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The current political climate being what it is, one subject that frequently comes up, at least amongst my friends, is whether you would be prepared to die for a cause, or an ideal. During these debates my position is unequivocal; my answer is a firm no. Not under any circumstances. My vehemence can, in part, be explained by my cowardice. I am, I freely admit, a rum coward. Yet I do also have philosophical objections. Someone who dies for an ideal is, to me, just a dead idiot, because their ideal, which is necessarily subjective in character, dies with them. Ordinarily my stance does not cause me any problems. Of course, it is not necessary to be able to identity with Iaso Iinuma, the young would-be militant-terrorist at the centre of the novel, and, in any case, even I am able to understand, even to some extent appreciate, the quixotic nature of living a life of purity and heroism, but a lot of Runaway Horses philosophically and spiritually left me cold. If you have read Spring Snow you will know Honda as the studious and serious friend of Kiyoaki Matsugae. In that book I felt as though his role was somewhat confused; he was a rationalist, and yet unquestioningly helped his friend in his irrational endeavours. Yet even if you wanted to see him as the voice of reason — which is, I think, how Mishima saw him — he was too much of a peripheral figure. What I mean by this is that one could have cut his character entirely, and the book would have had largely the same impact. In Runaway Horses , he is a thirty eight year old judge. He is then more mature and confident, of course, and much is made, by the author, of his reserved and logical approach; therefore he is the perfect foil for Isao. For example, when Iaso loans Honda a copy of The League of the Divine Wind pamphlet the judge returns it with a letter explaining his concerns about the impact such a text could have on a young man. This was a political event that was so remarkable throughout that it almost seems to be a work of art. But one should by no means confuse this tale of dreamlike beauty of another time with the circumstances of present-day reality. This is hugely important. Mishima, it is always worth reiterating, was a fanatic Nationalist himself, at least towards the end of his life; and these things as subjects are dealt with in Runaway Horses. So far, so what. He spoke out gallantly, his face flushed and glowing. At times the language in the novel made me shift uncomfortably in my seat, although, if you were being as fair as possible, you could say it is, like with Spring Snow, merely a case of the style being in tune with the subject. As you can tell, the book caused me quite some consternation, and my thoughts about it, as the structure of this review will no doubt attest, are far from clear. Would I recommend it? In certain circumstances, however, one might consider it worth reading. Secondly, there are probably very few books that are as relevant, almost terrifyingly so, as this one is right now. We also see how levelling fanaticism can be; Iaso and his followers all lack personality, they are full of rhetoric and psychobabble but very few individual characteristics. If you have come across any true accounts of young men becoming enamoured with fanaticism this will be a familiar tale. Finally, while Runaway Horses is at times fascinating, if you view the book dispassionately and adjust your expectations accordingly, it is only really enjoyable — in the conventional sense — in relation to the previous volume, Spring Snow. When one reads a multi-volume work half of the fun is in the development of certain characters as they age and have children, get married and so on. For a western reader, this seems like a bold, potentially ridiculous, move, and yet Mishima manages to pull it off. Furthermore, the nature of reincarnation is that one is reborn because of mistakes, or sins, in a past life; Kiyoaki was effete and ineffectual, Iaso is the opposite; so it is almost as though the soul or essence of Kiyoaki has gone from one extreme to another. The two characters are, on the surface, completely different yet ultimately very similar; and I thought that was very clever and satisfying. View all 3 comments. I am an absolute fanboy to Japanese madman but genius writer Yukio Mishima. His tetralogy, the Sea of Tranquility, is a powerful piece of writing of incredible beauty. Runaway Horses is the second volume after the magnificent Spring Snow, and - as the rest of the novels - carries on the story of a few of the characters from the previous book against the historical canvas of Japan in the 30's. Not exactly optimistic, it did involve an incredible amount of research and travel for Mishima as he was I am an absolute fanboy to Japanese madman but genius writer Yukio Mishima. Not exactly optimistic, it did involve an incredible amount of research and travel for Mishima as he was writing it. An fabulous ride from a truly unique and incredible writer. Runaway Horses , the second book in Mishima's The Sea of Fertility series, is a completely different book than the first. While Spring Snow is a poetic, tender love story, Runaway Horses is a political manifesto. Given what I know of reincarnation, the idea that one tries to correct the mistakes of their past life, this is a proper step in the path of the character known as Kiyoaki in the first novel. Kiyoaki was confused and unsure; he had very polar opinions of each person in his life—everyone Runaway Horses , the second book in Mishima's The Sea of Fertility series, is a completely different book than the first. Kiyoaki was confused and unsure; he had very polar opinions of each person in his life—everyone had a sense of loveliness, everyone was out to get him. That being said, the series as a whole reminds me a little now of Tolstoy. In a massive work like War and Peace , Tolstoy took his time to tell love stories, fight battles, and express his views on history and politics. On its own, Runaway Horses delves too much into political discourse to keep the plot interesting, but within the series as a whole, it makes sense. In comparison to the first book, Runaway Horses is dry and somewhat flat; but as an addendum or companion to Spring Snow , it is a brilliant follow up. I look forward to the third novel in the series. View all 4 comments. Jan 07, Khashayar Mohammadi rated it it was amazing Shelves: japanese-lit , favorites , asian-lit. I had a really hard time reading "Spring Snow" till the end, and almost gave up on continuing with the "Sea of Fertility" tetralogy. But I sure am glad I read this. The battle between modernity and tradition has always been a central theme to Mishima's work, but the sea of fertility morphs the abstract turmoil into a battle between traditional and colonial Japan, while Mishima's hatred of authority morphs into Anti-Establishment sentiments that are somewhat in line with socialism. The ending is o I had a really hard time reading "Spring Snow" till the end, and almost gave up on continuing with the "Sea of Fertility" tetralogy. The ending is one of my favorites. If Mishima has taught us anything, Its that Art and life are only synthesized through blood. View 1 comment. I'm going be honest and say that going in, I had expected that this would be the volume I would enjoy least in the Sea of Fertility tetralogy. I don't believe I had heard anything overtly negative about this book in particular, but being privy to controversies surrounding Mishima's unbent fervor for the Old Way, I thought that it might be overcast with these dark entries in the author's life. I do, having read Spring Snow, think that Runaway Horses didn't quite affect me with the same disquietud I'm going be honest and say that going in, I had expected that this would be the volume I would enjoy least in the Sea of Fertility tetralogy. I do, having read Spring Snow, think that Runaway Horses didn't quite affect me with the same disquietude as the former, that succession of thoughts and only ever so slight moments after finishing a book that incurs only ponderous sorrow. That isn't to say I didn't think it was very good, I think that the desperate and contradictory behaviors of Isao more than go to demonstrate thoughtfulness and metatextual self-awareness on behalf of Mishima, a rather uncomfortable idea, that there was not an absence of doubt, perhaps shame, in his final hours. It doesn't wound me with the same grace as the countless other stories about beauty in young and shallow minds, it just seems as if there is something much less timeless about Runaway Horses, contra Spring Snow. Once I've finished the tetralogy, I'll make a note to edit this with some reflections with regard to the whole narrative. Mar 26, Smiley rated it really liked it Shelves: fiction , japan. In fact I enjoyed reading this fantastic novel, around ten years ago, as its second book of the tetralogy, "The Sea of Fertility". View all 12 comments. Blood and flowers were alike, Isao thought, in that both were quick to dry up, quick to change their substance. And precisely because of this, then, blood and flowers could go on living by taking on the substance of glory. Glory in all its form was inevitably something metallic. When I was much younger, I had some grim thoughts involving heights. Now, I'm scared of balconies if they're not fenced off. They should be enclosed with something - wires, net, a lovely lattice pattern. It pretty muc Blood and flowers were alike, Isao thought, in that both were quick to dry up, quick to change their substance. It pretty much feels like a prison cell. Some prefer the word "catio" when they have a cat to take care of - it's a cell, folks. But it makes one feels safer. The point of this inarticulate introduction is that I see people around me clinging to life as hard as they can and, in a moment, the persistent fascination with death turns into