Donald Keene

Osamu Dazai

No Longer Human ... Translated ... by Donald Keene

人間失格

Mine has been a life of much shame.
I can't even guess myself what it must be to live the life of a human being.
Portraying himself as a failure, the protagonist of Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human narrates a seemingly normal life even while he feels himself incapable of understanding human beings. Oba Yozo's attempts to reconcile himself to the world around him begin in early childhood, continue through high school, where he becomes a "clown" to mask his alienation, and eventually lead to a failed suicide attempt as an adult. Without sentimentality, he records the casual cruelties of life and its fleeting moments of human connection and tenderness.
Semi-autobiographical, No Longer Human is the final completed work of one of Japan's most important writers, Osamu Dazai (1909-1948). The novel has come to "echo the sentiments of youth" (Hiroshi Ando, The Mainichi Daily News) from post-war Japan to the postmodern society of technology. Still one of the ten bestselling books in Japan, No Longer Human is a powerful exploration of an individual's alienation from society.

No Longer Human

"She must be unhappy too. Unhappy people are sensitive to the unhappiness of others."

Loved the comparison and the use of imagery! YOSHIKOOOO MY SHAYLAAAAA :( 

“For someone like myself in whom the ability to trust others is so cracked and broken that I am wretchedly timid and am forever trying to read the expression on people's faces, Yoshiko's immaculate trustfulness seemed clean and pure, like a waterfall among green leaves. One night sufficed to turn the waters of this pure cascade yellow and muddy.”

“You didn't know enough to distrust others.”

This one hit 😀 Reminders will be my demise! 

“Just when I was beginning to forget, that bird of ill-omen came flapping thy way, to rip open with its beak the wounds of memory.“

“The incomprehensibility of society is the incomprehensibility of the individual. The ocean is not society; it is individuals.“

"As long as I can make them laugh, it doesn’t matter how, I'll be all right... The one thing I must avoid is becoming offensive in their eyes: I shall be nothing, the wind, the sky."

Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human, this leading postwar Japanese writer's second novel, tells the poignant and fascinating story of a young man who is caught between the breakup of the traditions of a northern Japanese aristocratic family and the impact of Western ideas. In consequence, he feels himself "disqualified from being human" (a literal translation of the Japanese title).

Donald Keene, who translated this and Dazai's first novel, The Setting Sun, has said of the author's work: "His world … suggests Chekhov or possibly postwar France, … but there is a Japanese sensibility in the choice and presentation of the material. A Dazai novel is at once immediately intelligible in Western terms and quite unlike any Western book." His writing is in some ways reminiscent of Rimbaud, while he himself has often been called a forerunner of Yukio Mishima.

Erica England 

Though the truth inevitably comes out, my fear of stating the plain facts gives me an unfortunate tendency to embellish. Many people would therefore scorn me as a liar, but my embellishments are almost never self-serving. It's just that I have a suffocating dread of sudden changes, the sort that spoil the atmosphere. I am so desperate to please that more often than not I add a word of embellishment, however warped, feeble or stupid it may be, and even knowing that doing so will work against me in the long run. And this is a habit of mine that society's "honest souls" have taken full advantage of.

there would be absolutely no danger of our falling into uncomfortable silences when our pleasures had fatigued us.

the human beings around me had rigorously sealed me off from the world of trust or distrust.

I find it difficult to understand the kind of human being who lives, or who is sure he can live, purely, happily, serenely while engaged in deceit.

“I am convinced that human life is filled with many pure, happy, serene examples of insincerity, truly splendid of their kind—of people deceiving one another without (strangely enough) any wounds being inflicted, of people who seem unaware even that they are deceiving one another. But I have no special interest in instances of mutual deception.”

“It is only too obvious that favoritism inevitably exists: it would have been useless to complain to human beings.”

“As long as I can make them laugh, it doesn’t matter how, I’ll be all right. If I succeed in that, the human beings probably won’t mind it too much if I remain outside their lives. The one thing I must avoid is becoming offensive in their eyes: I shall be nothing, the wind, the sky.”

I wonder if I have actually been happy. People have told me, really more times than I can remember, ever since I was a small boy, how lucky I was, but I have always felt as if I were suffering in hell. It has seemed to me in fact that those who called me lucky were incomparably more fortunate than I.

“Human beings work to earn their bread, for if they don’t eat, they die.”

“Why must human beings eat three meals every single day? What extraordinarily solemn faces they all make as they eat! It seems to be some kind of ritual.”

I can’t even guess myself what it must be to live the life of a human being

Is immaculate trustfulness after all a source of sin?

Before long a student at the art class was to initiate me into the mysteries of drink, cigarettes, prostitutes, pawnshops and left-wing thought. 

The masters through their subjective perceptions created beauty out of trivialities.They did not hide their interest even in things which were nauseatingly ugly, but soaked themselves in the pleasure of depicting them.

Long personal experience had taught me that when a woman suddenly bursts into hysterics, the way to restore her spirits is to give her something sweet.

“To fall for,” “to be fallen for” - I feel these words something unspeakably vulgar, farcical and at the same time extraordinarily complacent. 

