Name: No Longer Human ... Translated ... by Donald Keene
Rating: 3.914166666666667 (600 reviews)

Donald Keene

Osamu Dazai

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

人間失格

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.

No Longer Human

Pretty disturbing book. This book circulates around the life of Yuzo, who is suffering from crippling depression. We see how the world just changes from the eyes of a person who is very suicidal and has lost all purpose in life. The book is rather haunting coz of the content that is written in this books and it provides an interesting perspective among such people who do exist in this world and are struggling in their lives. If you're into japanese literature or want stories circulating complex characters, this book is for you.

Aarush Arora

What a book, the author brings out the core thoughts of a disastrous character vigorously. I found myself relating to the character in many ways. No one truly understood him and neither did he try to let others know. 

Debopriyo Ghosh

I saw someone say in their review that self awareness is a curse,and I can’t agree more.

Shaimae Elgoutaibi 

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.

it was a traumatic experience. i should've probably taken it to heart when i was told, beforehand, that it was devastating and nothing short of tragic, and yet — here i am !! in the end, though, the last line crushed me for weeks.

yachii

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.

"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. . ! 😬

Erica England 

"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 

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

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

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

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