Scan barcode
golpesar818's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
considering this book within the imperialist context of post WWII Japan, i found this book to be even more unsettling and depressing, because then i started to feel like Yozo’s character represents postwar Japanese society broadly (i.e kinda like how Yozo, in his many attempts to understand society, asks “what is society?” and answers: “a society is just an individual”). yes,
he’s a patriarchal misogynist. his hatred of women is overt. he experiences multiple overlapping dependencies and isolations, he is not very likeable, but what’s even scarier, he is dangerously recognizable in SOME specific ways. namely his social anxiety. it’s all very banality of evil. overall though, by the end of the book i felt that the title “no longer human” or “disqualified as human” suggests to me that his loss of humanity (attributed to his psychiatric institutionalization), much like his many desires to unalive himself, is systemic. i don’t normally read “classic” literature but appreciated the vibe shift even though this book medium key fucked me up. major tw that i listed below.
he’s a patriarchal misogynist. his hatred of women is overt. he experiences multiple overlapping dependencies and isolations, he is not very likeable, but what’s even scarier, he is dangerously recognizable in SOME specific ways. namely his social anxiety. it’s all very banality of evil. overall though, by the end of the book i felt that the title “no longer human” or “disqualified as human” suggests to me that his loss of humanity (attributed to his psychiatric institutionalization), much like his many desires to unalive himself, is systemic. i don’t normally read “classic” literature but appreciated the vibe shift even though this book medium key fucked me up. major tw that i listed below.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
amelierawr's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault