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A review by talestoldtall
The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima
4.0
A heavily character-driven novel focusing on a sailor who has romanticized his life of solitude, a 13 year old nihilist and his widowed mother. There's a simple story surrounding the three, but where the book shines is in its deep exploration of these characters' psyche. That means there's a lot of narration based totally in the characters' minds and not so much attention in setting or plotlines but I finished this feeling like I got a solid grasp of three rich internal lives.
I can't speak for the accuracy of the translation but the prose is beautiful. With that said, this is a dark, haunting book. There are just as many moments of tenderness as there are dark brutality. It touched on themes of loneliness, the often underestimated intelligence and wild nature of children, and uncertainty and sacrifice in relationships.
My first read by Yukio Mishima, but I'm definitely interested in more after this one.
I can't speak for the accuracy of the translation but the prose is beautiful. With that said, this is a dark, haunting book. There are just as many moments of tenderness as there are dark brutality. It touched on themes of loneliness, the often underestimated intelligence and wild nature of children, and uncertainty and sacrifice in relationships.
My first read by Yukio Mishima, but I'm definitely interested in more after this one.