Similar Book Recommendation

I haven’t read "No longer human" yet, but I’ve heard it deals with themes like isolation and identity, which totally reminded me of Dostoevsky especially "Crime and Punishment". His characters are also emotionally raw and deeply human. Might be worth checking out if you liked Dazai!!

I’ve heard that "No longer human" deals a lot with the feeling of being alienated from society. Even though Dazai writes about post-war Japan and Dostoevsky about Tsarist Russia i feel like it the emotional core, the human experience is probably similar.

From what I’ve heard, Dazai’s protagonist openly describes his life and inner breakdown in detail. That’s a bit different from Dostoevsky’s style, where we’re often thrown straight into a situation and left to piece together the character’s past from clues. Like in "Crime and Punishment" we watch Raskolnikov struggle with his own philosophy and push away the people (like Razumikhin) who try to reconnect him with society. He’s obsessed with proving he’s some kind of ""exceptional figure"" even if it isolates him completely or like take "White Nights"  where we never even learn the narrator’s name. All we really know is how deeply lonely he is, and we see where that loneliness leads him. That kind of quiet despair feels like it might connect with what Dazai explores. You need to tell me!

Also, the idea of "not being a normal human" really shows up in Dostoevsky’s "The Idiot" Prince Myshkin spends several years in a Swiss sanatorium (I think it was Switzerland? Im not sure now) being treated for what’s likely epilepsy i guess. When he returns to society, people see him as strange or even childlike, not really treating him as a full person. His innocence and kindness are misread as stupidity.

So even though I haven’t read Dazai yet you need to tell me - does the emotional tone feel similar from what i told ya about Dostoevsky??

There's another Osamu Dazai book called The Flowers of Buffoonery (translation may vary) and it expands further on putting up that fake cheerful attitude to face the world, so it's a good one to read afterwards

I haven't read no longer human but one of replies mentioned it being relevant to isolation, etc. i really recommend Frankenstein if you haven't read it. Its my most favourite book everr and explores I guess(?) similar themes.