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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Nothing less than five stars for this immersive love story. Set on a small island off the coast of Japan a decade after the Second World War, the greatest character in the book just might be the setting itself. The island of Uta-jima, Song Island, is bursting with life. Mishima masterfully portrays of the expressive nature of the wind, the leaves, the sand, the insects, and most importantly the waves of the sea. For the islanders on Uta-jima, every part of their lives are connected inexorably to the providence and rage of the island and sea. I cannot express enough the beauty of the language and description in this book. The writing alone will bring me back to Mishima again, no doubt.
I found it very odd that the main character we follow is simple-minded. I say this because in most novels, the principle character is usually a deep thinker, or relies on their great intelligence to drive forward the plot. In movies this is less so because it is easy to watch a fool, but in books you also read their mind. The simple natured Shinji is a character of good morals and strong mental fortitude, but his simple way of thinking sparked a hint of jealousy within me. I feel threatened by these kind of people and I'm not sure why. Nevertheless he won me over and I was rooting for him only a few chapters in.
This book is short, beautifully written, and accessible. I recommend this for anyone who wants to experience the Japanese island and feel the break of the waves, because that is how I feel after having finished it. It is a tender tale of young love. Not the type of book I expected from the Samurai Mishima.
I found it very odd that the main character we follow is simple-minded. I say this because in most novels, the principle character is usually a deep thinker, or relies on their great intelligence to drive forward the plot. In movies this is less so because it is easy to watch a fool, but in books you also read their mind. The simple natured Shinji is a character of good morals and strong mental fortitude, but his simple way of thinking sparked a hint of jealousy within me. I feel threatened by these kind of people and I'm not sure why. Nevertheless he won me over and I was rooting for him only a few chapters in.
This book is short, beautifully written, and accessible. I recommend this for anyone who wants to experience the Japanese island and feel the break of the waves, because that is how I feel after having finished it. It is a tender tale of young love. Not the type of book I expected from the Samurai Mishima.
emotional
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read this book over 25 years ago for a World Lit class. After reading tragedy after tragedy, I kept waiting for something awful to happen in The Sound of Waves. I was thrilled to finally realize that, for once, good things happened to the characters I'd come to care about. I don't remember many of the details, but I remember loving this book, and I'm eager to reread it and to see if it still has the same impact.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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:
No
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A simple and yet profound love story. Mishima's prose is effortlessly poetic and truly universal. Never have I rooted so desperately for two lovers. A story to warm even the coldest of hearts!
I’m impressed more and more with Mishima. The two works I’ve now had the pleasure to acquaint with, The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea and now this, are singular works, Mishima’s prose full of power, beauty and life. I’m going to visit the golden pavilion first before embarking on a journey to the sea of fertility. I can’t wait.
The Sound of Waves is a coming-of-age story, a Romeo and Juliet of forbidden love, a social study of a closed island community like Imamura’s Profound Desires of the Gods, a predestined Greek tragedy with the interference of the deus ex machina, and ultimately a very strong statement of Mishima’s acute sense for the artful. His descriptions are alive with feeling for that which can be touched and that which can only be dreamed in silence; the characters are formed with broad brushstrokes, and come to life first as if from afar, then more and more in detail. And, it’s as if Mishima wanted to show that once in a while, there is love and contentment, and happiness.
It’s not easy to write economically and with clarity, and convey what's important. It’s always easier to wander off a bit on the way instead of going straight ahead. Mishima certainly knows how to, and that’s what brings such an edge to his writing. This is an author who seems to know what he’s saying and why, a rare gift indeed.
28 October,
2014
The Sound of Waves is a coming-of-age story, a Romeo and Juliet of forbidden love, a social study of a closed island community like Imamura’s Profound Desires of the Gods, a predestined Greek tragedy with the interference of the deus ex machina, and ultimately a very strong statement of Mishima’s acute sense for the artful. His descriptions are alive with feeling for that which can be touched and that which can only be dreamed in silence; the characters are formed with broad brushstrokes, and come to life first as if from afar, then more and more in detail. And, it’s as if Mishima wanted to show that once in a while, there is love and contentment, and happiness.
It’s not easy to write economically and with clarity, and convey what's important. It’s always easier to wander off a bit on the way instead of going straight ahead. Mishima certainly knows how to, and that’s what brings such an edge to his writing. This is an author who seems to know what he’s saying and why, a rare gift indeed.
28 October,
2014
"He knew that it had been his own strength that had tided him through that perilous night." If you say so
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No