#no longer human by osamu dazai

[thebookdragonshoard]

“The incomprehensibility of society is the incomprehensibility of the individual.” - No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

[dancingcapybaras]

just started to read no longer human by osamu dazai. so far, it’s pretty interesting! i’m maybe halfway? through the second notebook

when i was reading the back, the summary mentioned how it was one of dazai’s last complete works and that just suddenly reminded me of a vid i saw of someone basically describing the book as his suicide letter, and i can see why

i don’t know too much about his life. it’s just a bit sad to think that this book was him laying himself bare under the guise of yozo, as if to finally tell people,”this is how it really feels”

that sense of feeling alienated from everybody is personal, and it feels strange to read it out on paper after going on for so long not knowing how to articulate it

the perspective of yozo does have his faults, i know that he’s an unreliable narrator, he does some fucked up things, and his opinions definitely were a product of its time. i just think it shows just how human he really was; he’s flawed.

like when he describes how he didn’t feel like he was loved while growing up, just taken care of. for me that really just illustrates how detached he was, his isolation clouded his judgement. because while yes the people in his life may have just taken care of him and nothing else, there’s also the probability that they really did love him

the writing style is beautiful. i’m not really sure where this will go. i know this is kind of a lot for only the first two sections i just think too much lol

[st4r-sw1tchblade]

Just finished No Longer Human! I am ill.

[jinchuls-moved]

i’m in desperate need for a redbull but no amount of caffeine was worth the queue i just saw

[shininas-ideals]

So if I understand Fyodor's ability correctly (I didn't)

[homoesia]

soukoku dance (insp by episode 507)

[strangemonochromes]

No Longer Human (人間失格) // Osamu Dazai & Junji Ito

[antikr1sta]

Traditional art is my burden

(I spent too long on this)

[moth-into-flames]

snoopy and charlie read asian lit

[imsaunteringvaguelydownwards]

Seriously, thank you to whoever came up with the idea for homoerotic fanfic of dead authors of classic novels and poetry that probably didnt know each other and then wrote a whole series abt it. Bungo stray dogs is iconic.

[zukkaoru]

can't stop thinking about ranpo being the one person dazai is close to who he can touch without worrying about nlh., with everyone else, every touch is paired with the sensation of his ability cancelling out theirs but with ranpo it's just. normal touch. and it's so strange and almost eerie at first because casual touch is always so much. dazai's touch is meant to be used as a weapon, and he's forcibly reminded of that every time he pats atsushi's head or pokes kunikida's cheek or brushes up against kenji. gentle, casual, touch is not what dazai is meant for.

but then he touches ranpo and there's nothing. there's just the surface-level feeling of his hair pinched between dazai's fingers. he touches ranpo, and it's only skin-deep. ranpo touches him, and never once flinches at the sensation of no longer human. and dazai starts to think maybe his touch doesn't have to be a weapon all the time, maybe just this once, it can be skin-deep and gentle. maybe with ranpo, he can learn how touch is supposed to feel.

[thebookdragonshoard]

August Reading Recap

I read 8 books this month, here they are in order and with ratings + short thoughts. ✨

No Longer Human - Osamu Dazai

5/5 ⭐️ - A long, beautifully written suicide note and introspection to the human condition. I originally picked this book up because of Bungou Stray Dogs and now I’m so glad I did. This book sucker punched me, stole my glasses, and called me a little bitch. Yozo Oba’s struggles with his own humanity, or his believed lack thereof, rang a little too true in my heart. I loved the cynicism Dazai was able to write with while also keeping this poignant. After researching Dazai’s past a bit after finishing this book. I cried. Will definitely be rereading this book again, it’s one of my all-time favorites.

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

4.5/5⭐️ - This was my first time reading The Hunger Games, despite being 20yo and this book being a staple in the lives of many in my generation. I only wish I read it sooner. Panem being based on the American Government, the muttations at the very end of the games (seriously wtf), Peeta’s leg. My jaw was on the floor.

The Nature of Witches - Rachel Griffin

4/5⭐️ - I read this in one sitting. I was falling into a reading slump and this book dragged me right out of it. I enjoyed how the main character’s personality and outlook would change with each season as her powers shifted. A very good fall read, in my opinion. I also enjoyed how this book was a commentary on climate change and the effect humans are having on the world.

