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royourboat's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Such a captivating book. Yozo is an apathetic narrator who mostly speaks in short sentences, which made the book hard to read at first but once I got used to it I was able to appreciate how genius the writing style/decision was.
The writing style was extremely affective at portraying Yozo’s isolation and alienation. And while I recognize that it was a genius decision, because it accurately represents the thought process of a fractured mind, it did make the book less enjoyable at times, which is why I’m not giving it 5 stars. Yes, it succeeded in portraying the protagonist’s disconnection from the world around him, but it also made me feel disconnected from the story.
Nevertheless, the decision to have a very plain, monotonous narrator did make the book more compelling in a way. Yozo always got straight to the point in an almost shocking way which made me eager to know what happens next.
I have very conflicting feelings about our protagonist, I dislike him but I also feel for him at times. The misogyny was revolting, and since this book is semi-autobiographical it really makes you wonder which of these thoughts belong to the protagonist and which belong to the author himself?
I really disliked the epilogue. It was so unnecessary. I wouldn’t say it ~ruined the book for me but I would have definitely enjoyed it more if I hadn’t read the epilogue.
Finally, here are 2 things to keep in mind to make your reading experience more powerful 1) Osamu Dazai committed double suicide alongside his lover right after this book was published and 2) Japan’s views on topics regarding mental illness and how taboo they are to this day, let alone when this book was first published 70 years ago. Osamu Dazai was a brave man.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Pedophilia, and Death of parent
Minor: Incest, Terminal illness, and Religious bigotry
sillispike's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this book is very fast paced, constantly has a lot happening, and certain things are hinted at rather than outrightly stated. all in all, i loved it. the book explores living with depression, as well as has many hints of social anxiety. it centers around feeling alienated from the world and the feeling that nobody really knows who you are. it was strangely comforting — reading yozo’s dark and depressing thoughts with the mentality of someone battling with some of them myself. i disagreed with him. i liked him. i hated him. i agreed with him. this book had me question a large chunk of myself. the writing was phenomenal, and the plot kept me hooked (although it was somewhat autobiographical, which i tend to dislike, this book filled me with much joy). certainly one of my favorites despite all odds.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Death, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry