No Longer Human By Osamu Dazai
Feb 10, 2024 
No Longer Human, written by Osamu Dazai, is a seminal Japanese novel that delves into the complexities of human existence. The novel is presented in the form of notebooks left behind by the protagonist, Ōba Yōzō. These notebooks chronicle Ōba’s life from childhood to his late twenties. In the First Notebook, Ōba grapples with intense feelings of alienation and otherness. He resorts to buffoonery to establish connections with others, all while feeling separate from humanity.
The Second Notebook reveals Ōba’s concern about maintaining his cheerful facade. Inspired by a Van Gogh painting, he turns to art as an outlet for his inner agony. Ōba’s descent into a pattern of drinking, smoking, and harlotry in Tokyo leads to a life of alcoholism and drug abuse. No Longer Human explores themes of mental illness, addiction, and the struggle to reveal one’s true self.
Ōba’s inability to connect authentically with others drives him to maintain a hollow jocularity, masking his inner turmoil.
No Longer Human By Osamu Dazai Book Info:
- Publisher: New Directions
- Published: January 17, 1958
- Pages: 120
- Size: 0.6
