No Longer Human — Osamu Dazai

A haunting portrait of alienation. In stark, lucid prose, Osamu Dazai follows Ōba Yōzō, a young man who can’t reconcile his inner life with the masks society expects him to wear. Disguising despair with jokes and drink, he documents his drift toward self-erasure in a series of notebooks that feel painfully intimate and unforgettable.

Why you’ll love it

• Modern classic: one of Japan’s most-read novels; spare, devastating, and impossible to shake.

• Unflinching voice: blunt insight into shame, performance, addiction, and identity.

• For thoughtful readers: resonates with fans of Camus, Kafka, and honest autofiction.

• Book-club rich: raises big questions about authenticity, empathy, and what it means to “be human.”

Details

• Author: Osamu Dazai

• Genre: Literary fiction / Tragic modern classic

• Language: English

• Format: Paperback

• Condition: New

• Edition/translator: varies by printing (see options on this page)

• Audience: Adult

Content note: includes themes of depression, substance use, and self-destruction handled with literary candor.