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A review by leonard_gaya
Thirst for Love by Yukio Mishima
4.0
Thirst for Love, one of Yukio Mishima’s early novels, is a compelling exploration of the destructive nature of possessive/obsessive love. Published shortly after [b:Confessions of a Mask|62794|Confessions of a Mask|Yukio Mishima|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1441790556l/62794._SY75_.jpg|1788601], the novel centres on Etsuko, a young widow who finds herself entangled in emotionally complex relationships while living with her late husband’s family.
Etsuko is a multifaceted character, embodying another of Mishima’s “masks.” She is caught in a tension between societal norms and her turbulent emotions—jealousy, romantic fantasies, and the inability to express or act upon them. This internal struggle manifests itself in suicidal ideations: “Her desire was close to that of the person who drowns himself; he does not necessarily covet death so much as what comes after the drowning—something different from what he had before, at the least a different world” (Kindle Loc. 1565). Etsuko can be seen as a literary descendant of [b:Madame Bovary|2175|Madame Bovary|Gustave Flaubert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1606770119l/2175._SY75_.jpg|2766347], particularly in her complex relationship with forbidden love, beauty and death, a theme that Mishima will revisit throughout his career. [b:Lady Chatterley|32049|Lady Chatterley's Lover|D.H. Lawrence|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1215571713l/32049._SY75_.jpg|3249302] also comes to mind.
Mishima’s prose is a blend of elegance and incisiveness. He captures the emotional states of his characters through flashes of insight that function almost like aphorisms. These are interspersed with superb descriptions (Tsukimi Festival in chap. 3), and poetic yet introspective passages that create a pervasive atmosphere of brooding melancholy and foreshadow the impending tragedy. The novel’s nuanced portrayal of Etsuko, coupled with its violent conclusion, left a lasting impact on me.
Etsuko is a multifaceted character, embodying another of Mishima’s “masks.” She is caught in a tension between societal norms and her turbulent emotions—jealousy, romantic fantasies, and the inability to express or act upon them. This internal struggle manifests itself in suicidal ideations: “Her desire was close to that of the person who drowns himself; he does not necessarily covet death so much as what comes after the drowning—something different from what he had before, at the least a different world” (Kindle Loc. 1565). Etsuko can be seen as a literary descendant of [b:Madame Bovary|2175|Madame Bovary|Gustave Flaubert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1606770119l/2175._SY75_.jpg|2766347], particularly in her complex relationship with forbidden love, beauty and death, a theme that Mishima will revisit throughout his career. [b:Lady Chatterley|32049|Lady Chatterley's Lover|D.H. Lawrence|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1215571713l/32049._SY75_.jpg|3249302] also comes to mind.
Mishima’s prose is a blend of elegance and incisiveness. He captures the emotional states of his characters through flashes of insight that function almost like aphorisms. These are interspersed with superb descriptions (Tsukimi Festival in chap. 3), and poetic yet introspective passages that create a pervasive atmosphere of brooding melancholy and foreshadow the impending tragedy. The novel’s nuanced portrayal of Etsuko, coupled with its violent conclusion, left a lasting impact on me.