something that barely rises above the level of banality. I felt something similar while reading a poetry collection by Trakl - I ended up slightly bored. In the end, I don't find morbidity so charming as I did in my impressionable youth. Honestly, I didn't care much about the protagonist's story, his obsessions, the excessive patriotism I wasn't able to identify with as I experienced while reading Patriotism or view spoiler [the perfect scene for committing seppuku hide spoiler ]. I think I prefer the historical context to the main plot line, and Mishima really did his homework: his attention to detail is remarkable. It's rather difficult for me to separate the two first volumes of this tetralogy from the author and his bleak thoughts regarding the transformation Japan went through, the richness of its past and the tradition that linked honor with death. Perhaps I don't even need to. Nevertheless, he brings to the reader another masterful portrait of the impact of the Meiji era along with a relentless sense of nostalgia for the past - in this case, through the figure of Isao, a young man whose vanity sometimes seems to be focused on having a picturesque death whereas the message he is trying to convey becomes incidental. It was a shame that came from the conviction that Sawa, and Sawa alone, had seen in him both the pleasure and the arrogant pride of a young man luxuriating in the sweet feeling of having made up his mind to die. The different versions of Isao with fluctuating levels of eloquence also felt strange, especially by the end of the book. On a different note, far from politics, a kiss is what makes this runaway stallion break free of the yoke, and yet, his love story with Makiko didn't resonate with me either. Not to mention the hideous portrait of yet another female character - though that's never a surprise. I remember reading about Mishima's own death and how it became an object of ridicule since seppuku was outdated by then. That's something that completely ruined the sense of beauty and greatness he always wanted - it's heartbreaking. In any case, I was more interested in knowing about Honda and his impressions. And that's where Mishima's pen stood out, demonstrating why I find it so captivating despite its fatal obsessions. In human relationships, good and evil, trust and mistrust appear in impure form, mixed together in small portions. Nothing is ever pure. As Plath says, the way not to be disappointed. Far to the south. Very hot View all 7 comments. Feb 13, Inderjit Sanghera rated it really liked it. The story follows Honda nineteen years after the tragic end of 'Spring Snow', where his best friend Kiyokai. Honda has become the man he was destined to be as a teenager; studious, sensible and intelligent, bordering on emotionless, he is unable to fill the sense of beauty which Kiyokai brought to his life. Behind this sense of contentment lies a desire to experience something transcendent, a desire which is realised when he encounters Isao, who he realises is the reincarnation of Kiyokai. Superficially the two cannot be any different, whereas Kiyokai's beauty was incandescent and ethereal, Isao's is forceful and violence, however the same fire blazes forth behind both their eyes and this fire lights up Honda's soul and gives him meaning. The difference in characters is echoed in the writing; although death permeated both novels, there was something inherently poetic about 'Spring Snow', whereas 'Runaway Horses' is preoccupied by violence and vituperation. Whereas both novels dealt with the gradual disintegration of traditional Japanese values and cultures beneath the relentless drive of modernity, 'Spring Snow' dealt with this subtly in contrast to the much more obvious preoccupation with this in 'Runaway Horses', which follows the murderous intent of Isao and a group of revolutionary. Whilst 'Runaway Horses' doesn't represent the pinnacle of Mishima's novel, it continues to explore and expand on the themes which occupied Mishima such as beauty, death, masculinity and the erosion of Japanese culture. Jul 02, P. This is the story of 19 y. In such dire times of political unrest, rise of militarism and concerning unemployment rates, young Isao Iinuma boils with indignation and wants the Emperor's powers to be fully restored. He can't stand Japan being run by a ring of powerful politicians, capitalists and magistrates, visibly unaffected by the surge of poverty in Japan, betraying what Isao sees as the old ways of Imperial Japan. Only it doesn't turn out according to plan. According to me, this is due to several underlying factors : 1 Honda's character arc felt a bit lacking, stiff and abrupt: he made nothing of personal significance since the death of his friend Kiyoaki, 19 years before, never bothering that much about Kiyoaki's last words, the meaning of his own position as a magristrat, which I find highly unlikely from a man questionning every facet of the law, history and human existence in Spring Snow. If you except such passages, his personality proves monolithic to me. More, 40 y. Honda, after reading 'The Society of the Divine Wind' openly disagrees with the principles advocated by the eponymous group, even more in , half a century later. He proves impervious to such reasoning. Unfortunately, some metaphors pieces being moved on a chessboard, sweat trickling on someone's back, It also resonates since part of my PhD work was focused on the use of Shinto ideology and national mythology in the rise of ultranationalist fanaticism before and during WII and specifically war shrines , and Mishima is spot on here. More when I finish the next two books, but seriously, five stars is a drop in the bucket for the greatness of this one. Apr 27, Sagar rated it it was amazing Shelves: the-list , to-buy , read-in-kazakhstan. It was published into the world much akin to John Kennedy Tool's A Confederacy of Dunces: as renowned for its literary merit, as it was for the strange circumstances surrounding its publication. After turning in the final draft to his editor for publication he gathered together the members of Tatenokai the Shield Society , his private army. They stormed the Japanese Self Defense Force in Ichigaya, and after securing control of the complex Mishima delivered an impassioned speech to the troops, calling for them to throw off the shackles of Western influence and return Japan to its pure roots. After finishing, Mishima calmly retreated from the balcony. After writing 40 novels, 18 plays, 20 short story collections, over 20 collections of essays, a libretto and a film, the incredibly prolific Mishima committed ritual suicide by seppuku in the commandant's office. Born into a samurai family in , Mishima was raised to serve The Emperor in the wake of WWI while Japanese society was beginning what would become rapid Westernization. Widely considered one of the most important voices of Japanese post-war literature, the Sea of Fertility is his crowning masterpiece. It is located at about the same place on the moon as Japan and the Sea of Japan are located on the Earth, and the lunar sea itself resembles an upside down sea of Japan. The books are separated into time periods, covering about 60 years of Japanese 20th century history. Runaway Horses picks up 19 years after the end of Spring Snow and Mishima at once dives into the rising political climate leading up to the second World War. Honda follows young Isao Iinuma and his rampant nationalistic spirit while slowly realizing Isao bears the soul of his long deceased friend Kiyoaki. Complete with a page novel-within-a-novel, romanticized depictions of seppuku, assassination plots and the beginnings of a lengthy meditation on Buddhist transmigration of the soul, Honda narrates Japan through the increasingly polarized separation of the Japanese classes in the years before the outbreak of the war. As she matures, and eventually makes her way to Japan, however, Honda finds she demonstrates no recollection of her childhood or her previous incarnations. Mishima continues to use the backdrop of historical Japan as a dramatic set for his incredibly well crafted and complex characters. Mishima finished the tetralogy with an apocalyptic mirror exposing the modern Japanese soul with his The Decay of the Angel. In fact, Mishima concludes the migration of the dying angelic soul through a synthesis of his previous incarnations ending in nothingness. His sentences are sharp, clear and bursting with life. He has a talent for creating incredibly detailed and visceral scenes to allow his characters to meander about within. Reading Mishima is an experience like no other, as his writing forces the reader to slow down and enjoy each unique sentence as a drop of poetry. From within his beautifully created universe his talent to penetrate the psyche of his characters and create such vivid and living people seems almost unparalleled in contemporary Japanese literature. A truly momentous work of the 20th century, and one of the most intriguing depictions of Japan from one of her most passionate advocates; I can not strongly enough recommend it. As it is an investment in time, energy, constant thought and contemplation, The Sea of Fertility is a far cry from standard brain candy, but it is an investment with a high yield of return, and one that will remain with you long after the soul of Kiyoaki is put to rest. The first book, Spring Snow, opened a little too quietly. Almost a whisper. Kyoaki Matsugae, a beautiful boy, inexperienced and idealistic, is like uncracked porcelain. It's with Kyoaki that Mishima introduces what will become an overarching theme in the tetralogy: purity, pure morality, pure beauty. I think that's one reason the first book drags a bit. Anytime a novel prioritizes ideals over the muddy, cruddy stuff of reality, the plot if that's the right word for it loses traction. Much of the story feels ethereal. Not until the end, when Kyoaki