List: Finished 2025

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆


No Longer Human

Osamu Dazai

The first book I finished in the year of 2025! Honestly not the best book to start a year but whatever, so far it hasn't set any running themes... WHICH I'm GRATEFUL! This book explores dark themes of mental health, alienation, sexual harrasment, grooming, addiction, and recovery(kinda) and was not something I thought I would ever pick up. I enjoyed the unique writing style and prose that was a side effect of it being a translation. My friend asked me about the book and what it was like, I told her that it honestly wasn't as dark as I expected it to be, like, it does talk about those dark events, but

  1. the whole book is from a journal pov, so none of the events are portrayed as happening in real time which kind of helps with separation of those dark themes making them easier to read, and
  2. it's no worse than any true crime story or tv show you've ever watched, as an avid Criminal Minds watcher, i was fine. However if that's not your thing, neither is this book.
When asked if this book was worth the read I said, "I Guess?", it's a good book, but not a must read as far as i'm concerned.