/lit/ - Literature

>18

>No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai
I've read NLH twice now. Once as a digital book, now as a print edition. It's surprisingly touching. Even if I don't like Yozo's character very much, I can still identify with some of his struggles. (Which I guess is normal at this age.) Honestly, I think this work stems from the same seed as the Trial of Kafka or The Stranger of Camus, the only difference being, that Josef K. believes he is a part of society, despite being an outsider after his trial, Mersault doesn't care about society and Yozo while not understanding and not being part of society, still wants to cling to it somehow.

>War and Peace Volume II (of IV) by Lev Tolstoy
The main reason I haven't been through many other books in the past year. Tolstoy keeps playing with my emotions like it's a damn fiddle or something. The characters are so human, I find myself caring about Natasha and Bolkonsky, even the Rostovs. Fuck Pierre, his diaries and monologues are the most boring passages in the book, and will surely put down someone if he or she isn't relentless enough Otherwise, I don't know why people say W&P is boring. It's certainly a slow boil, and isn't perfect, but the sheer scope of the novel makes me tremble. It has been one of my best decisions to pick it up at the library, and then continuing reading it after volume I. (Currently at the end of Volume III.)

>Snow Country by Kawabata Yasunari
Certainly isn't his best work. Not to say it's bad. It's rich in atmosphere and scenery. I'd say it even teaches a thing or two about geishas. I'd say his shorter novel, "The lake" is a better version of Snow Country. (It was written just after Snow Country, so who knows)
The ending is a bit unsatisfying for me. The so called romance was powerful, yet the novel just simply ends.

>Beautiful Fighting Girl by Saito Tamaki
It's a surprisingly complex analysis of the popular anime character archetype. I was most definitely unprepared going into it, since it has a lot of psychological jargon. But it was still interesting to read. It could have used more Evangelion discussion and less about Henry Dargers' madness.

>All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Since anglos like to wank about this thing being superb and important for some reason, I haggled for at the bookshop and started reading it alongside War and Peace. The contrast is surprisingly clear and visible. It really is a superb work. After reading it, I don't think I want to start a war in patriotic fervour so much. We don't use gas anymore, but I could still catch a bullet while peeking out from the cover. Even if it's not deadly, it's still painful as hell, and has a chance of crippling me.

I owe myself a cup of tea and a bit of alcohol.
The last two days weren't too bad.