relents and makes himself vulnerable to real love and its tragedies, does the story thicken. I'm not sure I could have finished another Spring Snow. But Runaway Horses, as even the title by comparison suggests, treads heavier on earth. Its theme is still purity, and its protagonist still a naive adolescent his connection to Kyoaki I won't spoil , but the scenario has changed. WWII is only a handful of years off. Japan is struggling with its identity. Will it commit to its imperial initiatives in China and overseas? Will it trade its remaining cultural capital for Western capitalism? Or will communism infiltrate its leadership? Mishima schools us in Japanese history. I got so caught up in that part of the story that I had to buy one of those Great Courses lectures on Japan. If you're a history nerd like me, I definitely recommend doing the same. Mishima's historical knowledge goes deep! He connects everything from Shinto to Meiji industrialization and the fall of the samurai to Japan's unique form of twentieth-century nationalism. Isao Iinuma, the boy around which Runaway Horses takes place, is a kendo prodigy who is aware of the confusion and turmoil that Japan especially its farmers and laborers has suffered in its ambitions toward power. He reads a book called The League of the Divine Wind, a chivalric tale of samurai loyalty to the Japanese emperor. Despite their small number, these few warriors strike a blow at evil by assassinating those who, to their minds, threaten the emperor's honor and control. Afterwards, they commit seppuku, slicing open their stomachs and cutting their own throats. Isao's obsession with this story—the purity of its ideals, its cause, and its conclusion—inspire him to form a similar band of warrior conspirators. He will purge Japan of its corruption by assassinating businessmen and politicians, and by sabotaging key industrial sites. Should all go to plan, a glorious suicide awaits along with heaven's blessing. The plan doesn't come off. And Mishima adds some gripping and unexpected twists toward the end. There's a love interest here too, but even that is not what you'd imagine, especially after Spring Snow. I'll leave that to reader as well, since the excitement of this novel comes so much from the devastating, strange, and obsessive personalities both developed and revealed as the novel progresses. Isao gave me chills: his radical fundamentalism, I should say. Growing up in an evangelical community myself and having escaped, thank goodness! Truth, for the fundamentalist, is uncomplicated and inviolable. There is good and there is evil, and there is nothing in between. If there were, life would have no meaning, no purpose. It would be, as Isao says at one point, as if he had "lived for the sake of an illusion" There's a passage toward the end where Isao is in jail and hears the cries of communists the Reds being tortured down the hall. Even though Isao views communism as yet another Western evil , he envies those who suffer for pure ideals. He cries out to the guard nearby: "Torture me! Torture me right now. Why can't you do the same to me? Can you tell why not? Calm down, don't be foolish. It's very simple. You don't give us any trouble. But rightist or leftist, anyone who gives us trouble is going to pay for it. Still, when all is said and done, those Reds. In comparison to them Iinuma [Isao], you and your friends are patriots. Your thoughts are in the right direction. It's only that you're young. The trouble is, you're too pure, so you went to extremes. Your purpose is good. It's your methods. What about making them more gradual, toning them down a bit? If you made them a little more flexible, everything would be fine. That 'little' is the point. Purity can't be toned down a little. If you make it a bit flexible, just a bit, it becomes a totally different idea, not the kind we hold" Flexibility would spoil the idea of the "perfect villain" that fuels Isao's sense of justice. And that he cannot tolerate, which leads to all sorts of troubles in the latter half of the novel when Isao learns of indiscretions committed by those in his life he had, until that time, venerated. And what is he to do when his own family, by his own standard of perfection, proves unworthy? For most of the characters in Runaway Horses not just Isao , the line between sanity and madness, reality and illusion, is paper thin. That's the point. Isao, as even the prison guard notices, is only the consequence of good intentions pushed to the extreme—or maybe "good intentions" is understating matters too much. Self-righteousness, in this story, wears good intention like a lamb's hide. It's the wolf that doesn't know he's a wolf—until he does. And then what? View all 5 comments. If Spring Snow, the first book in this series, was the embodiment of Love and Passion in literature, Runaway Horses seems to be the embodiment of something else entirely, but maybe, markedly, it's actually the same thing. If it is, the preoccupation has shifted from a more direct romantic love, filled with all of its tragic consequences, to a more abstract love - a passion for idealism, and the youthful rebellion inherent in such a radical idealism as our protagonist, Isao Iinuma, displays. I don If Spring Snow, the first book in this series, was the embodiment of Love and Passion in literature, Runaway Horses seems to be the embodiment of something else entirely, but maybe, markedly, it's actually the same thing. I don't want to risk spoiling the first book either - that said, this second one continues the tradition of the reincarnations brilliantly. There were moments when, especially near the end, I actually screamed out in awe at what Mishima was doing - drawing parallels between the different incarnations of the same being. I can hardly wait to read the next installment. This is, without a doubt, becoming one of my new favorite staples of the literary world. Dec 09, Jack rated it it was amazing Shelves: 20th-century , the-five-stars , japan. I was reminded a lot of The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea , another Mishima novel that covers similar themes of woman-hating boys lashing out to a contradictory adult world with passionate violence. Five stars. The second instalment of Mishima's tetralogy, "Runaway Horses" began in , when the great world depression had its disastrous effects felt on all developed economies. Since the beginning of the Hirohito era six years earlier, Japan has experienced significant political instability, and the assassination of Prime Minister Inukai on May 15, , by naval officers is a terrible blow to the young Japanese democracy. Although having faile The second instalment of Mishima's tetralogy, "Runaway Horses" began in , when the great world depression had its disastrous effects felt on all developed economies. Although having failed, this coup attempt marks the rise of the army in the affairs of the country. It is in this particularly worrying economic and political context that we find Honda at the age of 38 years at the post of adviser at the Court of Appeal of Osaka. Remember that Honda was, twenty years earlier, the friend of the late Kiyoaki Matsugae the main character of the first opus "Spring Snow". A few months later Honda learns, amazed, of the arrest and the indictment of Isao and eleven accomplices for an attempted assassination on twelve eminent Japanese personalities. These captains of industry, these bankers, these politicians are guilty in the eyes of the conspirators of being capitalists devoid of any national loyalty. A denunciation prevented the assassinations in extremis. To everyone's surprise, Honda resigned from his post at the Court of Appeal and became the lawyer for the man he thought he knew better than anyone. This time taking on the role of defence, will he manage to save from prison, these young purity-loving terrorists who had planned to kill themselves by seppuku as soon as the stabbing murders accomplished? Everyone knew the tragic end of Mishima in November The genesis of his suicide in the pure samurai tradition is recounted in a literary style forcing admiration. If there is one writer who has identified himself radically with one of his characters in a novel, it is Mishima! His young hero Isao puts on the coat of an ultranationalist venerating His Sacred Majesty the Emperor. Also, his endless patriotism combines the conformity of thought and action. To the President of the court who asked him if patriotism could not remain simply a faith, Isao referring to the Chinese philosopher Wang Yang-Ming replied: "To know and not to act is not yet to know". Then, as if Mishima himself wanted to justify himself in front of History, the writer makes his character say: "This is the philosophy that I have tried to put into practice". Jun 20, Eugene Miya rated it it was amazing. Yukio Mishima is a sensitive topic for those Japanese and Japanese descendents. I was only an older adolescent when he took over the Japanese Self-Defense Force facilities. Paul Schrader's film brought back some of those memories for me as an adult. So I'd embark on the Sea tetralogy. For me Runaway Horses is the best of the four volumes, but I suspect that's a cultural thing. This is lost to most English speakers. What is it with us? When a cousin whom I'd not seen in decades came "out of the cl Yukio Mishima is a sensitive topic for those Japanese and Japanese descendents. When a cousin whom I'd not seen in decades came "out of the closet", he asked me if my father like his father one of my dad's younger brothers, "Did your dad have the suicide discussion like my his dad? My answer to him was yes. Runaway Horses touches some deep nerves. I won't summarize what other reviews covered. Runaway Horses is very descriptive. The reviews lack the understanding about kendo and the refining of skill such that you reach the question whether one is as skilled with steel rather than wooden swords. What has changed since Mishima wrote Runaway Horses and staged his final event is technology. One college room mate worked in high school, as I, on substantial weaponry. This was lost to most adults until the events starting with Columbine High School what happened and what they planned. Two American teenagers kill more Americans than the Serbian armed forces in th same period. This would step up the VA Tech and most recently Norway events. Runaway Horses would not seem so implausible now. Does it matter if one resorts to violence for art or repression? Maybe we no longer want single people to make a difference. Have we become the judge like Honda? Aum Shinrikyo looks even less improbable and more serious given this story. Runaway Horses will cause more pause with this kind of hind sight. We aren't done yet as a society. Sep 25, Erin rated it liked it. Second book of Mishima's Sea of Fertility tetralogy. Centered on the themes of westernization and loss of traditional society in s Japan, and the resulting dissent amongst right wing, traditionalist factions. Runaway Horses by Yukio Mishima

