Review: No Longer Human
Never thought I'd live to see the day where I'll review Dazai Osamu's work. This partly happened because I began watching Bungou Stray Dogs, I know, I'm a lowly piece of shit and I should be more ✌"aware" ✌ of classics considering I used to read them all back then but ykw, it's fine.
No Longer Human by Dazai Osamu tells us the story of Oba Yozo, who has been stuck in between the new western ages and his Japanese aristocrat family, where he has to put on the mask of a clown to cope with his feeling of being alienated from everyone else, being unable to feel what the others feel. Going on a journey trying to hold on to this mask while trying to discover himself at the same time, this book might be one of the best works of Dazai Osamu.
QUICK THOUGHTS AND REVIEW: 5/5, IT MIGHT BE ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VE COME ACROSS IN A REALLY GOOD WHILE.
WHAT DID I FEEL ABOUT THE BOOK'S:
1. Writing Quality: As one might know, classics have this awesome habit of having a helluva flowery language which sort of makes it difficult for my ADHD mind to understand what is actually happening in the story. But this isn't like that. Firstly because this book is more character driven than plot driven and secondly, because the writing style is actually one of the best I've come across. Donald Keene did an amazing job of translating the book. Kind of makes me wanna wonder if the translation was so awesome, the original must be even better. Maybe I should start learning Japanese, because I think then I'll actually be able to understand Dazai Osamu's texts fully. The texts are layered and they can provide a pretty good insight into the protagonist's mind.
2. Character Development: There isn't much character development in the story, if I could understand that from the first glance. But then it turns out there is some character development by the end of the third notebook. Yozo claiming to having been disqualified from being human can also be considered to have been a human now. He's seen crying and feeling sad, which I think I will consider a part of Yozo's character development.
3. Couldn't put it down- Ness: A solid ten. Just because of the first line.
Mine has been a life of much shame.
Just this sheer line had brought me into this book. God freaking damn I had to bite down on my hand just to make sure I wasn't shouting because of how good this line is. And yes I made sure that this line looks huge AF because I CANNOT emphasize enough as to how much I love this line. And seriously, there are more lines that will just keep you grounded to this book because it's just that amazing. It's a short book, so one might get through it really easily.
life itself is a source of sin.
I could believe in hell but it was impossible for me to believe in the existence of heaven.
What did he mean by society? The plural of human beings?
4. Intellectual Depth: So I'll take my time talking about this because as I'd mentioned in the last review, the previous book was lighthearted. And this one, good sir, THIS BOOK, is actually filled with double meanings and intellectual depths. And I kind of feel like I need to read this book once again just to get through the themes of it because goddamn. This book is quite heavy on the intellectual side and I do not think a single read is enough for me to be able to discuss the themes.
So basically, the story is of a sociopath who is alienated by the mundane human society. He has to look at other's emotions to copy them because he has none of his own. The character is similar to that of Cadence from "Breaking Butterflies", except that the book was horrible. But I think Oba Yozo experiences as living inside a mask was really spectacular.
5. Plot: There isn't a plot. Seriously, as much as I love the book, there actually isn't. It's basically character driven, but I'm actually surprisingly fine with it. The journey that Yozo goes while growing up is really something worthwhile. Not gonna lie, I partly feel that this is Dazai himself speaking through Yozo. I'll have to read more of Dazai Osamu's works to be able to be sure of that. But as I am saying, Yozo growing up and trying to find himself in the sea of people where he is alienated is something to watch and I think I can understand why it's one of the greatest pieces of all time.
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