A review by alingtori
Runaway Horses, by Yukio Mishima
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
This book is no doubt, a reflection of Mishima's political belief--his manifesto.
The second book in Yukio Mishima's The Sea of Fertility tetralogy, Runaway Horses is immensely different from the first book of the series--Spring Snow. Spring Snow is about "passionate love" while Runaway Horses is about "passionate dedication".
Here we meet Isao Iinuma, who Shigekuni Honda believes to be his friend Kiyoaki Matsugae's (Spring Snow's protagonist) reincarnation. We follow along as Isao, a passionate young extremist, plots against capitalists who he believes are destroying the country and usurping the Emperor's power.
Knowing how Yukio Mishima was, and the circumstances of his death, one cannot help but compare Isao to him. As I follow along Isao's plotting, I cannot help but wonder if this was also what Mishima has done when he planned his own coup (and death) the year after the book was published.
Isao might be a fanatic but he does have points (except for you know, the worshiping of the Emperor and other extreme measures he believes in). And while I think we are made to sympathize with Isao and his cause, we are also made aware of Isao's flaws.
No matter what his politics is, one cannot deny the beauty of Mishima's writing (and of course, kudos to the translator Michael Gallagher). I love the way describes emotions through nature, and he really has this uncanny ability to make me feel(tm) emotions I can't express. To borrow from a colleague of mine: "The guy's crazy, but he's still one hell of a writer."
The second book in Yukio Mishima's The Sea of Fertility tetralogy, Runaway Horses is immensely different from the first book of the series--Spring Snow. Spring Snow is about "passionate love" while Runaway Horses is about "passionate dedication".
Here we meet Isao Iinuma, who Shigekuni Honda believes to be his friend Kiyoaki Matsugae's (Spring Snow's protagonist) reincarnation. We follow along as Isao, a passionate young extremist, plots against capitalists who he believes are destroying the country and usurping the Emperor's power.
Knowing how Yukio Mishima was, and the circumstances of his death, one cannot help but compare Isao to him. As I follow along Isao's plotting, I cannot help but wonder if this was also what Mishima has done when he planned his own coup (and death) the year after the book was published.
Isao might be a fanatic but he does have points (except for you know, the worshiping of the Emperor and other extreme measures he believes in). And while I think we are made to sympathize with Isao and his cause, we are also made aware of Isao's flaws.
No matter what his politics is, one cannot deny the beauty of Mishima's writing (and of course, kudos to the translator Michael Gallagher). I love the way describes emotions through nature, and he really has this uncanny ability to make me feel(tm) emotions I can't express. To borrow from a colleague of mine: "The guy's crazy, but he's still one hell of a writer."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts