A review by fortunetree
No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-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

4.0

It was a bit challenging to get used to the writing style since the narrative is sometimes fractured: seemingly banal things get described in detail while others are portrayed very short, raw and direct. This wasn't easy to get used to but helped a lot to immerse yourself in Yozo's mental state. I found the book very thought-provoking in the sense that Yozo's struggles were portrayed in a way that you would judge him but also find him relatable. Essentially, I would say that this is the kind of book where you could have a meaningful philosophical discussion about it and even though it is quite short it is not fast to think through or easy to read.
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