No longer human

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Osamu Dazai: No longer human (1959, P. Owen)

154 pages

English language

Published Oct. 29, 1959 by P. Owen.

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Alienation from "humans"

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The character in this book sees himself as disconnected from "human beings," alienated an unable to connect. Today, we might call him someone "on the spectrum." But perhaps not, given that this was published in 1948, soon after the bomb. The rumination on "human beings" felts similar to Holden Caufield at certain points (though, much less whiny!)

This book got me thinking a lot about how recent interest in the nonhuman might be related to alienation and capitalism. This is just a half-formed thought and probably not very interesting (and maybe obvious to others), but I'm noting it here just to record it.