No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai—A Japanese, Post-War Classic Novel on Psychological Anguish, Fiction, Softcover

Tags: Japanese Literature, Classics

Size: A5

Cover: Softcover (Paperback)

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai - Book Description:

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.

ADDITIONAL INFO:

"No Longer Human" by Osamu Dazai is a remarkable and timeless Japanese classic. This introspective novel takes readers on a haunting journey into the depths of the human condition. Through the voice of its troubled protagonist, Yozo, Dazai explores themes of alienation, self-destruction, and the struggle for identity. Set against the backdrop of post-war Japan, the story delves into the dark corners of Yozo's mind, revealing the deep-rooted psychological anguish he experiences. Dazai's masterful storytelling crafts a poignant narrative that reflects the universal struggle for meaning and belonging. With its raw vulnerability and profound introspection, "No Longer Human" continues to captivate readers, transcending cultural boundaries and resonating with audiences around the world.

QUOTE:

“Now I have neither happiness nor unhappiness.

Everything passes.

That is the one and only thing that I have thought resembled a truth in the society of human beings where I have dwelled up to now as in a burning hell.

Everything passes.”