The books are separated into time periods, covering about 60 years of Japanese 20th century history. Runaway Horses picks up 19 years after the end of Spring Snow and Mishima at once dives into the rising political climate leading up to the second World War. Honda follows young Isao Iinuma and his rampant nationalistic spirit while slowly realizing Isao bears the soul of his long deceased friend Kiyoaki. Complete with a page novel-within-a-novel, romanticized depictions of seppuku, assassination plots and the beginnings of a lengthy meditation on Buddhist transmigration of the soul, Honda narrates Japan through the increasingly polarized separation of the Japanese classes in the years before the outbreak of the war. As she matures, and eventually makes her way to Japan, however, Honda finds she demonstrates no recollection of her childhood or her previous incarnations. Mishima continues to use the backdrop of historical Japan as a dramatic set for his incredibly well crafted and complex characters. Mishima finished the tetralogy with an apocalyptic mirror exposing the modern Japanese soul with his The Decay of the Angel. In fact, Mishima concludes the migration of the dying angelic soul through a synthesis of his previous incarnations ending in nothingness. His sentences are sharp, clear and bursting with life. He has a talent for creating incredibly detailed and visceral scenes to allow his characters to meander about within. Reading Mishima is an experience like no other, as his writing forces the reader to slow down and enjoy each unique sentence as a drop of poetry. From within his beautifully created universe his talent to penetrate the psyche of his characters and create such vivid and living people seems almost unparalleled in contemporary Japanese literature. A truly momentous work of the 20th century, and one of the most intriguing depictions of Japan from one of her most passionate advocates; I can not strongly enough recommend it. As it is an investment in time, energy, constant thought and contemplation, The Sea of Fertility is a far cry from standard brain candy, but it is an investment with a high yield of return, and one that will remain with you long after the soul of Kiyoaki is put to rest. The first book, Spring Snow, opened a little too quietly. Almost a whisper. Kyoaki Matsugae, a beautiful boy, inexperienced and idealistic, is like uncracked porcelain. It's with Kyoaki that Mishima introduces what will become an overarching theme in the tetralogy: purity, pure morality, pure beauty. I think that's one reason the first book drags a bit. Anytime a novel prioritizes ideals over the muddy, cruddy stuff of reality, the plot if that's the right word for it loses traction. Much of the story feels ethereal. Not until the end, when Kyoaki relents and makes himself vulnerable to real love and its tragedies, does the story thicken. I'm not sure I could have finished another Spring Snow. But Runaway Horses, as even the title by comparison suggests, treads heavier on earth. Its theme is still purity, and its protagonist still a naive adolescent his connection to Kyoaki I won't spoil , but the scenario has changed. WWII is only a handful of years off. Japan is struggling with its identity. Will it commit to its imperial initiatives in China and overseas? Will it trade its remaining cultural capital for Western capitalism? Or will communism infiltrate its leadership? Mishima schools us in Japanese history. I got so caught up in that part of the story that I had to buy one of those Great Courses lectures on Japan. If you're a history nerd like me, I definitely recommend doing the same. Mishima's historical knowledge goes deep! He connects everything from Shinto to Meiji industrialization and the fall of the samurai to Japan's unique form of twentieth-century nationalism. Isao Iinuma, the boy around which Runaway Horses takes place, is a kendo prodigy who is aware of the confusion and turmoil that Japan especially its farmers and laborers has suffered in its ambitions toward power. He reads a book called The League of the Divine Wind, a chivalric tale of samurai loyalty to the Japanese emperor. Despite their small number, these few warriors strike a blow at evil by assassinating those who, to their minds, threaten the emperor's honor and control. Afterwards, they commit seppuku, slicing open their stomachs and cutting their own throats. Isao's obsession with this story—the purity of its ideals, its cause, and its conclusion—inspire him to form a similar band of warrior conspirators. He will purge Japan of its corruption by assassinating businessmen and politicians, and by sabotaging key industrial sites. Should all go to plan, a glorious suicide awaits along with heaven's blessing. The plan doesn't come off. And Mishima adds some gripping and unexpected twists toward the end. There's a love interest here too, but even that is not what you'd imagine, especially after Spring Snow. I'll leave that to reader as well, since the excitement of this novel comes so much from the devastating, strange, and obsessive personalities both developed and revealed as the novel progresses. Isao gave me chills: his radical fundamentalism, I should say. Growing up in an evangelical community myself and having escaped, thank goodness! Truth, for the fundamentalist, is uncomplicated and inviolable. There is good and there is evil, and there is nothing in between. If there were, life would have no meaning, no purpose. It would be, as Isao says at one point, as if he had "lived for the sake of an illusion" There's a passage toward the end where Isao is in jail and hears the cries of communists the Reds being tortured down the hall. Even though Isao views communism as yet another Western evil , he envies those who suffer for pure ideals. He cries out to the guard nearby: "Torture me! Torture me right now. Why can't you do the same to me? Can you tell why not? Calm down, don't be foolish. It's very simple. You don't give us any trouble. But rightist or leftist, anyone who gives us trouble is going to pay for it. Still, when all is said and done, those Reds. In comparison to them Iinuma [Isao], you and your friends are patriots. Your thoughts are in the right direction. It's only that you're young. The trouble is, you're too pure, so you went to extremes. Your purpose is good. It's your methods. What about making them more gradual, toning them down a bit? If you made them a little more flexible, everything would be fine. That 'little' is the point. Purity can't be toned down a little. If you make it a bit flexible, just a bit, it becomes a totally different idea, not the kind we hold" Flexibility would spoil the idea of the "perfect villain" that fuels Isao's sense of justice. And that he cannot tolerate, which leads to all sorts of troubles in the latter half of the novel when Isao learns of indiscretions committed by those in his life he had, until that time, venerated. And what is he to do when his own family, by his own standard of perfection, proves unworthy? For most of the characters in Runaway Horses not just Isao , the line between sanity and madness, reality and illusion, is paper thin. That's the point. Isao, as even the prison guard notices, is only the consequence of good intentions pushed to the extreme—or maybe "good intentions" is understating matters too much. Self-righteousness, in this story, wears good intention like a lamb's hide. It's the wolf that doesn't know he's a wolf—until he does. And then what? View all 5 comments. If Spring Snow, the first book in this series, was the embodiment of Love and Passion in literature, Runaway Horses seems to be the embodiment of something else entirely, but maybe, markedly, it's actually the same thing. If it is, the preoccupation has shifted from a more direct romantic love, filled with all of its tragic consequences, to a more abstract love - a passion for idealism, and the youthful rebellion inherent in such a radical idealism as our protagonist, Isao Iinuma, displays. I don If Spring Snow, the first book in this series, was the embodiment of Love and Passion in literature, Runaway Horses seems to be the embodiment of something else entirely, but maybe, markedly, it's actually the same thing. I don't want to risk spoiling the first book either - that said, this second one continues the tradition of the reincarnations brilliantly. There were moments when, especially near the end, I actually screamed out in awe at what Mishima was doing - drawing parallels between the different incarnations of the same being. I can hardly wait to read the next installment. This is, without a doubt, becoming one of my new favorite staples of the literary world. Dec 09, Jack rated it it was amazing Shelves: 20th-century , the-five-stars , japan. I was reminded a lot of