No Longer Human – Osamu Dazai

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. Portraying himself as a failure, the protagonist of Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human narrates a seemingly normal life even while he feels himself incapable of understanding human beings. Oba Yozo's attempts to reconcile himself to the world around him begin in early childhood, continue through high school, where he becomes a "clown" to mask his alienation, and eventually lead to a failed suicide attempt as an adult. Without sentimentality, he records the casual cruelties of life and its fleeting moments of human connection and tenderness. No Longer Human has been adapted as a graphic novel by horror manga artist Junji Ito, made into an anime film, Human Lost,directed by Fuminori Kizaki and is the name of an ability in the manga series Bungo Stray Dogs used by a character named after Dazai."   Review "Dazai offers something permanent and beautiful." --The New York Times Book Review   About the Author Osamu Dazai (1909-1948) was a Japanese author who is considered one of the foremost fiction writers of 20th-century. A number of his most popular works, such as No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku)and The Setting Sun (Shayo), are considered modern-day classics. Donald Keene(1922-2019) is a distinguished translator of Japanese. In 2002, he was presented with one of Japan’s highest honours, the “Person of Cultural Merit” (Bunka Koro-sha), for service in the promotion of Japanese literature and culture. In 2008, Professor Keene received the Order of Culture (Bunka Kunsho), which the Japanese Government presents to those who have greatly contributed to Japanese art, literature, or culture. He became the first foreign national to receive such an award.