No Longer Human
Ratings429
Average rating3.9
I read [b:No Longer Human Complete Edition 60094024 No Longer Human Complete Edition (manga) Usamaru Furuya https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1663132810l/60094024.SX50.jpg 94754403] and wanted to read the Junji Ito one right after to see how he portrayed this story. This story was good and it was interesting to see the additions and differences of the two tellings of this story.
I had never given a book less than three starts but this is a book so sickening it made me want to leave a warning for those considering reading it. There's not a single spark of joy in it, the protagonist is a miserable, unappreciative, and blind to anything beautiful in life man. I find people of this self-pitying kind weak and seriously annoying. There's so much more to life than a constant grieving about the made up in the head problems. I don't recommend it to anyone and especially those struggling through the dark periods of their life. The strength is within you, it's all about the perspective you choose to take on things. Don't be like the author sinking in the apathetic gloom.
“I felt as though the vessel of my suffering had become empty, as if nothing could interest me now. I had lost even the ability to suffer.”
Reading through the pointless and seemingly endless ramblings of yet another depressed man who hated women made the 177 pages of this book feel like an inescapable eternity of politely dodging a man who is trying to talk to you at a house party. The fact that this book is a highly acclaimed semi-autobiography depicting the bleak individualistic orientation of Japan in the ‘40s does not make up for the fact that it was boring, unnecessarily convoluted, and generally irritating.
the timeless paradoxical struggle of alienation, performative functioning, and what it means to be “human” by society's ever shifting standards
Dissapointed. The book didn't meet my expectations and failed to draw me in. Despite the passing of time and events I couldn't find a reason to care about the story. It didn't touch me emotionally, which is strange considering the topics it covers. It was a quick read, but the book left no lasting impression on me. Although there are some well written parts, overall, I found the book forgettable. I felt a connection with the main character at first, but it faded in the third part, especially the second half. The protagonist doesn't improve; instead, he worsens without any clear goals or motivations. It's sad to see him destroy himself when he had opportunities to turn his life around. Also, the book shows the authors misogyny, which was disappointing. Would not reccommend.
Honestly, I don't know how to start this review: should I commend its absolutely harrowing nature, page after page, somehow even more unrelenting than Living Dead Girl or Child of God , both of which also present their own extremelly unsettling character studies, respectively; should I criticize its othewise surprisingly lackluster narrative (despite its impeccable portrayal of existentilism in the most grimmest and unabashed light it can)?
No matter where I start and where my focus would lie, I think I'd always arrive at the same conclusion: this book is capital ‘D' depressing―and yet the devoidness I was subjected to still wasn't too overwhelming for me nor any more influential on my own personal existential crises as they stand. Speaking of which, moreso than the story itself and the themes tackled therein, I found the most impactful detail (or rather details) is the frightening parallel I see between myself and Yozo, the main character, regarding the nihilistic outlook on life that he has, although the specifics is where I diverge from Yozo's views. Nonetheless, the deathly bleak landscape of this novel was still interesting thanks to both the personal connection I developed with the book as well as the already morbidly interesting themes depicts through Yozo, who, if not morbid enough, is a stand-in for Osamu Dazai himself. On top of all of this, I think this book is even more unrelentingly depressing in its themes than the previous disturbing books I've read this year (see my reviews). Still, absolutely amazing example of existential-horror literature. Highly recommned, but I'm preaching to the choir.
harrowing. depressing. etc. i like that it marginally expanded my vocabulary. anyway. lots of things about this book that can be important to take away. the narrator doesn't necessarily go through a spiritual awakening nor any epiphanies but nonetheless offers a beautifully told story of a perpetually dejected man and his experiences with an unforgiving life. i enjoyed the philosophical contemplations about “society” and “crime” and “sin”. beautifully ugly perspective of life. i like how the narrator actually doesn't die at the end of the book. frame device is whatever, the world building part of the book doesn't strike me as the most significant part. glad to get back into reading with this book. flowers for algernon next
oh yeah, and the misogyny was problematic but i ignored that. oops. and i love drug and alcohol addiction i wish it was real
[3.5/5]
Certainly overrated based on its seemingly impenetrable word of mouth, but not without its moments of self-reflective thought and existential relatability. I much more enjoyed the first half than the closing sections, but hey, that mirrors life.
