by the main character's passivity, self-pity, or lack of likeability. The book also confronts heavy themes - suicide, addiction, abuse, misogyny - without much filter, which could be triggering or simply too grim. If you prefer uplifting narratives, clear character growth, or a strong plot over mood and introspection, "No Longer Human" might just feel oppressive or meandering.
About:
"No Longer Human" by Osamu Dazai is a bleak and introspective novel that delves into the life of Oba Yozo, a character struggling with feelings of alienation and disconnection from society. The book explores themes of loneliness, suicide, and existential dread through Yozo's eyes as he navigates a world where he feels like an outsider. The writing style is described as powerful and impactful, with a narrative that captures the protagonist's internal turmoil and despair in a poignant manner.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include substance abuse, self-harm, suicide attempts, and themes of trauma and mental illness.
From The Publisher:
No longer human is one of the most famous novels of contemporary Japanese literature. His controversial and brilliant author, Osamu Dazai, incorporated numerous episodes of his turbulent life into the three notebooks that make up this novel and narrate, in the first person and a stark manner, the progressive decline of Yozo, a young student of provinces who leads a life Dissolute in Tokyo. Repudiated by his family after a suicide attempt and unable to live in harmony with his similar hypocrites, Yozo lives as a cartoonist and subsists thanks to the help of women who fall in love with him despite his alcoholism and morphine addiction.
Ratings (181)
Incredible (53) | |
Loved It (53) | |
Liked It (37) | |
It Was OK (21) | |
Did Not Like (15) | |
Hated It (2) |
Reader Stats (484):
Read It (181) | |
Currently Reading (8) | |
Want To Read (235) | |
Did Not Finish (13) | |
Not Interested (47) |
3 comment(s)
“He was a good boy, an angel”
I really liked the perspective on life and loss and the writing
felt to cynical and cruel.
What can you read after
No Longer Human?
About the Author:
Osamu Dazai (1909-1948) was a 20th century Japanese novelist.
Donald Keene is a distinguished translator of Japanese.
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