The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea , another Mishima novel that covers similar themes of woman-hating boys lashing out to a contradictory adult world with passionate violence. Five stars. The second instalment of Mishima's tetralogy, "Runaway Horses" began in , when the great world depression had its disastrous effects felt on all developed economies. Since the beginning of the Hirohito era six years earlier, Japan has experienced significant political instability, and the assassination of Prime Minister Inukai on May 15, , by naval officers is a terrible blow to the young Japanese democracy. Although having faile The second instalment of Mishima's tetralogy, "Runaway Horses" began in , when the great world depression had its disastrous effects felt on all developed economies. Although having failed, this coup attempt marks the rise of the army in the affairs of the country. It is in this particularly worrying economic and political context that we find Honda at the age of 38 years at the post of adviser at the Court of Appeal of Osaka. Remember that Honda was, twenty years earlier, the friend of the late Kiyoaki Matsugae the main character of the first opus "Spring Snow". A few months later Honda learns, amazed, of the arrest and the indictment of Isao and eleven accomplices for an attempted assassination on twelve eminent Japanese personalities. These captains of industry, these bankers, these politicians are guilty in the eyes of the conspirators of being capitalists devoid of any national loyalty. A denunciation prevented the assassinations in extremis. To everyone's surprise, Honda resigned from his post at the Court of Appeal and became the lawyer for the man he thought he knew better than anyone. This time taking on the role of defence, will he manage to save from prison, these young purity-loving terrorists who had planned to kill themselves by seppuku as soon as the stabbing murders accomplished? Everyone knew the tragic end of Mishima in November The genesis of his suicide in the pure samurai tradition is recounted in a literary style forcing admiration. If there is one writer who has identified himself radically with one of his characters in a novel, it is Mishima! His young hero Isao puts on the coat of an ultranationalist venerating His Sacred Majesty the Emperor. Also, his endless patriotism combines the conformity of thought and action. To the President of the court who asked him if patriotism could not remain simply a faith, Isao referring to the Chinese philosopher Wang Yang-Ming replied: "To know and not to act is not yet to know". Then, as if Mishima himself wanted to justify himself in front of History, the writer makes his character say: "This is the philosophy that I have tried to put into practice". Jun 20, Eugene Miya rated it it was amazing. Yukio Mishima is a sensitive topic for those Japanese and Japanese descendents. I was only an older adolescent when he took over the Japanese Self-Defense Force facilities. Paul Schrader's film brought back some of those memories for me as an adult. So I'd embark on the Sea tetralogy. For me Runaway Horses is the best of the four volumes, but I suspect that's a cultural thing. This is lost to most English speakers. What is it with us? When a cousin whom I'd not seen in decades came "out of the cl Yukio Mishima is a sensitive topic for those Japanese and Japanese descendents. When a cousin whom I'd not seen in decades came "out of the closet", he asked me if my father like his father one of my dad's younger brothers, "Did your dad have the suicide discussion like my his dad? My answer to him was yes. Runaway Horses touches some deep nerves. I won't summarize what other reviews covered. Runaway Horses is very descriptive. The reviews lack the understanding about kendo and the refining of skill such that you reach the question whether one is as skilled with steel rather than wooden swords. What has changed since Mishima wrote Runaway Horses and staged his final event is technology. One college room mate worked in high school, as I, on substantial weaponry. This was lost to most adults until the events starting with Columbine High School what happened and what they planned. Two American teenagers kill more Americans than the Serbian armed forces in th same period. This would step up the VA Tech and most recently Norway events. Runaway Horses would not seem so implausible now. Does it matter if one resorts to violence for art or repression? Maybe we no longer want single people to make a difference. Have we become the judge like Honda? Aum Shinrikyo looks even less improbable and more serious given this story. Runaway Horses will cause more pause with this kind of hind sight. We aren't done yet as a society. Sep 25, Erin rated it liked it. Second book of Mishima's Sea of Fertility tetralogy. Centered on the themes of westernization and loss of traditional society in s Japan, and the resulting dissent amongst right wing, traditionalist factions. Also, disturbingly focussed on the manliness and honor of seppaku , the ritual act of suicide. Very much a foreshadowing of Mishima's own suicide in , almost a script of the future event. Although the main character, Isao, is a reincarnation of the the protagonist in Spring Snow , Kiyoaki, he's not as rich and interesting of a character. There's a single mindedness of tone in this book that's a little disconcerting and makes the story somewhat unbelievable. Perhaps also a little dry in its near constant regurgitation of Mishima's ideas on Japanese society by his characters. However, there are also some beautifully described scenes of nature and, like Spring Snow , many interesting psychological observations, which are embodied in a relatively large cast. Then, with a powerful thrust of his arm, he plunged the knife into his stomach. The instant that the blade tore open his flesh, the bright disk of the sun soared up and exploded behind his eyelids" Mishima, Jul 01, Raunit rated it it was amazing. As brilliant as Spring Snow but there are recurring elements of his previous books such as his extremely popular the sailor who fell from grace with the sea and even Confessions of a Mask both of which are my personal favorites. Had I read these opening books of the tetralogy as his first works I am sure I would have been much more mesmerized and impressed. The book is the most 'Mishima' book. It actually lines up with his real life to a very large extent. The mini book inside the novel 'Divine As brilliant as Spring Snow but there are recurring elements of his previous books such as his extremely popular the sailor who fell from grace with the sea and even Confessions of a Mask both of which are my personal favorites. The mini book inside the novel 'Divine Wind' which in Japanese is Kamikaze which in itself is symbolism to so many things. Apr 02, Descending Angel rated it it was amazing Shelves: japanese , mishima. Moving away from the tragic romance of the first book and into politics but its not boring at all, it's powerful and dark. Really dark when you think about how this foreshadows Mishima's life. Has the best ending out of the four. Feb 07, Michael Battaglia rated it it was amazing. Fanaticism can become its own kind of tragedy, transforming those we know into strangers before conspiring to take them away entirely. When the reality of it becomes personal its easy to feel the ache. It's a lot harder to cause that ache in perfect strangers, giving them a front row seat to someone's inevitable immolation. Now imagine trying to do that with the gap of a temporal and cultural context. That's what Mishima manages to accomplish here and on some levels its amazing. Set in the years Fanaticism can become its own kind of tragedy, transforming those we know into strangers before conspiring to take them away entirely. Set in the years before WWII breaks out, we rearrive some nineteen years after the events of the first novel. Kiyoaki's friend Honda is now a court judge of some respect. During a trip he makes to a kendo tournament, he runs into Kiyoaki's old tutor Iinuma and his son Isao, who is quite near a kendo champion. But when he sees Isao bathing beneath a waterfall, he sees three birthmarks and remembers his doomed friend's last words to him, "I'll see you again. I know it. Beneath the falls. Realizing that the young Isao is very much taken up with this ideal of purity and restoring the country to its perceived glory, the book becomes a sort of race against time as Honda strives to save this new version of his friend from a youthfully tragic demise. If the first book centered around a crystalline depiction of a star-crossed romance and sometimes seemed a little naive for it understandable, given the point of view , this novel is far more obsessed of the notions of purity and how that can exist in a county that is being corrupted by outside forces from the inside, if that makes any sense. The whole feel is of a society trapped inside a lurching transition, being dragged across centuries without anyone really asking their permission, and not everyone is along for the ride. In a way, the themes of this book seem far closer to Mishima's heart than the first novel especially given his actions later in life , and he takes a lot to time to delve into the ideas of purity and the nature of Japan itself, the tug between the old traditions of the emperor and the new ways of capitalism. A good chunk of the beginning of the book is devoted to the League of the Divine Wind pamphlet depicting those actions, and while it also foreshadows the remainder of the novel, it also tells you where its interests truly lies. All of the objections to it seem half-hearted, the bleating cries of people who have gotten too old to want to see real change and instead just want degrading stasis. Isao looks to that as the ideal and from the moment he gives the pamphlet to Honda, you get the sense that he's doomed as well, no