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thesawyerbean's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
guitarpotato's review against another edition
4.0
„As I have remarked several times, the future was a heavy burden for me. From the very beginning, life had oppressed me with a heavy sense of duty. Even though I was clearly incapable of performing this duty, life still nagged at me for my dereliction. Thus I longed for the great sense of relief that death would surely bring…“
Going into this novel I did not expect to relate so much with the narrator (especially with the protagonist somewhat mirroring Mishima himself – who in my opinion was not a very likable man). His pining for understanding love and all that it entails is expressed in such beautiful prose. And his realization that he doesn’t fit societal norms which leads to his pained longing for a life he won’t let himself live. It is heart wrenching. The backdrop of Japan being at war is another intriguing element – especially with the commentary regarding the ongoing conflict (from university professors advocating for the war to end to the narrator’s glorified idea of dying in war).
I will definitely read more of Mishima’s works in the future!
tumormozgowicz's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
davidsansun's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
nori16's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
humblebee20's review against another edition
3.0
This book was, ok? I've heard mixed reviews about Mishima and decided to give his stuff a shot with Life for Sale being the next work I try. Unfortunately, I felt the plot meandered more than it needed to, with the tangents going from interesting to a man telling me he is still "very intellectual" but still jacks off all the time. The concept of a man turned on by violent acts seemed like a cool character study, but ended up becoming a mouth piece for what I can only assume is Mishima himself, although this is only speculation. Perhaps I didn't "get" what the author was going for, but I can' help but feel that it was a missed opportunity for a more investing book with the same concept.
cafes's review against another edition
3.0
Sensibilidad y desespero de saberse diferente y no poder expresarlo, una verdadera confesión de una máscara en una sociedad cerrada. Me gustó mucho como el protagonista (y el escritor) expresaba la agonía de no poder encajar o sentir lo que él creía que debería sentir. Si te ha sucedido algo parecido, es acogedor y un poco traumático leerse a sí mismo.