I loved this. It reminded me of Fran Ross' <i>Oreo</i>. A postmodern odyssey tale that's half part noir and half part existentialist farce.

I have always loved Yukio Mishima's novels so I was thrilled to find that 3 additional books have been released post mortem. I was given an ARC by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. While not as well written as some of his later novels, it possesses all the characteristics that define the author. A man fails in his suicide attempt so he decides to put his life up for sale. This opens a riotous journey, pure camp and pulp with a bizarre list of characters and happenings. It is a page turner filled with the macabre and existential: murderous mobsters, hidden cameras, a vampire woman, poisonous carrots, espionage and code-breaking, a junkie heiress, home-made explosives and decoys. It was a fun, quick romp.4*

This was a very strange book built around the premise of the value of a life. Themes are dark. I learned about the author and his dark life and it makes the story sadder. The second half was more enjoyable than the first. I'm not honestly sure HOW I feel about th his one.

Amazing. Absolutely loved this. The plot and writing style were both right up my alley. A healthy dose of magical realism and some funky storytelling. It's tough to leave a review here without giving any of the plot away.

Hanio is one of my favorite literary characters now. The story of Mishima is just intoxicating and overwhelmingly sad at the same time. What a loss to the literary world.

I tried to space out the reading of this so I could enjoy it more. This is a book I will read again and again, I can already tell.

I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to read a first translation of a supposed "cult classic," but I can see that I am not the target audience. Those that would enjoy this are likely to lead an unsatisfying, lonely life.

I thoroughly enjoyed diving into the lives of some of the most vulnerable. I think this book is being published at the perfect time and I’m so fortunate to have read it and tell people about it. Discussions surrounding these issues are very alive right now, especially in foreign policy circles in which I swim. Can’t wait to buy this for people who will want to read this too!

I tried reading Mishima's "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" in the past, but lost interest in the main character about a third of the way through. (The narrator struck me as the arrogant, self-absorbed type and I wanted him out of my head.)

This book, on the other hand, I finished in just a few days. The translation was wonderful―I was surprised by the subtle turns of phrase. More importantly, the narrator Hanio struck me as a believable character. He is in an ironic position: find one's life so meaningless as to want to sell it, but despise those who live for money. The observations he makes about the nature of humans and their shared existence serve his purpose well. How can we plan a meaningful life when it is so unpredictable? Why follow pointless rules if it only strengthens society's shared insanity? This pondering is a stark contrast to the comical events of the novel, but I think Mishima pulls it off.

Ultimately, Hanio has chosen to play a game of meta-living where the prize is death. The odds are determined by one's ability to avoid winning, which has the side effect of devaluing the prize. It is a delight to witness, and I am grateful for the advance copy.

*I received an arc copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review*

So I made it about 50% through and I just could not get through this any longer. As the premise is very intriguing and interesting. A man with suicidal thoughts wanting to sell his life in exchange for money/taking care of an animal(this part confused me but probably is explained at the end?).

Firstly, this story being in the third person bugged the heck out of me! I did not feel I could connect with the emotions Hanio felt because it felt so distant. Also the explanation to why he wants to sale his life is explained fairly quickly and not very clear at the same time in the beginning. Also, his description of women made me roll my eyes constantly. The way women in the story were portrayed (at least from how far I read) was so plain and black and white from what I feel most male authors seem to do, for what reason? who knows. It made me feel uncomfortable on how judgemental he was specifically towards women's appearances.

For example,
<i> "Covered by a slightly faded green plaid skirt, her bottom in the winter sunlight seemed crammed with the very essence of life, as voluptuous as any painted by Renoir. She exuded the kind of glossy freshness one might find in a brand new tube of toothpaste just taken from its box, with its promise of a crisp morning... The tawdry silver pineapple earrings that she wore even though it was still daytime suggested she made her living in a third-rate bar. However, from the side her features were attractive and he found the curve of her nose exquisite. Women with drooping noses made Hanio sick of life, but this nose was shaped in a way that revived the spirits." <i>

I just did not vibe with the writing as much as I hoped. Either way, I did not finish and don't really plan on committing myself to the rest of the story sadly.

Following a man who wishes to die but can’t bring himself to commit suicide and so decides to put his life up for sale, this novel is an enjoyable read filled with twists and turns, amusing scenarios, and interesting ruminations on topics like society, money, life, and death. Hanoi, the main character, mostly just goes along with the absurd things that happen to him in a very Murakami kind of way—but, more interestingly, he has a believable motivation for going along with ridiculous scenarios: because he wants to die. The ending was a bit abrupt and I wished to know what would happen next. But, overall, this was a quick story with a great translation that I would recommend.