Yukio Mishima's Spring Snow, the first installment in a tetralogy called The Sea of Fertility, is filled with all the elements that make a novel both worthwhile and challenging. The writing is simply gorgeous, full of rich metaphors and descriptions of nature; the side trips into history and ideas such as Buddhism are fruitful; and the narrative itself is a classic form rendered with powerful effect. Every page has its moment of beauty, a staggering achievement. Here is just one, about the main character, Kiyoaki Matsugae: "He had never looked forward to the wisdom and other vaunted benefits of old age. Would he be able to die young – and if possible free of all pain? A graceful death – as a richly patterned kimono, thrown carelessly across a polished table, slides unobtrusively down into the darkness of the floor beneath. A death marked by elegance."
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