THIS BOOK, AAAAHHHH. So good?
I don't even have the words to describe how good. The alienation, the nakedness of rough and raw thoughts, the ‘happiness' illusion. Incredible lol
It's hard to trust the words of the main character who narrates them, he lacks empathy and self-reflection. He lies throughout his life, so why would you trust whatever he wrote, and how he framed the events? It's supposed to be a semi-autobiography-suicide-note novel which is distressing when you can't trust the credibility of the one who wrote it.
He displays impulsive behaviors, constantly lies to blend in because he doesn't understand “humans”, and has severe trust issues. As a child he idealizes life, he gets discouraged really quickly and then devalues everything as long as he lives. He doesn't express emotion much in his life, there's a time he discusses control and how nobody submits to other people which I think is very telling of his priorities, he can't understand women yet holds them as miserable as himself, lol, there's a ton of mistreatment of women in this work. There's not a ton about other people than himself in this novel as he can't understand them or form healthy relations.
I think this goes beyond depression, it goes into psychopathy behaviors.
a very relatable book for all those who have felt misunderstood and lost in life, but in this case the author takes those experiences to the extremes. the main character is severely impaired by trauma, resulting in very poor social skills that he tries to hide with faked humour and drunk cheerfulness. in reality, he has been disqualified as a human being. what is he then?
i have loved this book for two reasons: some sentences were so well written to make me cry and the description of the sexual assault//cheating scene made me feel such an empathy and sadness never felt before. it is the ultimate betrayal. it made me realise i am a human being, even though sometimes i feel detached from my sense of self. it made me appreciate life in all its forms and it made me feel not alone in this world.
Man, I'm too dumb for this.
Edit: After reading what happened to Dazai and how some of the scenes in the book also happened to the author, I don't know if I can be whole again.
so uh i still don't get it. what was the plot again? only giving it 3 cos it had some nice intricate quotes and cos my friend recommended it so i gotta put some respect on his fav book (+ also i just found out at the end of the book that his name is yozo wtf)
I really loved this book. I somehow found it comforting, and the narration style was easy to read and enjoyable to listen to. It reminded me of Dorian Gray in a way, and I felt myself drawn to the character and sympathizing with him even in his darkest moments.
It was the first book I read from Dazai, and I absolutely loved it! Such an intriguing story.
দাজাইয়ের এই বইয়ে ওঁর দস্তভয়স্কি বা তলস্তয়ের মত ফিলোসফিক্যাল কন্টেম্প্লেশনের একটা ঝোঁক দেখলাম।
আমার ভালো লেগেছে, প্রচণ্ড ভালো লেগেছে বইটা।
Proves that Junji Ito's works aren't solely good because of his art but also because of his writing. Was expecting outlandish horror rather than everyday atrocities. Literally couldn't finish it cause I was gonna go insane if I had to see one more sex scene.
No Longer Human is not so much a miserable story as it is frustrating. So much of what the protagonist does, thinks and feels are marked by a deep self-pity and what I can only describe as an inertia.
I didn't quite pick up on the themes of post-war depression and formless anxiety that reviews ascribe to this book, at least not at first. The scenery around Yōzō reflects a placid Japan; the tension of war is faint undercurrent to Yōzō's insipid love trials. The later chapters fail to energise this background, and instead simply prop up the screen as we watch Yōzō tumble like a ragdoll down a barren slope.
After finishing the book and ruminating on it somewhat, the sense behind the imagery has become clearer to me under this interpretation: that Yōzō's disqualification from the security of belonging is a metaphor for Japan's completed descent into total social anomie; though my reading of this is vague.
Before reading this book I had already read up a little on Dazai's life and was prepared to read it whilst looking for the autobiographical fragments. It is here, I think, that my reading of Ningen Shikkaku has been unwittingly biased and my distate for Yōzō prompted. Luckily there is a manga by Junji Itō I can read.