No Longer Human is a timeless Japanese classic written in 1948. It is partly autobiographical as it draws a significant amount from the author’s personal life and experiences.
The protagonist, Yozo Oba, feels strongly alienated since his childhood. He does not understand humans. He cannot comprehend their selfishness. He does not understand their deceit and feelings, so he fears humans, and he fears himself. He strongly feels he is disqualified as a human.
Though he is from an affluent family, he has been emotionally abandoned since childhood. He creates a facade of a happy person. He masters the facade of a person who jokes all the time, and he tries hard to keep the facade. He is always fearful that people will find out his authentic self.

His authentic self is ridden with anxiety over not fitting in and not conforming to society and societal expectations. In his adulthood, he gets involved with alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. His chronic depression stops him from living a normal life. Whenever he has a sliver of hope for a happy life, it gets shut down quickly.

The protagonist’s several suicide attempts parallel the author’s suicide attempts. This book is considered partly autobiographical, as shortly after the publication of this book the author committed suicide. The protagonist’s life has a lot of similarities with the author’s life. The protagonist’s pain and anguish were a reflection of the author’s own mental illnesses.
This is a dark, depressing story that is meaningful at the same time. This story will make the reader sympathize with the protagonist deeply. 

-Ariana