I gradually perfected myself in the role of the farcical eccentric.

This is how I happened to invent my cloning.

i finished no longer human a lot faster than i expected, even though i kept pausing while reading it because of how emotionally heavy it was. the book follows oba yozo, a man who struggles deeply with alienation, depression, and his inability to truly connect with others, all while maintaining a mask of humor and normalcy. the rawness of his descent—from childhood confusion to substance abuse, failed relationships, and repeated suicide attempts—was overwhelming at times. some passages hit me hard, especially knowing that much of it reflected osamu dazai’s real-life experiences. it made me reflect on how painfully difficult it is to understand human nature, especially when someone is trying so hard to be understood but feels utterly invisible. it’s not just fiction—it felt like a desperate confession. reading it reminded me that behind every smile could be a person silently unraveling.

once yozo started to think that he's not like others, it was ultimately over. 

he was so focused on himself, him being different, somehow better than others because he was so self aware that he failed to realise that if he tried to understand, if he had a drop of compassion, he would find out he's not alone. 

his self centredness made him feel unique and he loved that feeling. he did not wish to be saved because (apart from thinking he can't be saved because he isn't like others to begin with) saving him would ultimately make him less interesting (at least in his own eyes). when people saw through him he became petrified and shut himself off even more. 

him becoming an alcoholic and an addict validated his idea of himself as a maimed romantic hero. he kept repeating his self loathing prayers until they became reality. 

and when people saw him as a genuinely good person he just thought they didn't know him. maybe he did not know himself. he was an unreliable narrator of his own life.

this review is not supposed to hate on the book. I really enjoyed it, saw glimpses of myself (mostly in yozo's childhood) and of others in the characters and I think dazai made a really good job portraying depressed character that never really wanted to feel like others because feeling miserable is the only thing he knows.

Anna 

self awareness is a curse in disguise

.

once yozo started to think that he's not like others, it was ultimately over. 

he was so focused on himself, him being different, somehow better than others because he was so self aware that he failed to realise that if he tried to understand, if he had a drop of compassion, he would find out he's not alone. 

his self centredness made him feel unique and he loved that feeling. he did not wish to be saved because (apart from thinking he can't be saved because he isn't like others to begin with) saving him would ultimately make him less interesting (at least in his own eyes). when people saw through him he became petrified and shut himself off even more. 

him becoming an alcoholic and an addict validated his idea of himself as a maimed romantic hero. he kept repeating his self loathing prayers until they became reality. 

and when people saw him as a genuinely good person he just thought they didn't know him. maybe he did not know himself. he was an unreliable narrator of his own life.

.

this review is not supposed to hate on the book. I really enjoyed it, saw glimpses of myself (mostly in yozo's childhood) and of others in the characters and I think dazai made a really good job portraying depressed character that never really wanted to feel like others because feeling miserable is the only thing he knows.

Traumatizing. I don't even know how to word it.

honestly idk about this one? would I recommend it? probably not? do i think it’s overrated and was a little disappointed (because of how hyped up it was)? yes. but there were moments when i was quite into it and had me a little shook. did get me thinking and contemplating some things which was fun. overall i think the hype around it is what let me down the most otherwise mehhh ~

(MY SWEET SWEET YOSHIKO… JUST WANTED TO SAVE HER!! POOR GIRL ☹️)

honestly idk about this one? would I recommend it? probably not? do i think it’s overrated and was a little disappointed (because of how hyped up it was)? yes. but there were moments when i was quite into it and had me a little shook. did get me thinking and contemplating some things which was fun. overall i think the hype around it is what let me down the most otherwise mehhh ~

(MY SWEET SWEET YOSHIKO… JUST WANTED TO SAVE HER!! POOR GIRL ☹️)

Reading Yozo regress into the abyss of depression and isolation is... surreal. It's not emotional even though I relate with him, it feels more like a dark comedy. It's like looking into a mirror, but instead of crying, you just laugh at your own pathetic reflection.

catto fishu

"Unhappy people are sensitive to the unhappiness of others."  

Despite the misogyny, as has been mentioned x amount of times now. .

(relating to its publication back in the 1940's)

• Dazai has tapped into something fundamentally human here. In an age of social media where we're constantly curating our public personas, the idea of wearing a mask to fit in feels more relevant than ever. 

• This novel speaks to anyone who's ever felt like an outsider or struggled to understand the unwritten rules of society. It stands out for its unflinching look at individual alienation in a society emphasizing conformity.

• I think the key message is that our struggles with identity/belonging, + authenticity, are universal human experiences; 

Dazai reminds us that even in our darkest, most isolated moments, we're not alone in feeling this way. It's worth a read if you haven't, as ultimately, it's a profound affirmation of our shared humanity.

I didn't realize until after, that the character Dazai from the anime 

 was loosely based off the author, as other characters, likewise, were referenced literary works.

(One of his earlier novels even has a scene straight out of the anime).

Just some food for thought, done rambling. . ! 😬

"Unhappy people are sensitive to the unhappiness of others."  ---

Despite the misogyny, as has been mentioned x amount of times now. .