The Setting Sun - Osamu Dazai

5/5⭐️ - Another five star read for the month. courtesy of Osamu Dazai. once again. He is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. The snake analogy in this book. I am STILL thinking about it a week and a half later. I again love the cynical despair Dazai is capable of portraying while also making this a book that can speak to people of multiple backgrounds, regardless of class. age, gender, or even era. It’s a book that had an impact nearly 80 years ago, and it’s a book that still has an impact now.

The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

4/5⭐️ - The fig tree analogy kidnapped me, threw me in the trunk of its car, ran over said car with a monster truck, and then tossed the wreckage into the Mariana Trench. Great read that gives insight into the uncertainty of life, especially as a young woman, and the distorted views of the world that can lead to. One girl’s struggle with her place in the world and what she’ll do with her life accompanied by her experience in an asylum and receiving electroshock therapy. However, the ending did leave me a bit unsatisfied with how abrupt and open-ended it was. I have more thoughts on the fig tree analogy posted on my feed, if you’re interested.

Rashomon and Other Stories - Ryunoske Akutagwa

3.5/5⭐️ - Not going to lie. this was a bit of a let down. I’m not usually a short stories kind of girl, but I picked this up because of Bungou Stray Dogs. For the most part, this collection of short stories didn’t have much that stood out to me, but the stories inside are still enjoyable. I found them enjoyable, relatively easy-to-digest short stories and while I admittedly didn’t understand the underlying concept for some of them, I enjoyed them nonetheless. I particularly liked In A Grove and The Martyr (poor Lorenzo.)

Good Girl, Bad Blood - Holly Jackson

3.5/5⭐️ - If you’ve seen my previous posts, it should come as no shocker that I’m not a huge fan of this series. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that it’s bad! I found it to be an enjoyable read, but I only really started getting into when the plot twist rolled around in the last 50 pages or so. I think all the hype for this series, and this book, gave me such high expectations that the reality didn’t quite compare. However, I did read the American version. We love Stanley Forbes though and that was certainly a tear-jerker.

Seraphina - Rachel Hartman

5/5⭐️ -Once again, another five star read! I love dragons, hence the blog name. And this book was such a unique take on dragons in fantasy that I found it quite refreshing! This book quickly sucked me in and had me falling for the characters in less than 400 pages. Court politics, forbidden love, music, and draconian governments. Plus, a look into the complexities, intricacies, and maladies of emotions. And just how human are they?

✨bonus review✨

I couldn’t finish this post without also including a review for the sequel to Seraphina, which I started the first day of September and finished tonight.

Shadow Scale - Rachel Hartman

5/5⭐️ - Are we surprised by this rating? Well, we shouldn’t be. Once again: dragon lover. With the sequel go Seraphina, we get to dive further into the world of draconian politics and explore the world this wonderful duology is set in. Another thing this book does well is the representation and diversity amongst the characters. SPOILER: There’s even a dash of polyamory sprinkled in with the main character, and as a fellow polyam, this made my heart SOAR. This duology has thoroughly enamoured me and I will never regret spending the $4 at the thrift store to purchase them both. By far my favorite thrifted books to date.

[saaraofthesand]

I am deeply suspicious of Dazai’s character because like, he isn’t the protagonist. At all. Atsushi is the protagonist of the main manga and Dead Apple, Akutagawa is the protagonist of BEAST, Kunikida of Dazai’s entrance exam, Oda of the Dark Era, Chuuya of Fifteen and Storm Bringer. And yet, Dazai still sits at the center of all those stories. By all logic, he should not be as important to the story as he is. But here he is, absolutely fundamental to every part of BSD. He moves the plot forward. He is the puppet master, the hidden hand, the author of the narrative. I need to examine this in detail but like, isn’t that a bit weird?

[xlcovo]

“here was the true self i had so desperately hidden.” - no longer human, dazai osamu

[spiraphobia]

No Longer Human | Osamu Dazai & Junji Ito

[apocketfullofpoesis]

Osamu Dazai, No Longer Human