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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
Een duidelijke inkijk in de filosofie van Mishima: het traditionele Japan tegenover de verwestersing van het land zien we in de matroos die zijn dromen van een eervol leven op zee en een roemrijke dood opzij tracht te schuiven voor de zachtheid die de liefde op het land hem brengt; en vooral hoe dit vol afgunst wordt ontvangen door de protagonisten Noboru. Net als Japan versus het Westen staan Seks en Dood lijnrecht tegenover elkaar: het werk staat bol van tegenstellingen die constant -zij het soms onbewust- strijden met elkaar. Verder zijn de parellellen die tussen het jonge hoofdpersonage en Mishima zelf getrokken kunnen worden erg opvallend, wat het boek nog een tikje somberder maakt. Toegankelijker en helderder dan Confessions of a Mask, hoewel dat werk toch mijn voorkeur krijgt dankzij de kwetsbare, intieme kant.
Glory X Death X Woman -- the pieces of a 'man'. The Sailor... dives into the concepts of masculinity; the factors that make one a man, what is a 'father figure'?, and the dividing emotional pieces of an individual that can lead to self-induced emotional isolation. Extremely graphic at points, while deeply gentle at others, Yukio Mishima's dreamy prose and naturalistic perspective of life make this book feel like no other. The main characters of the novel represent the major themes of the book (I won't say as to not spoil anything). Ryuji, who I identify as the real protagonist of the story exemplifies the ideas in such an authentic manner. The miniature moments where the reader peeps into the consciousness of Ryuji make him feel like everyone and anyone. The novel balances the themes here in a very extreme, very disturbing story, but keeps the concepts universal. This book isn't for everyone, as a mixture of a few scenes in the novel and Mishima's fascist ideas can collide in tiny moments throughout. But what allowed me to enjoy this book so much was the impact it had on me and the separation of Mishima's politics in the story--it almost feels as if Mishima was self-aware enough to realize his ideas are extremely radical (this is presented through one of the MC's). All in all, I found this book to be beautifully displayed and added depth to such extreme concepts.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An ugliness unfurled in the moonlight and soft shadow and suffused the whole world. If I were an amoeba, he thought, with an infinitesimal body, I could defeat ugliness. A man isn’t tiny or giant enough to defeat anything.
He found himself in the strange predicament all sailors share: essentially he belonged neither to the land nor to the sea. Possibly a man who hates the land should dwell on shore forever. Alienation and the long voyages at sea will compel him once again to dream of it, torment him with the absurdity of longing for something that he loathes.
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
*sniffs* ahh the sweet scent of incest and morbid cruelty for the sake of seeming profoundness. my favourite (it's not).
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is rather disturbing. The child at front and center does and thinks awful things and is encouraged by an even more disturbed friend into doing unspeakable things. This is the type of book to make you feel a pit in your stomach