Etsuko, a young widow, lives with her father-in-law and his family in the Japanese countryside after her husband's death. She is in a complicated position because she is also her father-in-law's lover, and she has fallen for Saburo, a young gardener who works on the estate. Yukio Mishima follows her attempts to attract him and her jealousy, which build to a violent moment during a festival. The novel is a psychological study of desire, obsession and the way love can turn into cruelty, told in precise and ornate prose.
Readers who enjoy Japanese modernism and psychological novels will find an early work by Mishima that shows his talent. It suits those who like intense character studies and are willing to read about disturbing impulses.
Deep, inward-looking, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1950
- Language
- EN
