*No Longer Human* by Osamu Dazai, translated by Wuhan Publishing House

No Longer Human means the disqualification of being human. It consists of five parts: a prologue, the first notebook, the second notebook, the third notebook, and an afterword. The prologue and afterword are narrated by the author, while the three notebooks are narrated by the protagonist, Yozo. Yozo is timid and weak, fearing worldly emotions and not understanding complex human thoughts. He then hides his true self by entertaining others with humor. Later, he discovers that drinking and revelry seem to be a better way to escape the world, so he spends his days debauched, numbing himself with alcohol, drugs, and women, ultimately leading to his destruction. He is tormented by the most genuine pain of being human, and throughout his life, he seeks love and flees from it under self-loathing, ultimately only able to destroy himself.