(relating to its publication back in the 1940's)

• Dazai has tapped into something fundamentally human here. In an age of social media where we're constantly curating our public personas, the idea of wearing a mask to fit in feels more relevant than ever. 

• This novel speaks to anyone who's ever felt like an outsider or struggled to understand the unwritten rules of society. It stands out for its unflinching look at individual alienation in a society emphasizing conformity.

• I think the key message is that our struggles with identity/belonging, + authenticity, are universal human experiences; 

Dazai reminds us that even in our darkest, most isolated moments, we're not alone in feeling this way. It's worth a read if you haven't, as ultimately, it's a profound affirmation of our shared humanity.

(Side note):

I didn't realize until after, that the character Dazai from the anime Bungo Stray Dogs was loosely based off the author, as other characters, likewise, were referenced literary works.

(One of his earlier novels even has a scene straight out of the anime).

Just some food for thought, done rambling. . ! 😬

sasha 

no es normal que tantas pocas páginas duelan tanto

rebi🦇

太宰治

“Mine has been a life of much shame.
I can't even guess myself what it must be to live the life of a human being.”

Portraying himself as a failure, the protagonist of Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human narrates a seemingly normal life even while he feels himself incapable of understanding human beings. Oba Yozo's attempts to reconcile himself to the world around him begin in early childhood, continue through high school, where he becomes a "clown" to mask his alienation, and eventually lead to a failed suicide attempt as an adult. Without sentimentality, he records the casual cruelties of life and its fleeting moments of human connection and tenderness.
Semi-autobiographical, No Longer Human is the final completed work of one of Japan's most important writers, Osamu Dazai (1909-1948). The novel has come to "echo the sentiments of youth" (Hiroshi Ando, The Mainichi Daily News) from post-war Japan to the postmodern society of technology. Still one of the ten bestselling books in Japan, No Longer Human is a powerful exploration of an individual's alienation from society.

Celine

no longer human is a haunting exploration of alienation, despair, and the human condition. the book’s tone is intensely introspective and melancholic, offering a raw and unflinching look at the fragility of identity and the search for meaning in a world that feels hostile and indifferent. dazai’s prose is stark and poetic, capturing the psychological turmoil of a man who feels utterly "disqualified as a human being."

I was kind of bored through the first half but it turns out Its one of the Best books i've ever read. Of course the mysoginy really annoyed me except from that He was really relatable and I feel Seen for the first time

Gwenifer

Maureen

“Just when I was beginning to forget, that bird of ill-omen came flapping my way, to rip open with its beak the wounds of memory”

***

The title had always fascinated me, and I was curious to find the reason behind it. Overall, the interior monologue is done really well, because everything flows smoothly. We witness the gradual decline of Yozo's physical and mental state—he's in a dark place, and I don't think I have the right to comment against his struggles. I will say though, that in the end, Dazai makes it absolutely clear why Yozo believes he is disqualified as a human being.

Now I understand why this book is so popular.

quizá no era para mí o no le entendí a la narración, pero tarde muchísimo en terminarlo y disfrute nada

andrea valentina 

Klaudette

do NOT read this if you’re in recovery vro

Cate

Andrea Morales

adriftzoey

Vince Hilahan

Cori

This book literally made me wanna k*ll myself

Charlize

yozo’s psyche is fascinating to say the least. was he a victim of circumstance? i believe so. but does that absolve him from the awful things he had done? not at all. the theme of alienation is well-captured that it leaves you contemplating.

sani

“Mine has been a life of much shame. I can't even guess myself what it must be to live the life of a human being”

i hate to say this but this book absolutely did not do it for me! i love Osamu Dazai’s writings but this one was just too tedious? i swear i could have dozed off reading it. and this is coming from someone who utterly utterly loves his other work. 

i agree that No Longer Human is completely my kind of book. but it didn't just reach my expectations. the misogyny was too much for me to handle as well. i unequivocally loathed the way the narrator talked about women. 

the prologue and the first and the second notebook built up a really hooked story idea but it went really downhill by the third notebook. i like depressed men but i despise depressed misogynistic men to the hilt. 

considering how this was his last work before suicide, i should be a little nicer and that's why i am giving it two stars.

yuck…but also relatable…but also yuck.

iris 

aileeeeeeen

how to say it...
in so many words, I can relate to No Longer Human. but I felt so upset reading this, it made me uncomfortable in a way I never imagined.

☆☆☆,5.

Omar 

** spoiler alert **
           Protagonist was loathsome but definitely not in the way I expected. I walked in expecting him to be some sort of freak but turns out he’s decently adjusted and attractive and so on, and it really threw me off

On some level his fundamental flaw (and the crux of this books thought pattern) is that the inability to connect with and understand people can skew a person into being excluded from humanity.

There’s a lot to dissect in terms of the books central thesis. I’m quite rusty, so I don’t think the texts central theme jumps out as quickly to me as it used to. Nevertheless, it deserves much more thought.

No Longer Human ... Translated ... by Donald Keene

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