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mobyskine's review against another edition
4.0
From a failed attempt to end his own life to a series of bizarre requests received through his ‘life for sale’ advert, I followed Hanio Yamada in a twisty madcap adventure that gotten him to accidentally enmeshed in a continent-wide conspiracy that puts him in the cross hairs of both his own government and a powerful organized-crime syndicate; a lingering question on morality and existence that took him to realise that life was not as easy as he thought to be shutting off as he wished.
A light and exhilarating read for a narrative that revolved around death and suicidal theme that weirdly hooked me with its main character’s perspective. Love the simplicity of its storytelling, neither too exceptional nor that enthralling much for its style of writing and progress; I don’t find the crime syndicate part that favourable much as it goes too hectic for me. It has that easily expected flow that somehow goes too coincidental and absurdly executed but I appreciate how the author lightly plotted the suicidal part and not making it too descriptively triggering; quite minimal in its emotional exploration yet still absorbingly observed Hanio’s psychological struggles. Cynical, quite tragic and humorous at times with its fun side characters and somehow I like that glimpses of post-war and political insight in its setting.
No idea if I should go interpreting Hanio’s ending as otherwise but I love how he connecting and metaphoring his perspective with ‘heaven’ in both of his first and last paragraphs.
3.7/5 stars.
A light and exhilarating read for a narrative that revolved around death and suicidal theme that weirdly hooked me with its main character’s perspective. Love the simplicity of its storytelling, neither too exceptional nor that enthralling much for its style of writing and progress; I don’t find the crime syndicate part that favourable much as it goes too hectic for me. It has that easily expected flow that somehow goes too coincidental and absurdly executed but I appreciate how the author lightly plotted the suicidal part and not making it too descriptively triggering; quite minimal in its emotional exploration yet still absorbingly observed Hanio’s psychological struggles. Cynical, quite tragic and humorous at times with its fun side characters and somehow I like that glimpses of post-war and political insight in its setting.
No idea if I should go interpreting Hanio’s ending as otherwise but I love how he connecting and metaphoring his perspective with ‘heaven’ in both of his first and last paragraphs.
3.7/5 stars.
eren_reads's review against another edition
4.0
A strange and surreal book confronting questions of life and death.
hxukvgr's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Murder
corirarrick2's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.0
violaisread1ng's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
dr_sleep's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
leeseosbot's review against another edition
4.0
4/5⭐️
I read 80% of it a year ago but all I can say is that said 80% was a whole lot better than the last 20%. I enjoyed the missions and all of that but the ending was rather flat and also didn’t even offer any room for serious interpretation.
I read 80% of it a year ago but all I can say is that said 80% was a whole lot better than the last 20%. I enjoyed the missions and all of that but the ending was rather flat and also didn’t even offer any room for serious interpretation.
ahartline's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
siobhanct's review against another edition
4.0
Mishima’s Life for Sale is a brilliant work of post-war absurdism. At once funny and descriptive, Mishima succeeds in being beautifully economical with prose– however backward his treatment of female characters. A passage of particular note is the heated ‘dinner party’ exchange between our protagonist and a straightjacketed stuffed mouse!