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“It was not so much shame that I experienced as the feeling that the actual world was an unfamiliar organism utterly unlike the world of my imagination. I was assailed by a sensation of desolation more intense than anything I had previously known, as if I had been abandoned at dusk in an autumnal wasteland where no answering sound would ever come, however often I called. Is that, I wonder, what is meant by the pat phrase "disappointed love"?”
― The Setting Sun
― The Setting Sun
“Unhappiness. There are all kinds of unhappy people in the world. I suppose it would be no exaggeration to say that the world is composed entirely of unhappy people. But those people can fight their unhappiness with society fairly and squarly, and society for its part easily understands and sympathizes with such struggles. My unhappiness stemmed entirely from my own vices, and I had no way of fighting anybody.”
― No Longer Human
― No Longer Human
“I must go on living. And, though it
may be childish of me, I can't go on in
simple compliance. From now on I must
struggle with the world. I thought that
Mother might well be the last of those
who can end their lives beautifully and
sadly, struggling with no one, neither
hating nor betraying anyone. In the
world to come there will be no room for
such people. The dying are beautiful,
but to live, to survive – those things
somehow seem hideous and
contaminated with blood.”
― The Setting Sun
may be childish of me, I can't go on in
simple compliance. From now on I must
struggle with the world. I thought that
Mother might well be the last of those
who can end their lives beautifully and
sadly, struggling with no one, neither
hating nor betraying anyone. In the
world to come there will be no room for
such people. The dying are beautiful,
but to live, to survive – those things
somehow seem hideous and
contaminated with blood.”
― The Setting Sun
“I am convinced that those people whom the world considers good and respects are all liars and fakes. I do not trust the world. My only ally is the tagged dissolute. The tagged dissolute. That is the only cross on which I wish to be crucified. Though ten thousand people criticize me, I can throw in their teeth my challenge: Are you not all the more dangerous for being without tags?”
― The Setting Sun
― The Setting Sun
“What, I wondered, did he mean by “society”? The plural of human beings? Where was the substance of this thing called “society”? I had spent my whole life thinkng that society must certainly be something powerful, harsh and severe, but to hear Horiki talk made the words “Don’t you mean yourself?” come to the tip of my tongue. But I held the words back, reluctant to anger him.
‘Society won’t stand for it.’
‘It’s not society. You’re the one who won’t stand for it - right?’
‘If you do such a thing society will make you suffer for it’
‘It’s not society. It’s you, isn’t it?’
‘Before you know it, you’ll be ostracized by society.’
‘It’s not society. You’re going to do the ostracizing, aren’t you?’
Words, words of every kind went flitting through my head. “Know thy particular fearsomeness, thy knavery, cunning and witchcraft!” What I said, however, as I wiped the perspiration from my face with a handkerchief was merely, “You’ve put me in a cold sweat!” I smiled.
From then on, however, I came to hold, almost as a philosophical conviction, the belief: What is society but an individual?”
― No Longer Human
‘Society won’t stand for it.’
‘It’s not society. You’re the one who won’t stand for it - right?’
‘If you do such a thing society will make you suffer for it’
‘It’s not society. It’s you, isn’t it?’
‘Before you know it, you’ll be ostracized by society.’
‘It’s not society. You’re going to do the ostracizing, aren’t you?’
Words, words of every kind went flitting through my head. “Know thy particular fearsomeness, thy knavery, cunning and witchcraft!” What I said, however, as I wiped the perspiration from my face with a handkerchief was merely, “You’ve put me in a cold sweat!” I smiled.
From then on, however, I came to hold, almost as a philosophical conviction, the belief: What is society but an individual?”
― No Longer Human
Maryam’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Maryam’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
370 books
|
8 friends
352 books
|
1 friend
128 books
|
1 friend
774 books
|
161 friends
780 books
|
2 friends
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