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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
It took a while for me to get into this, but as the story progressed I enjoyed it more. Some interesting themes are explored (such as Westernization, morality etc.), but the overall plot is rather melodramatic, and the social commentary is significantly lacking in depth.
Edit: Having read a bit of Mishima's biography, I have to say I'm uncomfortable. I read this book as if the narrator was unreliable, but I'm not sure I'll be reading more of his works if the author shares those thoughts (extreme far-right misogonist).
Edit: Having read a bit of Mishima's biography, I have to say I'm uncomfortable. I read this book as if the narrator was unreliable, but I'm not sure I'll be reading more of his works if the author shares those thoughts (extreme far-right misogonist).
Such a strange, lyrical and brutal novel. This is my first Mishima, and it didn't disappoint. I don't normally love lengthy descriptions of nature, and yet, his never bored me, or felt precious or overwrought. He captures the impulsive, selfish nature of young Kiyoaki's love, and its tragic consequences. And the character of the servant, Tadeshina!—so memorable. I'll read the whole tetralogy, perhaps with breaks in between.
Enjoyed it, but not that impressed.
Kiyoaki seems to be the Japanese variation of Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther, in which a genteel young man is driven to death from his own infatuation. Like other love stories of this era, Kiyoaki and Satoko's romance is pitted against waning Imperial traditions, and is representative of a lost generation in the emerging tide of modernity. Their passions are inevitable, and faced with notions of bygone morality and loyalty that no longer seem relevant, but still constrain them, their existence seems rootless and misguided. I thought Mishima was heavy-handed in expressing his commentary about societal change in Japan, though. Often, he'd explain to us how a character feels (especially the Marquis and the Count) instead of having it play out through his actions or subconscious thoughts. I also thought the plot was silly and predictable, and many of the characters difficult to like. I did really develop sympathy for Kiyo and Satoki as they became aware of the consequences of their passion, and at some points - such as at the beach - their dilemma is illustrated poignantly.
i really like some of Mishima's other works - for instance the short story "Patriotism" - but I thought the ideas in this novel could have been expressed with a more concise, less melodramatic plot.
Kiyoaki seems to be the Japanese variation of Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther, in which a genteel young man is driven to death from his own infatuation. Like other love stories of this era, Kiyoaki and Satoko's romance is pitted against waning Imperial traditions, and is representative of a lost generation in the emerging tide of modernity. Their passions are inevitable, and faced with notions of bygone morality and loyalty that no longer seem relevant, but still constrain them, their existence seems rootless and misguided. I thought Mishima was heavy-handed in expressing his commentary about societal change in Japan, though. Often, he'd explain to us how a character feels (especially the Marquis and the Count) instead of having it play out through his actions or subconscious thoughts. I also thought the plot was silly and predictable, and many of the characters difficult to like. I did really develop sympathy for Kiyo and Satoki as they became aware of the consequences of their passion, and at some points - such as at the beach - their dilemma is illustrated poignantly.
i really like some of Mishima's other works - for instance the short story "Patriotism" - but I thought the ideas in this novel could have been expressed with a more concise, less melodramatic plot.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Finishing this book was a bit of a challenge, as it centres around the inner turmoil of a spoilt, Japanese upper class, teenage boy. The details and subtleties were necessary for the subject matter and context, but it did drag at times.
What saved it for me was the honest, warts and all emotion, some great characters (the studious Honda, Kiyoaki's sassy grandmother and the useless Count) and some beautiful scenes/settings.
What saved it for me was the honest, warts and all emotion, some great characters (the studious Honda, Kiyoaki's sassy grandmother and the useless Count) and some beautiful scenes/settings.
The first time I started reading Spring Snow I couldn't quite get into it and I didn't finish it. But on the second read through I really enjoyed it. The first Yukio Mishima book I've read was "The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea". Spring Snow is a beautifully poetic book, it is a story of romance, friendship, and the old values of Japanese culture and how Westernization seemed to have corrupted their morals during the Taisho era. It is quite touching, sad, yet so complex and delicate, the prose is like a cherry blossom blooming beautifully in the spring.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced