Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - No Longer Human

Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

67 reviews

natcrash's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

This book captivated me from the first sentence. I hadn’t read for fun in so long (like 3 years?) and this book brought me out of my reading slump. It’s short, at least for me (>200 pages), so it was perfect.

It’s beautifully written.

I love me some existential ramblings. Yozo is (maybe) relatable if you’ve ever felt out of place and/or have had depression, which makes you feel bad since

he’s basically a piece of shit and treats everyone around him horribly

. He calls you out, making you uncomfortable, but that’s just what I love. But DON’T read this book if you’re currently depressed. This book would’ve sent me spiraling down a hole five years ago. It’s definitely not for everyone, it’s harsh and heavy. It’s not something I usually read, but I couldn’t put it down.

Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable

- Cesar A. Cruz

Content Warnings

erinlovestoread's review against another edition

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challenging dark slow-paced

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

1.25

Although it is a short book, don't be fooled by its length. It is a heavy read with cynical undertones that can be challenging for some readers. The author's writing style has been described as monotonous, and it is important to keep this in mind before starting. The story does start in a slow and alien tone but picks up in the middle and becomes more tolerable. Overall, I would recommend this book if you are interested in a unique perspective on what it means to be human in our current society.

Content Warnings

thewalkingnerd's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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

Content Warnings

kat5502's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Content Warnings

charrlee's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I have never seen such an inscrutable face on a man (17)

The darkest novel I have yet to read, and I don't say that lightly. So much of how you read this novel is dependent on your own beliefs and biases. While the three notebooks pose a slight a question of subjectivity, the way Yozo is viewed in the prologue and epilogue are what truly form the thoughts of the reader. I can, and will, write an analysis on my thoughts around No Longer Human at some point. There is so much more that just cannot be said in a review.

The last line haunts you; this book will haunt your mind. I don't feel as though I can rate this properly because there is something so human despite the inhumanities described. Also, knowing this work is semi-autobiographical enables you to approach the topic with more humanity as opposed to an entirely fictional rendition.

Yozo is textually represented as a bad person, yet at the same time, he manages to be more than his evils to the people around him, whether that is realized or not. Everyone is important to somebody. At the heart of this novel lies the question of redemption and rebirth. No Longer Human, despite its name, invites the question of where humanity lies; is it inside or outside of us? We must extend the hand of sympathy to others, but to what degrees is society willing to extend sympathy? Yozo fills us with the uncomfortable and we must carry that haunting every day. Who is the real clown?

P.S. The more direct translation, disqualified as a human being, packs a better punch.