Books No Longer Human  by Osamu Dazai (Author)

"No Longer Human" by Osamu Dazai is a profound and poignant novel presenting the life story of Ōba Yōzō, a man who feels deeply alienated and unable to reveal his true self to others. The narrative is framed as a series of notebooks written by Yōzō, documenting his life from childhood to adulthood, along with a framing preface and epilogue by an unnamed narrator who received the notebooks posthumously.

Summary:

From an early age, Yōzō struggles with understanding human behavior and society, feeling like an outsider. To cope, he adopts a facade of buffoonery and clownish behavior to mask his true feelings and avoid rejection.

Throughout his life, he experiences profound alienation, depression, substance abuse, and a string of failed relationships.

Yōzō suffers sexual abuse as a child, which contributes to his sense of corruption and disconnection.

Despite attempts to find genuine connections, including a deep friendship and a suicidal pact with a woman named Tsuneko, he descends into addiction and repeated suicide attempts.

The novel explores themes of identity, isolation, the existential struggle to belong, and the performance people put on to survive socially.

The tone is dark, introspective, and tragic, reflecting postwar Japan's complicated social and psychological landscape.

The book is regarded as a masterpiece of Japanese literature and existential fiction, offering a raw and honest look at the human condition and mental health struggles.