Reviews with content warning for Pedophilia - No Longer Human

Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

47 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

phrogen's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

relatable besides the horrific, raging misogyny

Content Warnings

gabriella_'s review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective 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

3.5

This book is heartbreaking when you read it as a

suicide note.

It’s very deeply troubled and misogynistic. It simply reads like a cry for help. His depiction of

childhood trauma

is so visceral I had to put the book down at a couple points. There’s real heart here but it’s being squeezed. More than anything, I just felt an overwhelming sadness reading it.

Content Warnings

dagaezoomer19's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

5.0

Content Warnings

azalya01's review against another edition

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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.

Content Warnings