synopsis 

  this is a classic by the well-known 20th century japanese writer , about a man who since his early years had felt like a failure and a social reject. the man, Yozo, struggles daily to mask his fears and real personality in society. yozo documentated his life in his diaries/notebooks. it's a semi-autobiographical novel exploring the depths of a man's mind who deemed himself as "no longer human".

review

  when i started reading this book, i have expected it to have a surreal intonation(?) and bizarre nature, but the more i read it, i somehow felt a little sympathetic towards the main character. the way he narrated his whole life in such puzzled manner felt as though he was physically nonhuman. as if he was a different species inside a normal man's body. and how would a nonhuman truly understand other human beings?

  throughout his life, yozo had taught himself to put on a "clowning" act, as he called it, where he would often be the entertainer and jester in a social situation/meeting. many would call him a funny guy or a very charming person. however, deep inside, he never really accepted that as his own self. it was all to pretend to be more human-like.

  at some point, there were times i understood his behaviours and way of thinking (not so proud of that at all). especially on the "clowning" part. i tend to make jokes out of everything in every situation just to entertain my friends. i can't help it. or maybe it's just who i am ? i guess i'll never know!

  overall No Longer Human was truly a new experience and i treat it as a study of the human mind and the different behaviours of people. i rate it maybe 9/10 !!