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Spring Snow - Mishima

This book is the first in a series of four that make up Mishimas most famous work. Its a romance about a noble young man named Kiyoaki in Japan around 1913 in the wake of the Russo-Japanese war. Having grown up as a noble, he is handsome, intelligent, and very refined. He leads and easy life but he seems to lament it, because his grandfather who made the family powerful was a samurai, while his father is relatively bourgeois in accordance with the fashion at the time.

The main conflict revolves around the relationship between this boy and a young woman he grew up with, Satoko. He shows little interest in her and even has some disdain for her because of how she sometimes teases him, being that she is a bit older and wiser. Things become messy when Kiyo writes a cruel letter to Satoko in which he uses every weapon he has against her. After having sent it he has second thoughts and begs for Satoko not to read it on arrival, to which she agrees. Through the course of events it is revealed that she and her nurse, Tadeshina, had indeed read it, and Kiyo takes events following the reading which he had interpreted as benevolent as all of a sudden undermining and evil. This all unravels in a complex set of court-like interactions which seem to be common among the upper class aristocracy.

Feeling as if his honor has been irreparably damaged, Kiyo shuts Satoko out completely. He avoids all phone calls, letters, or social visits. His parents try gently to intervene on his behalf, suspecting that he is interested in her and worried that shell soon be married off, but Kiyo stoically rebuffs all attempts and is proud of himself for doing so in such an emotionless manner.

As expected, Satoko is soon betrothed to a prince and the betrothal gets imperial approval. Kiyo tries to deny to himself that hes upset, but it becomes harder and harder to ignore it. Finally he understands that he loves Satoko and they were meant to be together. Through some intrigue, in order to avoid detection, Kiyo arranges a meeting with Satoko in a secret room in a hotel and they make love. From then on they frequently meet in such a manner. They know that it cant carry on forever but they just enjoy it while it lasts. Satoko implies to a mutual friend that shes prepared to just kill herself if she must.

Eventually Satoko becomes pregnant and something has to be done since the wedding is fast approaching. When the nurse Tadeshina fails in her attempts to arrange an abortion for Satoko, she attempts suicide and fails, telling the parents of the situation in a suicide note. The parents arrange for her to go to Osaka for an abortion with a trusted doctor. After seeing the doctor successfully, she and her mother visit a famous temple/convent. While there, she cuts off her hair and decides to become a nun. After telling her story to the Abbess, this is allowed.

For a time the parents are hopeful that they can still bring her back and fit her with a good wig to carry on, but these plans all fail and the marriage is called off. Kiyo is preparing to finish school and his parents are trying to arrange for him to go to Oxford to study, but his love for Satoko is too strong. He borrows money and takes a train to the town where Satoko is. For a week he begs to see her as he comes down with pnemonia. Finally, his friend Honda comes to help him to make a final plea. In the end, the answer is still no, but the abbess response intrigues Honda deeply. They return home, and two days later Kiyo passes away from his illness.