Books: “The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea” by Yukio Mishima

It is hard not to reach for a book with such title. A hateful judgement of adults held by a gang of highly sophisticated 13-year-olds. It is their creed to rebel against their destiny of manhood, becoming a “father” – the gang’s epitome of dogmatic principals. Ryuji- the sailor, has held onto a similar creed, living untethered to society upon a ship, hoping for a glorious death. It is when he decides to give up the lonely existence for love, to be a father (figure) to one of the gang members, that the gang’s passions spiral into violent action. It makes me shudder to think I was also just as naïve in my judgement of societal rules and expectations. Also, what is the fascination with cat brutality in Japan?

“Real danger is nothing more than just loving. Of course, living is merely the chaos of existence, but more than that it’s a crazy mixed-up business of dismantling existence instant by instant to the point where the original chaos is restored, and taking strength from the uncertainty and the fear that chaos brings to re-create existence instant by instant. You wont find another job as dangerous as that. There isn’t any fear in existence itself, or any uncertainty, but living creates it. And society is basically meaningless, a Roman mixed bath. And school, school is just society in miniature: that’s why we’re always being ordered around. A bunch of blind men tell us what to do, tear our unlimited ability to shreds.”

“His heart in spasm because he was always in contact with the ocean’s dark swell and the lofty light from the edge of the clouds, twisting, withering until it clogged and then swelling up again, and he unable to distinguish the most exalted feelings from the meanest and that not mattering really since he could hold the sea responsible- are you going to give up that luminous freedom?”