matter how hard the other man will try. But the novel really isn't written FOR Westerners and people without a basic working knowledge of Japanese histories and attitudes around that time period may be a bit lost in the beginning, because we're not given much context. Although a quick reading on the subject will give you the general gist of why people weren't happy, especially the May 15 Incident of Most of the novel follows the actions of Isao and his followers as they plot to assassinate a number of officials and then depart to heaven on a divine wind, and the matter of factness in which they plan their suicides is chilling, especially as you realize you're dealing with modes of thinking completely pivoted from that of Western cultures. And in those little actions is the tick of inevitability, Isao is so young and so fervent in his beliefs that there's only really two options, that the beliefs will transform him utterly or he will change in a manner that will make him alien to his former self. Honda wants the boy to remain in his beautiful purity and passion without sticking a knife in his gut, but from the start the two can't be reconciled. Isao is unwavering and while that makes him more monolithic than his previous incarnation, it also makes him a more fascinating character, because he blends that sense of poetry filtered through the idea of the political, albeit one that has its own brand of perfection at odds with the real world. At its most basic its the story of a boy ill-suited to live in the world that he inhabits, and so while he tries to change that world into one where he can be comfortable, if that isn't possible, he has to depart for a place where that beauty and comfort might exist. Mishima's prose is just as beautiful this time around, even if more of it is devoted to idealistic diatribes witness Isao's later speech to a judge about his beliefs in Japan but he can still surprise, not only in the nature of the prose there's one passage describing hugging someone through a kimono that is delicately perfect but in the little configurations of the mystical and irrational that exist at the sides of the novel and inform the actions without becoming the main focus. Isao is the reincarnation of Kiyoaki and maybe the incarnation of someone further down the line and in those little intersections the novel takes on the frozen haze of a dream, a world where proof of reincarnation exist but still proves nothing, the echoes that exist and are only seen when you look for them, much like Japan itself, where the mystical can live alongside the modern and both beliefs can be held true simultaneously. There's a beauty in that and its telling, as hopeless as the novel can be with all its winging toward desolate inevitability everyone's plan fail except for the corrupt, it seems you still have that moment where Honda sees his best friend under the falls in a new body, as he predicted, and you realize that its a world where nothing is ever truly lost if you're patient enough, and you never stop looking. Which is hope in itself, and worth remembering. Sep 13, Sahil Sood rated it it was amazing Shelves: fiction , japan , reincarnation , samurai. Blazing with feral energy, Mishima's second installment in "The Sea of Fertility" tetralogy is fiercer, darker, and unsettling. Honda, now a middle-aged judge, who follows his childhood friend Kiyoaki's reincarnation after twenty years of his death and yet again bears witness to the destructive power of heedless passion now taking over Isao, represents the rational, controlled aspect of mind and spirit. In "Runaway Horses", Mishima, through his tormented protagonist, chronicles the dying spirit of Japan, plagued by unrest and poverty, in which every attempt to reclaim its lost glory and integrity is brutally thwarted. Sep 13, Tonymess rated it really liked it. I'll average things out. Not quite a Japanese Proust as one reviewer claims but up there in the monuments of world literature. Apr 05, Joselito Honestly and Brilliantly rated it really liked it. It is easy to follow the story in this novel, but I'm afraid I did not really understand it. Honda is a year-old judge. For some reasons not revealed here but maybe elsewhere, since this is but the second part of Yukio Mishima's 4-novel epic called The Sea of Fertility, 3 of which I haven't read , his childhood friend Kiyoaki is always in his mind. Kiyoaki died cause of death not revealed, but hints of suicide are there some 20 or so years ago, when both of them were barely passed their tee It is easy to follow the story in this novel, but I'm afraid I did not really understand it. Kiyoaki died cause of death not revealed, but hints of suicide are there some 20 or so years ago, when both of them were barely passed their teens. Kiyoaki's former tutor, Iinuma, has a year-old son named Isao. Isao is very good in the Japanese martial art called Kendo. But he is captivated by a book called The League of the Divine Wind, the story of which goes this way: Once, the Japanese government forbade the carrying of swords which edict a band of Japanese guys considered unacceptable as it was against Japanese tradition. Organizing and calling themselves "The League of the Divine Wind" they attacked government forces using only their swords as weapons. After some initial successes they were repulsed and defeated as their swords proved to be no match to the government forces' guns. Those who didn't die or weren't captured during the battles committed seppuku Japanese ritual suicide alone or in groups. Seppuku in this book The League of the Divine Wind was gory. The person stabs himself in his stomach, opens it, blood and whatever is in his stomach and intestines spill out. Then as his life ebbs away he likewise stabs his own throat. The author never fails to mention the suicide's age afterwards many of them were just teenagers or a little above 20 years old. In some occasions a fellow member of the League would assist the other in the ritual killing, instructing the latter where to stab himself, before he himself takes his own life in the same manner. Isao is a charismatic, serious kid. Inspired by the League of the Divine Wind he organized his own group of males, about his age, with the purpose of assassinating government and business people they perceived to be corrupt and, later, regardless of the outcome, committing seppuku themselves ala-League of the Divine Wind. Asked what it is that he wishes for more than anything else, Isao said: "Before the sun This apparently permeates Japanese thought. During world war two a lot of Japanese soldiers would kill themselves rather than surrender and perhaps fight another day. There were several instances when they would charge by the hundreds amidst a hail of machinegun fire and towards a certain death. These Japanese, they love death! But Honda perceived this to be false and divined the true motive of Iinuma: "Beyond this, Honda, who should have been offended to some degree by Iinuma's boorish display, had another reason for remaining unperturbed. For as Iinuma, having said all this, kept hastily pouring himself more to drink in this little room from which he had long since excluded the waitress, Honda was aware of a tremor in his hairy hands. And here Honda perceived a sentiment that Iinuma would never voice, something that was probably the deepest motive of his betrayal. To covet death as if it is the most precious thing in this world? Towards the end of the book Isao was still able to do a seppuku, at age Yukio Mishima was a protege of another Japanese writer, Yasunari Kawabata, a Nobel Prize winner, who likewise killed himself. Mishima, during his lifetime, wrote books, 33 plays, countless short stories and articles. He was also a health buff. He began body-building in and took up Kendo and Karate. By he was already a Kendo master of the 5th rank. On 25 November , after writing the last word of the last book of The Sea of Fertility, and at the heights of his fame and powers, Mishima committed seppuku. He was only 45 years old. Jun 02, Christian rated it it was amazing Shelves: bookclub , read-in-french. This volume picks up where Spring Snow left, with Honda leading the transition to Isao, the new leading character. Whereas Kiyoaki was devoted to his emotional life, Isao is obsessed by purity. He is leading a gang of young nationalists to a coup, which is to be followed by suicide. The idea being that by dying themselves, they remain pure in other words, they don't "benefit" from the crime. The actual basis for such nationalist zest isn't described in great detail, but enough to Fascinating The actual basis for such nationalist zest isn't described in great detail, but enough to understand where it's coming from. I don't think Mishima meant to convince anyone with this novel and that is definitely a positive point for anyone not sharing his political opinions ;P It seems like most of the events described actually took place, so I learned a lot about Japan's history. Not just "what happened? In that sense, it brought me more than Spring Snow. The trade-off being that less time is spent out of politics and at some point it started to take me more and more motivation to get through, but Mishima is definitely a great author and it shows: the plot keeps moving forward and the many secondary characters really make the story alive. I'm really looking forward to the next book! I think it's going to be about a girl Just an intuition ;P Dec 27, Tina Tamman rated it really liked it. I very much enjoyed book one in the series and therefore this volume, book two, was completely unexpected: the plot never went where I expected it to go, until the very end. There are similarities between the main protagonists: in both books they are male and aged 18, but if Kiyo in book one is a dreamer, Isao in book two is hell bent on action. I don't want to give away the plot, let alone the ending but there is