The Sound of Waves [Paperback]

Yukio Mishima (Author), Meredith Weatherby (Translator)

Book Description

Release date: October 4, 1994

Set in a remote fishing village in Japan, The Sound of Waves is a timeless story of first love. A young fisherman is entranced at the sight of the beautiful daughter of the wealthiest man in the village. They fall in love, but must then endure the calumny and gossip of the villagers.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Written in 1956 and 1959, respectively, this duo represent a hit and a miss. LJ's reviewer found Waves amateurish (LJ 8/56), while Temple was praised by another LJ reviewer (LJ 5/15/59) and Japanese critics, who voted it one of the ten best novels of the year.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A story that is both happy and a work of art. . . . Altogether a joyous and lovely thing."
—The New York Times "Of such classic design its action might take place at any point across a thousand years."
—San Francisco Chronicle "Mishima is like Stendhal in his precise psychological analyses, like Dostoevsky in his explorations of darkly destructive personalities."
—Christian Science Monitor

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; First Edition. 1 in number line edition (October 4, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679752684
• ISBN-13: 978-0679752684
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.5 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A novel with two levels April 6, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

Richard Hugo, an excellent poet and teacher, said that each poem has two subjects - the triggering subject (or the story), and the second, deeper subject. This holds true for many great works of literature, not just poems, and The Sound of Waves is no exception.

On the surface, we have a subtly erotic love story about Shinji and Hatsue, two hard-working young Japanese people in a close-knit, isolated, traditional village. They go on with their romance despite ugly rumors which prompt Hatsue's father, Terukichi (known as "Uncle Teru") to forbid his daughter from seeing Shinji. There is a happy ending, but I won't give it away.

This is more than your typical love story. The main characters, Shinji and Hatsue, are ideal Japanese people in the traditional, uncorrupted village: hard-working, devoted to the family, honest, and religious. The rumormongers are Westernized: Chiyoko - a pessimistic girl - is a student in western literature at a city university, and Yasuo - a rude, selfish, lazy boy who wants Hatsue for himself - is well-read in pulp magazines. It is traditional Japanese willpower and discipline that keeps Shinji and Hatsue together despite their obstacles.

What is remarkable is that the book does not make its point with a sledgehammer. The traditional characters win out, not because they tattle or scream; their integrity forces the modern characters to face the errors of their modern ways. This book is almost as relavent to our changing America as it was to Mishima's changing Japan. One read-through and you will understand Mishima's patriotism, his long quest for a return to tradition that led to his seppuku.

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Swept away by the "Sound of Waves" January 3, 2004

By E. A Solinas HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Few books accurately capture the feeling of first love the way Yukio Mishima's "The Sound of Waves" does. Set in a small Japanese fishing village in the mid-20th century, this is a beautiful story that will charm the romantic at heart with its simplicity and intensity.

Shinji is a poor young fisherman, living with his widowed mother and relatively carefree. That changes when he sees a lovely young pearl-diver named Hatsue looking out to sea. Shinji soon finds that he can't get Hatsue out of his mind; he's fallen in love, for the very first time. She soon falls in love with him as well -- it's first love for them both, and for a few days everything seems fine.

But things start to go wrong when an unhappy young girl sees the two of them leaving a secluded spot. Soon rumors are spread about Hatsue and Shinji's relationship, and the arrogant Yasuo even physically chases Hatsue when she is getting water. When Hatsue's overprotective father forbids her to see Shinji again, and seems about to betroth her to Yasuo, Shinji has only one chance to be reunited with his love.

Generally the word "romance" conjures images of busty half-naked women being held in impossible positions by chiseled he-men with torn shirts. But "Sound of Waves" is genuine romance, about the sort of love that any person could experience if they are open to it, in any part of the world. He is also one of the few authors who can convey the joy and pain of being in love. Not to mention the exalted way one can feel, without losing sight of their humanity: Shinji and Hatsue definitely have hormones, but keep them in check. There's a kind of mature innocence to how these two interact.

Yukio Mishima's writing is both brief and detailed. Simple and descriptive, evoking the wind, sea, trees, and shorelines. The story is a simple one (boy meets girl, girl and boy fall in love, boy and girl are separated, etc), but its simplicity is part of its appeal. There are even some things about pearl-diving and fishing included, to give a glimpse of the lives that Hatsue, Shinji and their families live.

The best thing abou this brief novel is the lead characters. Shinji is a shy, inexperienced, capable teenage boy, not a confident stud. Hatsue captures his attention not through mere physical beauty (though she sounds quite pretty), but through her sweetness. The wannabe-playboy, and the "ugly" girl who wistfully falls for Shinji, are like real people.

This is romance as it should be written, beautiful and tender with lovable characters and haunting prose. What it lacks in complexity it makes up for in sweetness. A memorable and beautiful story.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Love Story & An Exploration of Human Nature June 2, 2002

By Anna K

Format:Hardcover

A 16-year-old recommended this book to me because "it has a lot of SAT words" and I, being the SAT prep instructor that I am, had to investigate. My young pupil was indeed correct in saying that the English translation of this book contains many words commonly seen on the SAT, but she failed to mention how incredibly well-written the book was, too!

I had a very hard time putting down this book simply because it flows so beautifully. Words are not wasted; everything is said for a purpose, from the desriptions of the scenery of this small Japanese island to the descriptions of the sunburnt faces of the main characters. Mishima tells the story of a forbidden love that doesn't become too sappy sweet. It is refreshing to read a novel that focuses so much on human character traits (& flaws) while also leaving room for serendipity & fate.

An easy read with a nice plot and excellent character developments, this book is highly recommended to readers of all ages. And if you happen to know of a high school student who wants to improve his/her vocabulary and critical reading abilities (or you happen to be one), then this is the perfect book for you! You won't regret it!