Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

74 reviews

est_her's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

I am relieved to find i'm no longer mentally ill enough to find comfort in this novel/enjoy it as much as the first time i read it. Yozo starts out as a child having difficulties understanding the people around him and incapable of building genuine connections with other humans. There, his struggles are almost relatable to the reader. As he grows up, Yozo makes so many mistakes, allows so many terrible people to influence him negatively that the main character even completely alienates the reader from himself. Every time it seems he may have a chance to turn his life around, he repeats the same mistakes, each time in a more horrifying manner than before. By the end of the novel, it is so sickening that it qualifies as a horror story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Rape, Misogyny, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Child abuse

th3reader's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

aliennnn's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Alcoholism, Suicide, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, and Suicide attempt

anni_o's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-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

1.5

Protagonist / Writer of the Notebooks is rather sexist. I guess it is a product of its time, but it sure did not age well. The prose is beautiful in parts, and a mix of vague and too detailed in others. The insight into his depressive episodes was very meaningful/insightful, and it was a rather quick read. I related to the protagonist in part, especially with the view of the world, but in other parts it was frustrating to see him spiral further and further. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Suicide, Sexism, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Alcohol, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Self harm, Rape, Vomit, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Death, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Blood, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Ableism, Medical content, Physical abuse, and Grief

lizzield's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Rape

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual assault

azalya01's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad medium-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

4.5

I have to say that this story is unlike anything I have ever read. I have read stories with unlikable protagonists before, but I have never encountered a character with such a deep difficulty in connecting with other people. Although I am someone who finds it easy to connect and empathize with others, Yozo's hopeless view of the world made me consider that an individual's humanity isn't always as easy to find as one might think. This book really challenged me to question my own habits of passing judgment on others. 

Try to keep in mind that the character Yozo is intentionally flawed and that his journey through life is not necessarily meant to be an admirable one. I personally perceived the instances of misogyny and toxicity in this book as shortcomings of the character rather than messages we are meant to internalize as valid. 

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Overall, this was an intriguing story about what it means to be human, and how sometimes our worst enemies are ourselves. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Ableism, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: War and Sexual content

radiosys's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-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

4.5

It might be a tough read for people who have/had suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors, so remember to take breaks if you need it everyone<3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death, Drug use, Self harm, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Body shaming, Medical content, Chronic illness, and Blood

Minor: Grief, Infidelity, and Adult/minor relationship

mint7's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

3.75

The narration in No Longer Human is both haunting the raw. Definitely not a book to read when you're not in a good mindset.   The sentiment of being doomed from the beginning is infectious and all-encompassing.  The protagonist's relationship with humanity, or his 'lack' of it, and his subsequent perception of everyone around him makes this book both hard to get through and the very reason to keep reading it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Misogyny

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Forced institutionalization, and Sexual assault

akane_shio's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Rape

abibliophobic_nerd's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Medical content, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Alcohol

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Drug use, and Drug abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Blood, Infidelity, and Vomit