Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Gagal Menjadi Manusia by Osamu Dazai

131 reviews

historyoftape's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This was hard to read, it was like watching someone sink into quicksand in slow motion. Fascinating, horrifying, depressing, cynical, at points slightly hopeful- haven't read anything like this in a long time.

Getting a look into the psyche of someone who cannot understand humanity, therefore struggles to define himself, defines himself as a monster and the watches himself become one, and in the end is just so incredibly human even while he believes himself not to be. That is what I would summarize this book to be, even though there is so much more. 

Read the trigger warnings though. Would not recommend this to anyone currently struggling with depression or suicidal ideation. I'd say I'm mentally doing well right now, don't know what this would have been like if I'd read it at other points in life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Pedophilia

It does not get better as you read. No happy ending.

fonuku_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, and Mental illness

hannah_go03's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

persian_green's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Toxic relationship and War

geminimoon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The protagonist is so autistic that I thought I was reading the dsm5 instead.   One of his prominent symptoms is his masking. He also has issues socializing. His chronic people pleasing might also be a symptom. Yozo is also deeply traumatized from his sexual abuse as a child and from growing up undiagnosed. Sad that he never got the help he needed. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse and Sexual assault

ramizrafimirza's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

morangomax's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

sunfishya's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It's not for everyone, that's for sure. It's a book that is highly layered and would definitely reveal more with multiple readings. There is content, such as the misogyny and constant detachment from trauma, that surrounds Yozo, but although it is a hard read because of those reasons, I find Dazai's exploration of the ideas of meaning, existence, and connection are very worth the read. There is a bit of sexual abuse that happens to Yozo both as a child and as an adult that seems to be glossed over afyer its mentioned, so if you are sensitive to such topics or treatment of such topics, be warned. I wanted to warn in the content warnings but couldn'  find out how. If you check the content warnings for this novel and want to proceed, it's a slow, meandering read but I find Dazai's exploration in the novel to be nuanced and highly open to connection from an audience.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Suicide, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

Minor: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

cherrychess's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

lio_ramon_dolor's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Rape