Japanese Literature discussion

My last post was on part 2 or until page 200, and I guess there's supposed to be part 3, but I raced through the second half in the past week (page 200-400)! So I thought to just start this thread for the book discussion until the end. Anyone wants to discuss part 3 specifically, feel free to start a thread :)

I had to admit the middle and possibly the beginning too were a bit of a slog for me, but perhaps I got the hang of it on the second half, and it just flowed.

Trying not to go into specifics in this first post:
I did not see the end coming, so I was dumbstruck (and amazed) by the last sentence of the book. Went to read what the next books in tetralogy are roughly about. And now I definitely will go to read the next 3 books in the series. Spring Snow has turned me into one of Mishima's fans!

Your thoughts? Have any of you read the other books in the series?

Hi,

Sorry I have been away for a while.

I finally finished this book! I found it hard to keep reading it as a print book so I switched to an audiobook. I recommend the audiobook, the reader gives good pronunciation and emotion to the story.

I was not surprised at all in the last sentence of the story. From the beginning, I thought it would end in tradgedy. This is not the first of Mishma's books I've read though. Yukio and Satako's forbidden trists give a mood of lush foreboding. One knows from the beginning that they are temporary. Yukio and Satako know this and Mishma tells the reader that they do.

I think the ending is lovely though tragic. Satako's decision to become a nun is tragic and yet has an element of humor and irony. She takes the vow so quickly that no one can do anything about it. Everybody's scrambling to change her decision and then finding out they can't is just priceless to me!

Both Yukio and Satako change in the end from the foolish, self centered young people we see in the beginning to the self-denying and passionate adults we see in the end. However, I don't think either of them was unselfish in the end.

If Satako had been entirely unselfish, she would have gone along with the plans of others and gone ahead with the marriage for the sake of her country.

If Yukio were entirely unselfish, he would have gone along with his family wishes to give up Satako, and never had those trists with her. Even after he had, if he had been unselfish, he would have left Satako alone.

Many people say that suicide is the ultimate sin and one of the most selfish. I feel that Yukio committed suicide in effect. He did so with no thought for others especially his family.

Regardless of practical thoughts I have listed above, Mishma is not practical. He is poetic. The entire novel is a poetic study of love. His use of language and description makes a subject that would otherwise be repugnant, a thing of beauty.

I agree with all your thoughts Joanne. It's been a while now since I finished it but I clearly remember the parents' discussion about Satako's hair - that's hilarious!
And yea they are both not unselfish at the end. I wouldn't consider their actions selfless.

Do you think you're going to read the next books in the tetralogy? I'm thinking to read one per year.