tragedy involved in both cases. This particular book is not an easy read because in I very much enjoyed book one in the series and therefore this volume, book two, was completely unexpected: the plot never went where I expected it to go, until the very end. This particular book is not an easy read because in a way it amounts to a manual on rebellion, with suicide to follow. And it is Japan, a country I have visited but don't in the least understand. I suppose this is part of the reason why I'm reading this tetralogy in the first place. Nobody quite behaves in a familiar, European fashion, which can be unsettling. The book is set in the early s but women are good just for delivering tea, not partaking it. On the other hand, I suppose this is what keeps me going: I am likely to buy the next book in the series and look forward to reading it. But first I will turn to something easier and more familiar. Jan 09, Chris Watson rated it it was amazing. A fascinating story: describing a world full of delusions and cruelty, characters isolated from one another, trapped by their own thoughts and fantasies. Seduced by violence and fantasies of purity, Isao enters a cult-like conspiracy with a group of young men disgusted with the impurity of Japan and the world. Not a lengthy book, but it manages to explore many themes with great insight - the nature of the Japanese mind; Japanese society; how these manifested themselves in the rise of militarism; A fascinating story: describing a world full of delusions and cruelty, characters isolated from one another, trapped by their own thoughts and fantasies. Not a lengthy book, but it manages to explore many themes with great insight - the nature of the Japanese mind; Japanese society; how these manifested themselves in the rise of militarism; the belief structure of the Yamato nationalist cult; the philosophical clash of Orient and Occident; the allure of fanaticism; the elemental nature of the adolescent mind. A clear, simple understated writing style matched perfectly the author's flawed, but still remarkable powers of psychological perception. Aug 13, Nick rated it it was amazing Shelves: s , authoritarianism , japan , philosophy , tragedy , art , normal-literature , buddhism , revisionism. Certainly the best or second best Mishima novel I've read yet. A eulogy to the beauty of youthful martyrdom. Purity again is a central theme of the text. Reading this brings to light many questions for any reader who believes that any given set of ideas is important. How far would you be willing to go for what you believe in? How much is your life worth, compared to the ideals you claim to hold? Are people who transcend the flesh in this way mad or enlightened? Five singles from the album reached the UK Top 40, two of which were Top Carlisle was presented with her platinum disc live on the Saturday morning children's television show Going Live! The album was also a success in Australia peaking at number six, and was certified double platinum and became the 24th-highest-selling album for Six singles were released from Runaway Horses , and were successful in most markets; the album giving Carlisle four more international top ten hits. The song narrowly missed the top ten in the United States peaking at number For its single release, " We Want The Same Thing " was totally remixed from a heavily accented punk rock staccato mix to a pop song. The DVD features the videos from the album and an exclusive interview with Carlisle, discussing the album. All tracks are written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley , except where noted. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Belinda Carlisle. Robbie Seidman Maria Vidal. David Munday Sandy Stewart. Charlotte Caffey Belinda Carlisle. Archived from the original on March 1, Retrieved March 30, Retrieved March 31, Retrieved 25 June Retrieved January 25, Retrieved August 2, Archived from the original on October 12, Retrieved November 23, Chart Position". Retrieved Music Canada. Solo Exitos — Ano A Ano. IFPI Sweden. IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Recording Industry Association of America. Runaway Horses (album) - Wikipedia

While hanging out his washing in October on a certain Mr Koyama's 77th birthday , Sawa asks Isao if he can go with him and his "study group" to Master Kaido's training camp in the week starting on the 20 October. Isao makes no reply. Sawa, while serving him tea in his own room, starts to describe how three years ago Iinuma helped extort 50, yen from a newspaper and used his 10, yen share to bolster the Academy. Isao is disappointed, but not shocked until Sawa warns him, without explanation, that he cannot hurt Kurahara without betraying his father. Wondering if Kurahara is a secret patron of the Academy, Isao later returns to Sawa's room and demands an explanation. Sawa responds by begging to be allowed to kill Kurahara himself. But after hearing him out, Isao smilingly denies there is any plot. Phahon Phonphayuhasena. On Friday 21 October, Honda attends a judicial conference in Tokyo , and on Sunday goes with Iinuma to see Isao at the riverside training camp at Yanagawa. Isao is in trouble: he has taken offence at the bland Shintoism espoused by Master Kaido and gone out to kill an animal after having been ritually purified. When he accompanies the whole group as they look for Isao, Honda is startled to realise that one of the dreams in Kiyoaki's journal is now being acted out in detail. The plan mentions Hori and Prince Toin. They discuss details of the plot; Isao names December 3 at random as the date, and they receive an unexpected windfall of yen from Sawa, who claims he acquired the money by selling land. Honda visits Kiyoaki's grave before returning to Osaka. When Hori suggests moving the date of the plot to this week, Isao realises that he has no intention of taking part. Hori suddenly urges Isao to give up the plot, and Isao pretends to be persuaded. At the group's secret headquarters a rented house in Yotsuya Sumon Isao tries to salvage the plan. Seyama, Tsujimura and Ui argue with Isao in private, and he dismisses them from the group. Within days, only 10 are left with Isao, and on November 12 they are joined by Sawa, who sets out a plan for the 12 of them to assassinate one capitalist each. Sawa is assigned Kurahara, and Isao is assigned Baron Shinkawa. Isao visits the Kitos one last time on November 29 to deliver a present of oysters, but Makiko follows him, guessing that he has resolved to die, and they kiss on a hill opposite Hakusan Park. Isao does not admit they already each have one of her lily petals. The morning of December 1, the boy conspirators are at their hideout, discussing the daggers they have bought, when they are arrested by detectives. In the afternoon Sawa is arrested at the Academy. On reading about Isao in the newspaper, Honda resolves to save him, and resigns his judgeship to act as defence lawyer for Isao. In Tokyo , Iinuma thanks him, and then claims that it was he himself who informed the police, and that he did it to save his son from death. Prince Toin summons Honda to his house on December The prince expresses sympathy for the twelve, but is horrified when Honda informs him that he was mentioned by name in the propaganda leaflets they prepared, and loses interest in helping them. Honda saves the situation by persuading him to lean on the Imperial Household Minister to have that part of the evidence suppressed. Isao is moved to Ichigaya Prison in late January, and a long prophetic dream is described. He learns that Honda will be defending him, and realises that he has awakened popular sympathy. During an interrogation he hears Communists being tortured , and asks why he is not tortured; the interrogator replies that as a rightist he has his heart in the right place. In June he receives a Saigusa Festival lily from Makiko, which she has gone all the way to Nara to pick. The trial opens on June The evidence of the leaflets has been suppressed, and it becomes clear that Lt. Hori is unlikely to be indicted. At the second session on July 19, Isao boldly admits to planning the assassinations. Honda tries to fudge the issue by bringing up the purchase of the daggers and leading the witness Izutsu to admit that, as imitators of the League of Divine Wind, these weapons would be more appropriate for committing seppuku than for murder. The innkeeper Kitazaki is called as witness, and he says he heard Hori telling a lone visitor to "Give it up! Pressed to identify the person, Kitazaki points to Isao, but his strange words seem to suggest he is confusing Isao with Kiyoaki, although they had no physical resemblance. Most assume he is senile. Only Honda realizes the significance of his confusion of Kiyoaki and Isao. Makiko is called as witness, and while reading a mendacious diary entry for November 29, she manages to cleverly insinuate that Isao was not only planning to abandon the conspiracy, but that he was merely a schoolboy in over his head, boasting and play-acting all along. The manipulative older woman hopes that her young lover will surrender his ideals and save himself by lying, since he cannot contradict her in court without exposing her to a charge of perjury. Thinking fast, Isao sidesteps dishonor by claiming that he did indeed talk of giving up the conspiracy, but only to spare her from any consequences of his actions. The judge, who becomes sympathetic, allows him to enlarge on his motives, and he delivers a long address on the suffering of the common people and the need to destroy the deadly spirit poisoning Japan. The prosecutor expresses doubts about Makiko's testimony, but it is clear he senses defeat. The verdict is handed down on December They are found guilty, but punishment is remitted on account of their youth and pure motives, and they are released. That evening, a celebratory dinner is held at the Academy of Patriotism. Tsumura, the