dark reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I a really intriguing book. The subjects within this novel are rather dark yet written so beautifully. The story surrounds itself around a boy named Noburo who holds honour and masculinity very highly and once his mother new boyfriend contradicts his ideas, Noburo's ideas turn psychopathic. Noboru's whole character is rather unnerving, including the fact that he numbers his friends rather than calling them by their real names. Even though this is rather disturbing I would definitely recommend this as a read, but I would also suggest reading up on the life of Mishima to understand why he writes as he does.
dark reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark sad tense medium-paced

Si queremos centrarnos únicamente en la historia que nos cuenta, Mishima nos narra una historia terrible con un lirismo y una belleza sin parangón, como es propio de él. Si vamos más allá, y según mi opinión (que no tiene el porqué ser ni mucho menos la real) tenemos, encarnados en los protagonistas, las luchas internas de Mishima:

-La occidentalización, que Mishima aborrecía y que según el creía debilitaba a la sociedad japonesa, encarnada en la madre del niño, Fusako. Símbolo de la conquista occidental del Japón, Fusako conquistará al Ryuji, el marino, haciendo que cambia y, a ojos de Yukio, pervirtiéndolo, debilitándolo y corrompiéndolo.

-El oriente que se doblega al poder de occidente, encarnado en Ryuji, el marino. Pese a que cuando aparece se muestra como alguien fuerte, masculino y viril; alguien resuelto, con ideales nobles y trascendentales, sucumbe al poder de occidente, a Fusako, volviéndose débil y queriendo integrarse en ese mundo desde una posición de humillante servidumbre.

-El Japón puro, representado por el niño, Noboru, que aún conserva la pureza ideal y lucha activamente contra el poder seductor de occidente, intentando no corromper su esencia. Unos ideales que entienden que recuperar los valores pasa inevitablemente por cometer actos horribles, por la violencia y el derramamiento de sangre.

Creo que en este libro transcurre la escena donde un gato se ve involucrado que más mal me he hecho pasarlo en mucho tiempo.

No le pongo cinco estrellas porque, pese a que entiendo la simbología y lo necesario de que las edades sean las que son, el discurso de los niños me parece demasiado alto y desarrollado y sus palabras demasiado impostadas como para hacerme creíble que se trata de chicos de trece años. Por lo demás, Mishima es siempre un placer.

Brutal and violent; yet also beautiful and hypnotic.

First time reading Mishima. I understand why he has so many fans.

Super gripping and I wish it would have been longer. One very gory part that was really difficult to read. Ryuji’s character is really well developed, but I would have wanted to know more about Noboru and the Chief’s backgrounds.

Felt like 3.5 out of 5; The book is beautifully written, in many places more like poetry than prose, and the details are exquisitely; eloquently described. But honestly, there is so much in this book to not like. There are early disturbing bleak parts that make you wonder what you are actually reading and seemingly directionless storytelling. However, in the last two chapters the book revealed it's purpose to me and the ideas or insights it was leading me toward, and how it led me to think that it might actually stem from Mishima's deep introspective thoughts, as is the case with much of Mishima's work; It's best to know more about Mishima's background first before jumping to his novels, particularly this one.

It's really dark, but it is really, really good. It's an unnerving sort of good.

I friggin love Japanese literature, it's so different. It always taps into parts of humanity that Western literature neglects. The important, dark stuff.
challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes