No Longer Human

Product description

Review

Dazai's brand of egoistic pessimism dovetails organically with the emo chic of this cultural moment.--Andrew Martin "The New York Times"

From the Back Cover

This story 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.

About the Author

The author of the global bestseller No Longer Human and The Setting Sun, Osamu Dazai (1909-1948) was famous for confronting head-on the social and moral crises of postwar Japan. He committed suicide by drowning in Tokyo’s Tamagawa Aqueduct.

Donald Keene, the author of dozens of books in both English and Japanese as well as the famed translator of Dazai, Kawabata, and Mishima, was the first non-Japanese to receive the Yomiuri Prize for Literature.

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"No Longer Human" is considered Dazai's masterpiece and is the second-best-selling novel in Japanese history. Told through three notebooks, the story follows Oba Yozo, a man who feels profoundly disconnected from humanity and incapable of understanding human interaction. From a young age, Yozo adopts a "clownish" persona to mask his deep alienation and fear of others. As he matures, his life spirals through alcoholism, drug addiction, and failed relationships, reflecting the moral and social crisis of post-war Japan.

The novel’s title literally translates to "Disqualified as a Human Being," representing Yozo's final transformation into a man who feels utterly estranged from the human race. Author Legacy The novel is highly semi-autobiographical, mirroring many of Dazai’s own struggles with depression and identity. Dazai committed suicide shortly after the book was completed in 1948. The story has seen a major resurgence in popularity in recent years due to its presence on social media platforms like TikTok.

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