Book Review: No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

No Longer Human - a book with which I was not comfortable - a book which constantly frustrated me. Was that why I read it in a day - to be done with it - to be able to put it back on the shelf? But still, four solid stars - recommended to those who suffer - i.e. humans

A story of a man with a lifelong depression - a depression which leaves him incapable of maintaining any kind of positive human relationship. I could almost relate to that except that this character, Yozo, never seems to learn hide his feelings. Indeed, he seems to be almost sociopathic. He basically mistrusts others to the point of never being able to empathize with them. In his mind, everyone has an anterior motive for whatever they are saying or doing.

His response to women is either to use them, for sex, for money, for whatever he needs, except trust, never trust. But women are constantly attractive to him. They are always ready to take him into their lives, to care for him. He never understands why.

What Yozo never never managed to realize is that he is just a nice guy. Of course, for many of us, even that realization is not enough. We still live with that constant anxiety that we are being judged.