Name: Anonymous 2008-07-09 17:58
This morning I finished reading 'No Longer Human' by Dazai Osamu. It's had a great, mind shattering impact on me and I'd like to strongly recommend it.
It affected me in ways that I -thought- other books had already affected me. But -this- is what it feels like to be truly affected by a book, film, anything. Whatever feelings I've felt at the hands of any other story, no matter the medium, PALES in comparison to the utter clarity brought to me at the hands of this book.
Certainly I've come upon bits and pieces of myself scattered within various fiction, as have most I suppose. but I have never honestly, fully related myself to another person, fictional or not, as blatantly as Yozo, the protagonist of 'No Longer Human'.
It was quite shocking to me to find my own thoughts and emotions portrayed as such in a 60 year old work of semi-fiction. Of course, my own life experiences so far differ from Yozo's in every way possible but nevertheless I found myself constantly surprised and intrigued by the unmistakeable resemblance in our personalities and character.
Anyone else read it?
It affected me in ways that I -thought- other books had already affected me. But -this- is what it feels like to be truly affected by a book, film, anything. Whatever feelings I've felt at the hands of any other story, no matter the medium, PALES in comparison to the utter clarity brought to me at the hands of this book.
Certainly I've come upon bits and pieces of myself scattered within various fiction, as have most I suppose. but I have never honestly, fully related myself to another person, fictional or not, as blatantly as Yozo, the protagonist of 'No Longer Human'.
It was quite shocking to me to find my own thoughts and emotions portrayed as such in a 60 year old work of semi-fiction. Of course, my own life experiences so far differ from Yozo's in every way possible but nevertheless I found myself constantly surprised and intrigued by the unmistakeable resemblance in our personalities and character.
Anyone else read it?