Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

55 reviews

carla20's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

I really enjoyed the first half of the story. Yozo was a very introspective and self reflecting character since he was a child, but as he grows older, he seems to burry himself deeper in his own view of the world, and misses that self awareness he had at the beggining of his life. As an adult, he brings nothing but tragedy to the people around him, specially women. His view of women and their role in society revolves around his very limited vision of the world and seems to fundamentally blame women of everything that goes wrong in his life. I found it fascinating that almost everyone around him seemed to exempt him of his faults and put the blame on someone else, but I guess is the consequence of Yozo constantly faking what he really thinks and feels. 
I liked that the final message of the books was that "everything passes".

Spoiler

Even though Yozo's ending was tragic, the overall message that no matter how hard life gets, it will pass, was strangely conforting in a novel so dark.

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I will definitely pick up the author's other books. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, 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

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

talync_06's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Mental illness, Suicide, and Alcoholism

marsmartis's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexism, Addiction, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Alcoholism, Death, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, and Death of parent

Minor: Eating disorder and Death of parent

maddeesryan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-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

4.5

loved it. dandyism, unique, unreliable narrator, semi-autobiographical—how does that semi-autobiographical nature interact with the unreliable narrator? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Rape, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Mental illness

justinareads's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Death, Sexual assault, and Misogyny

luciau's review against another edition

challenging dark funny 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicide attempt and Misogyny