How do you feel about "No Longer Human" by Osamu Dazai?

[JustFed]

I feel as if the book "No Longer Human" by Osamu Dazai was an incredible work of literature, however It was overwhealmingly depressing, yet somehow I could not stop reading the pages of this book, This book gives me so many mixed feelings, In a way, I can relate to the main character, yet at the same time its sad to know about how some people suffer fates such as theese. Overall I rate it a 5/5 star book Despite how I felt at the end of it, Im reaching out because im curious about how others feel about the book. feel free to type your thoughts.

[Maryam]

For some strange reason, it felt like home. It made me feel seen. When I read it, I was depressed. And reading about Yozo the protagonist, I strangely felt a sense of relief. A strange calmness came over me. I don't know exactly why but to make a guess, I think it is because it made me feel, I wasn't the only one going through all of this. It gave a voice to my own thoughts and experiencing. Or maybe some other unknown, unconscious reason. For me reading "No Longer Human" was absurdly inspirational.

[Trinity]

This book is noteworthy for it's language. There is an obvious skill level required to read a book like this and rightfully so. The author has a clear expertise in beautiful language, but also story telling. I followed every line thoroughly and without exhaustion. I understood every minute detail he was sharing with me. He treads the fine line between conversation and literature, and he does so graciously. It is the most difficult obstacle of being a good writer, a good story teller - keeping your audience in every line, in every page. This author accomplishes that, and he satisfies it.

Now there are plenty of 'Depressed-Man-Archetypes', why read this one? It does not provide clarity, hope, or even simply, something different. No, it is not for that. It is only the thoughts of a man, who feels like the rest of the sad world, like his suffering his greater than anyone else’s. It is not to teach us lessons, or to offer us insight, it is a story we already know, just more beautifully executed. It's worth lies only in that, we need not praise it or criticize it for anything more or less.

[Sloane]

Trinity wrote: "This book is noteworthy for it's language. There is an obvious skill level required to read a book like this and rightfully so. The author has a clear expertise in beautiful language, but also stor..."

you said this so perfectly

[Tina]

No Longer Human is... uncomfortable to read. I think that's exactly why I like it so much though. It's almost refreshing. It is unfiltered through and through, so it is no wonder that people are drawn to it. It really does unveil what kind of headspace you are in as a reader though and how you respond to it says a lot about the kind of person you are. Of course, the amount of blatant misogny throughout is a shame, but I guess it is a product of its time.

[Ur]

A couple of years ago, I read No Longer Human, and since then, it has stayed with me, like one of those books that leaves a mark on you forever. The novel is dark, tragic, and yet, in a strange way, deeply intimate. Dazai has a raw, direct way of addressing suffering, and while what he writes about can be devastating, he does it with such precision that, instead of drowning you in sadness, he lets you float above it, watching from a safe distance.

As I read it, I was surprised by how many of the hardest moments didn’t affect me as much as I thought they would maybe because they felt too familiar, like echoes of my own experiences. Dazai has this unique gift for capturing what it feels like to be completely disconnected from the world, but he does it with such subtlety that it keeps you from being overwhelmed. It’s incredible how he conveys Yozo’s pain so deeply without dragging you down into his despair.

It’s a brutally honest portrait of what it means to be human, what it feels like to be broken inside, yet still holding on to the ability to reflect on it all. Even though the book is steeped in sadness, it doesn’t leave behind an unbearable emptiness. Instead, it gives you the feeling of having grasped something essential about human fragility. For me, that’s what it meant a window into the darkest corners of human nature, but also an invitation to reflect on it, rather than surrender to it.

[Pinky]

personally, i think this book is so-so. not that brutal nor emotionally enticing. maybe because i've read more depressing books than this. but i have to say osamu dazai-san were able to capture every bit of emotions and activities portrayed, but just not that depressing in my opinion. still, a good book.

[Lea]

Trinity wrote: "This book is noteworthy for it's language. There is an obvious skill level required to read a book like this and rightfully so. The author has a clear expertise in beautiful language, but also stor..."

You put it very well, I was trying to say this in my review, that this just a story of a man like many others, the beauty is in his writing and simply in the fact that nevertheless it is a different perspective. It is a very similar experience but it is still a different man, and this man has a lot in him.

[Haley]

I think it offers a perspective that isn't often shown. It definitely made lots of people feel seen. Not everyone can open up the way the book had. It's creation most definitely shifted how we view society and people as a whole, knowing now that not everyone is as they seem

[Krystiana]

It's a haunting read. It really stuck with me after I finished the final page. I hope that I can reread it again and feel the emotions all over again. Dazai did a wonderful job filling the pages with feeling, from anger to sadness, he makes you feel as though you are living and breathing within the story.