Book Reviews - #002 - 'No Longer Human' by Osamu Dazai (1948)
This was the last book I read in 2009, but it is only my second reviewed book... expect lots more in 2010!
Title: No Longer Human
( 人間失格 / Ningen Shikkaku)
Author: Osamu Dazai
Translation: Donald Keene
Country of origin: Japan
Published: 1948 (Japanese)
1981 (English) by Tuttle
ISBN: 978-4-8053-1017-5
Blurb: (extract)
No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku) is the story of a young man caught between the disintegration of the traditions of his aristocratic provincial family and the impact of modern Western ideas. Largely autobiographical, No Longer Human explores Dazai's feeling of being “disqualified from being human” (the literal translation of the original title) - a sense of loss and anomie that remains strong in Japan even today among those who struggle to reconcile their attachments to tradition with the necessities of living in a global economy.
Review:
I bought this book after watching the first 4 episodes of the anime Aoi Bungaku (Blue Literature), which were based on this novel. I adored the anime, but my Japanese reading ability is not good enough to read anything more than a children's book (and not even Harry Potter quite yet...) so I opted for the English translation.
The first thing that surprised me was the length. I got through it in the space of a few hours while waiting for my boyfriend to arrive at the airport on Christmas Eve. It also surprised me how little detail it went into. The anime had obviously elaborated on a lot of things in order to make it 4 episodes long. Though I am not sure if any detail was lost in the translation.
The premise is that the first narrator is a man who picked up a set of manuscripts. He explains the content of these manuscripts which is the main body of the story, and unlike some other novels with such a technique, he does not reappear until the end of the novel.
The novel is split into 3 notebooks, each written by a man named Ooba Youzou. He is a rather depressing character, reflecting the mental struggles people can often feel when attempting to interact within society. He is the product of a large family with seemingly little real focus on him. He also, unfortunately, suffered sexual abuse by the servants as a child, and felt the need to mask his pain with a clown-like persona.
The novel is never too loaded by description to detract from the story and Ooba's emotions. Though Ooba is not a likeable character, he is, despite the title, quite human and believable, if a little clinically depressed. I cannot flaw the characters created by Dazai, though at times I wished for more details in description and elaboration on events - but this is merely due to having seen the anime. Women don't really get a good portrayal in this story however. Each woman mentioned seems to take something from Ooba, whether it be his innocence as a child (the servant women), his reputation (after the double suicide failure) or his pride (after what happened to his young wife).
The women themselves seem strong, self-assured and intimidating especially from Ooba's point of view. Even the nicest of women can cause him trouble.
The novel shows suicide attempts, reflecting the author's own experiences with trying to take his own life. Each time Ooba fails, he feels it more of a punishment than deth itself, which shows the depth of his depression and just how horrific it can be. His childhood led him to suicide which led to a spiral of depression and alcohol and struggles with guilt. Everything that goes wrong in his life, Ooba takes upon himself and becomes more guilty and depressed.
It is a fascinating read, which isn't too long and is definitely worth checking out. It is the 2nd most read novel in Japan, after Kokoro by Natsume Souseki, and after reading it I can see why.
8/10
Title: No Longer Human
( 人間失格 / Ningen Shikkaku)
Author: Osamu Dazai
Translation: Donald Keene
Country of origin: Japan
Published: 1948 (Japanese)
1981 (English) by Tuttle
ISBN: 978-4-8053-1017-5
Blurb: (extract)
No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku) is the story of a young man caught between the disintegration of the traditions of his aristocratic provincial family and the impact of modern Western ideas. Largely autobiographical, No Longer Human explores Dazai's feeling of being “disqualified from being human” (the literal translation of the original title) - a sense of loss and anomie that remains strong in Japan even today among those who struggle to reconcile their attachments to tradition with the necessities of living in a global economy.
Review:
I bought this book after watching the first 4 episodes of the anime Aoi Bungaku (Blue Literature), which were based on this novel. I adored the anime, but my Japanese reading ability is not good enough to read anything more than a children's book (and not even Harry Potter quite yet...) so I opted for the English translation.
The first thing that surprised me was the length. I got through it in the space of a few hours while waiting for my boyfriend to arrive at the airport on Christmas Eve. It also surprised me how little detail it went into. The anime had obviously elaborated on a lot of things in order to make it 4 episodes long. Though I am not sure if any detail was lost in the translation.
The premise is that the first narrator is a man who picked up a set of manuscripts. He explains the content of these manuscripts which is the main body of the story, and unlike some other novels with such a technique, he does not reappear until the end of the novel.
The novel is split into 3 notebooks, each written by a man named Ooba Youzou. He is a rather depressing character, reflecting the mental struggles people can often feel when attempting to interact within society. He is the product of a large family with seemingly little real focus on him. He also, unfortunately, suffered sexual abuse by the servants as a child, and felt the need to mask his pain with a clown-like persona.
The novel is never too loaded by description to detract from the story and Ooba's emotions. Though Ooba is not a likeable character, he is, despite the title, quite human and believable, if a little clinically depressed. I cannot flaw the characters created by Dazai, though at times I wished for more details in description and elaboration on events - but this is merely due to having seen the anime. Women don't really get a good portrayal in this story however. Each woman mentioned seems to take something from Ooba, whether it be his innocence as a child (the servant women), his reputation (after the double suicide failure) or his pride (after what happened to his young wife).
The women themselves seem strong, self-assured and intimidating especially from Ooba's point of view. Even the nicest of women can cause him trouble.
The novel shows suicide attempts, reflecting the author's own experiences with trying to take his own life. Each time Ooba fails, he feels it more of a punishment than deth itself, which shows the depth of his depression and just how horrific it can be. His childhood led him to suicide which led to a spiral of depression and alcohol and struggles with guilt. Everything that goes wrong in his life, Ooba takes upon himself and becomes more guilty and depressed.
It is a fascinating read, which isn't too long and is definitely worth checking out. It is the 2nd most read novel in Japan, after Kokoro by Natsume Souseki, and after reading it I can see why.
8/10