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vonnegutian 's review for:
Spring Snow
by Yukio Mishima
‘Spring Snow’ is the first book in Mishima’s ‘Sea of Fertility’ tetralogy. It is first and foremost a coming-of-age love story but also concerns itself with the westernisation of Japan during the Taisho era.
Kiyoaki Matsugae is the son of a rising nouveau-riche family who must decide how seriously he feels about his on-off childhood sweetheart Satako, because a potential suitor is being lined up for her in order to strengthen familial ties in the upper echelons of Japanese society. It is only after he tells his parents that he has no particular feeling towards her and the other proposal is accepted, that Kiyoaki realises he is deeply in love with Satako. Go figure.
Despite the agreed marriage arrangement, he vows to make Satako his in light of his recent realisation - morality of little importance to his egotistical want. However, the official nature of the wedding, overseen by the emperor himself due to the importance of the families involved and hence in the public eye, means that Kiyaoki’s sudden change of heart will certainly have serious repercussions were he to act on it. Herein lies the crux of the tale as Kiyoaki and Satako begin chess-like manoeuvres to be together (I should mention she likes him too!)
Although this was a decent read, I much prefer Mishima’s ‘Temple of the Golden Pavilion’. It was interesting (and will continue to be I’m sure as the tetralogy continues) to learn about the zeitgeist of Japan at these times but the immature and spoilt desires of Kiyoaki were a constant irritation. This isn’t to say I didn’t still want to find out what happened, I just became annoyed with his self-importance and disrespect as to how his actions would impact on the other characters’ lives. Also, the female characterisation could have been stronger throughout but I suppose the more I consider it, it was perhaps a fair reflection of their powerlessness and submissiveness.
All in all, it wasn’t perhaps as good as I was suspecting but was readable and interesting nonetheless. Like other world class authors I’ve reviewed, there is no doubt as to Mishima’s quality as a writer. Even in their weaker pieces, such writer’s sufficiently challenge and engage their readers so as to always provide something to chew on at least.
Kiyoaki Matsugae is the son of a rising nouveau-riche family who must decide how seriously he feels about his on-off childhood sweetheart Satako, because a potential suitor is being lined up for her in order to strengthen familial ties in the upper echelons of Japanese society. It is only after he tells his parents that he has no particular feeling towards her and the other proposal is accepted, that Kiyoaki realises he is deeply in love with Satako. Go figure.
Despite the agreed marriage arrangement, he vows to make Satako his in light of his recent realisation - morality of little importance to his egotistical want. However, the official nature of the wedding, overseen by the emperor himself due to the importance of the families involved and hence in the public eye, means that Kiyaoki’s sudden change of heart will certainly have serious repercussions were he to act on it. Herein lies the crux of the tale as Kiyoaki and Satako begin chess-like manoeuvres to be together (I should mention she likes him too!)
Although this was a decent read, I much prefer Mishima’s ‘Temple of the Golden Pavilion’. It was interesting (and will continue to be I’m sure as the tetralogy continues) to learn about the zeitgeist of Japan at these times but the immature and spoilt desires of Kiyoaki were a constant irritation. This isn’t to say I didn’t still want to find out what happened, I just became annoyed with his self-importance and disrespect as to how his actions would impact on the other characters’ lives. Also, the female characterisation could have been stronger throughout but I suppose the more I consider it, it was perhaps a fair reflection of their powerlessness and submissiveness.
All in all, it wasn’t perhaps as good as I was suspecting but was readable and interesting nonetheless. Like other world class authors I’ve reviewed, there is no doubt as to Mishima’s quality as a writer. Even in their weaker pieces, such writer’s sufficiently challenge and engage their readers so as to always provide something to chew on at least.