A review by _hayley_
Life for Sale by Yukio Mishima

challenging fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

This book was a shit show in all honesty. The writing would often shift from being a summary of the events occurring within the book as if we as the audience are meant to already know the detailed version of said events, to being so pretentious and preachy that I just had to giggle and move past it because my god. How on earth can you create a sexy vampire woman that is looking for a blood donor and have her only talk about how school is teaching children nothing and reckless driving is dangerous? I don’t know, but Mishima did it. One of the only things I liked about it was the random campy moments that were scattered throughout the book, ie. the stuffed rat dinner scene. However, my enjoyment would be whisked away at the mention of almost any female character in this book because the way that female characters are written about in this book makes me feel icky. I understand that there are several factors that could be impacting my understanding of this book such as the fact that it’s a translated work, the cultural differences between me and the author as well as a difference in time period. That being said, it doesn’t make calling the body door of a schoolgirl her “virginal scent” or reiterating to the audience that a female characters breasts do indeed point in different directions, any less gross and strange. I think some of the ideas that were presented in this book are interesting, however it is completely let down by the author and his writing. 3/10.