No Longer Human By Osamu Dazai

Osamu Dazai’s timeless and devastating masterpiece, a profound exploration of a young man’s struggle with identity, society, and the very condition of being human. Told in the form of notebooks, No Longer Human follows the life of Ōba Yōzō, a man who feels fundamentally disconnected from the world around him. From childhood, he hides his true self behind a mask of clowning and false cheer, a facade that deepens into a lifelong pattern of self-destruction, addiction, and failed relationships. Dazai’s semi-autobiographical novel is a haunting, unflinching look at mental anguish, social alienation, and the search for meaning in a seemingly absurd world. Recognized as one of Japan’s most important post-war novels, its raw honesty and poetic despair continue to resonate with readers globally.