The Cover Art of No Longer Human


            Designed by New York-based graphic designer Rodrigo Corral, this cover art to Osamu Dazai’s 1948 novel, No Longer Human, is simplistic yet alluring. The cover art features an eye-catchingly bright pink background that is almost offensive, with a globular black mass resembling the silhouette of a person. The figure possesses no distinct features of a human, other than what seems to be a head and a torso. It has no face, no defining characteristics, it exists only as a featureless blob, projecting a semitransparent shadow upon the background. Knowing the plot of the story, this figure likely represents the main character’s view of himself: a vaguely human form, faceless, casting a metaphorical “shadow” on the world around him. The character (both the protagonist and the figure) deems itself unworthy of a face, something to be identified and recognized by. It wants to be forgotten. However, in its desperate attempt to remain unnoticeable, it becomes something which you cannot take your eyes off. This cover art beautifully represents the story, both visually and symbolically.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why You Should Read No Longer Human

            “Mine has been a life of much shame. I can’t even guess myself what it must be to live the life of a human being” (21). These are the striking opening words of Osamu Dazai’s 1948 novel, No Longer Human. The story is told through the discarded notebooks of Oba Yozo, an estranged, dejected, wretched, and utterly hopeless man, and our protagonist. We follow Yozo as he navigates his way through his miserable, isolated life. This novel is one of the most bleak and utterly despairing pieces of fiction ever written, yet it is also beautiful, and you should read it.             The story opens with a prologue, featuring an unnamed narrator who, when presented with three pictures of our main character, describes his appearance as something other than human. Oba Yozo was born in a small village in Northeastern Japan to an affluent, “well-to-do” family. From an early age, Yozo felt completely disconnected from those around him. He could not understand human beings. He had a mortal
Read more

The Crunch

Image
            Charles Bukowski (1920-1994) was a German-American writer and poet known for depicting the harsh reality of American life. His writing is abrasive and blunt, yet often humorous, and even endearing, at times. "The Crunch" , a poem written by Bukowski, perfectly displays each of these characteristics. One of my favorites, the poem, like many of Bukowski’s poems, has been reworked and republished several different times in several different collections.  “The Crunch” is a beautiful depiction of loneliness and despair, with a touch of humor and a sliver of hope.             “Too much / too little / or not enough”, the opening words of the poem, have always caught my attention. There is something attractive in them, though I do not know what it is, that begs you to keep reading. As you continue, Bukowski brutally describes scenes of war, of isolation, and of sorrow. He writes, “there are people so tired / so strafed / so mutilated by love or no / love / that buying a b
Read more