youngest student, is irritated by the jolly atmosphere and shows Isao a newspaper account of desecratory blunders made by Kurahara on December 16 at the Inner Ise Shrine. Iinuma, drunk, tells Isao that he was the informant. Isao is not surprised until Iinuma goes on to say that the Academy is run entirely with money paid by Baron Shinkawa as protection, and that Shinkawa made him promise, just before the May 15 Incident , never to allow Kurahara to be touched. Later, Honda hears the sleeping Isao mutter "Far to the south. Very hot In the morning he meets Tsuboi, who asks him to teach kendo to children, and he has a vision of himself doing so till old age. Sawa takes Isao into his room and lets him know that it was Makiko whom Isao has not seen since the trial who told Iinuma of their plan by telephone. This is the final straw for Isao. On 29 December, Isao slips away from Sawa during a lantern procession, buys a dagger, and travels to Inamura, a seaside village near Atami, Shizuoka. He breaks into Kurahara's weekend house, stabs him to death because of his blasphemy at Ise Shrine, then runs through his tangerine orchards down to a cave on the shore where he commits seppuku. The book explores the history and atmosphere of the early Showa Period and also of the Meiji Period through Isao's increasing obsession with the League of the Divine Wind , a group that attempted an insurrection in Kumamoto in October , eight years after the Meiji Restoration , in reaction to the prohibition of the wearing of swords. It also discusses the Wang Yangming school of thought according to which, "to know and not to act is not truly to know" , espoused in Japan by Chusai Oshio, a rebel who died in while leading an insurrection in Osaka. While Mishima's vision is considerably darker, more ambiguous and more complex than that of J. Salinger , the theme of adult corruption versus adolescent purity is strongly present throughout the novel. Isao resembles Holden Caulfield in his disdain for adult duplicity, hypocrisy, and the dreary ugliness of adult sexuality, but differs from him sharply in terms of his greater courage, his charisma and natural leadership, his passionate eloquence and athletic skill, his reverence for the past, and above all his willingness to sacrifice himself for the greater good. Isao's final acts are to a certain extent nihilistic because he performs them after he has become aware of their falsehood and futility. In other words, it is a much more profound kind of suicide than the one he had been planning. The book explores the boundary between atheism and religious belief by presenting Honda with seeming evidence of reincarnation and exploring his emotional responses. The religions of Buddhism and Shinto are contrasted. Richard T. Kelly of The Guardian , after discussing the character of Honda envying Isao's ardor, wrote that "Mishima is dispassionately brilliant in noting ignoble human impulses — the twinge of jealousy, the flicker of disgust. Runaway Horses is the most explicitly political of the novels in The Sea of Fertility and contains detailed descriptions of the court and penitentiary systems of the time, and of official attitudes towards political extremists. Until after World War II , Japanese people generally reckoned age by number of different regnal years lived in rather than by birthdays. So in ch. The translation usually tries to disguise this problem. In a letter about The League of the Divine Wind , Isao's favorite book a book which Mishima reproduces in full , Honda writes to him: "At your age, however, every excitement is dangerous. Every excitement that can send one pitching headlong is dangerous. And some are especially dangerous. For example, judging from that light that flashes from your eyes to disconcert those around you, I would think that your very nature makes a tale of this sort 'unsuitable' for you. In prison, Isao considers the reasons for the failure of his plot and subsequent imprisonment. He determines that the very act or bonding with his comrades in a "blood brotherhood" had brought about, or in the words of the novel "crystallized", an evil that is only possible in the presence of purity, musing: "The purest evil that human efforts could attain, in other words, was probably achieved by those men who made their wills the same and who made their eyes see the world in the same way, men who went against the pattern of life's diversity, men whose spirits shattered the natural wall of the individual body, making nothing of this barrier, set up to guard against mutual corrosion, men whose spirit accomplished what flesh could never accomplish. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. For the Belinda Carlisle album, see Runaway Horses album. For the song, see Runaway Horses song. Dewey Decimal. Village Yamanaka. Accessed May 22, The DVD features the videos from the album and an exclusive interview with Carlisle, discussing the album. All tracks are written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley , except where noted. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Belinda Carlisle. Robbie Seidman Maria Vidal. David Munday Sandy Stewart. Charlotte Caffey Belinda Carlisle. Archived from the original on March 1, Retrieved March 30, Retrieved March 31, Retrieved 25 June Retrieved January 25, Retrieved August 2, Archived from the original on October 12, Retrieved November 23, Chart Position". Retrieved Music Canada. Solo Exitos — Ano A Ano. IFPI Sweden. IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 8, Book Commons. 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Runaway Horses - Wikipedia

We discover the fate of members of the Matsugae household. The Marquis Matsugae himself is humiliated by his insignificance, even by the fact he has no bodyguard. Isao has an audience with Prince Toin, against Iinuma's wishes. Hori and the Prince chat for a while; when the Prince criticises the nobility, Isao uses the opportunity to give him The League and to express his ideas about bushido. By this time, Isao has gathered 20 more boys into his circle, and Izutsu and Sagara have studied explosives. Two weeks before the end of summer vacation, he sends all the boys a telegram ordering them to return to Tokyo for a meeting at the school shrine at 6pm. All turn up and are stunned when Isao tells them it was only a drill; three leave. Isao then has the remaining boys swear vows of fealty. To Isao's surprise, Makiko turns up, and takes them all to dinner at a restaurant in Shibuya. Chapter 19 gives a description of the opening of a Noh play attended by Honda in Osaka , called Matsukaze. While watching the two ghostly women ladle seawater into their brine-cart, Honda suddenly decides that his grief for Kiyoaki has deceived him and that there could be no real connection between Kiyoaki and Isao. While hanging out his washing in October on a certain Mr Koyama's 77th birthday , Sawa asks Isao if he can go with him and his "study group" to Master Kaido's training camp in the week starting on the 20 October. Isao makes no reply. Sawa, while serving him tea in his own room, starts to describe how three years ago Iinuma helped extort 50, yen from a newspaper and used his 10, yen share to bolster the Academy. Isao is disappointed, but not shocked until Sawa warns him, without explanation, that he cannot hurt Kurahara without betraying his father. Wondering if Kurahara is a secret patron of the Academy, Isao later returns to Sawa's room and demands an explanation. Sawa responds by begging to be allowed to kill Kurahara himself. But after hearing him out, Isao smilingly denies there is any plot. Phahon Phonphayuhasena. On Friday 21 October, Honda attends a judicial conference in Tokyo , and on Sunday goes with Iinuma to see Isao at the riverside training camp at Yanagawa. Isao is in trouble: he has taken offence at the bland Shintoism espoused by Master Kaido and gone out to kill an animal after having been ritually purified. When he accompanies the whole group as they look for Isao, Honda is startled to realise that one of the dreams in Kiyoaki's journal is now being acted out in detail. The plan mentions Hori and Prince Toin. They discuss details of the plot; Isao names December 3 at random as the date, and they receive an unexpected windfall of yen from Sawa, who claims he acquired the money by selling land. Honda visits Kiyoaki's grave before returning to Osaka. When Hori suggests moving the date of the plot to this week, Isao realises that he has no intention of taking part. Hori suddenly urges Isao to give up the plot, and Isao pretends to be persuaded. At the group's secret headquarters a rented house in Yotsuya Sumon Isao tries to salvage the plan. Seyama, Tsujimura and Ui argue with Isao in private, and he dismisses them from the group. Within days, only 10 are left with Isao, and on November 12 they are joined by Sawa, who sets out a plan for the 12 of them to assassinate one capitalist each. Sawa is assigned Kurahara, and Isao is assigned Baron Shinkawa. Isao visits the Kitos one last time on November 29 to deliver a present of oysters, but Makiko follows him, guessing that he has resolved to die, and they kiss on a hill opposite Hakusan Park. Isao does not admit they already each have one of her lily petals. The morning of December 1, the boy conspirators are at their hideout, discussing the daggers they have bought, when they are arrested by detectives. In the afternoon Sawa is arrested at the Academy. On reading about Isao in the newspaper, Honda resolves to save him, and resigns his judgeship to act as defence lawyer for Isao. In Tokyo , Iinuma thanks him, and then claims that it was he himself who informed the police, and that he did it to save his son from death. Prince Toin summons Honda to his house on December The prince expresses sympathy for the twelve, but is horrified when Honda informs him that he was mentioned by name in the propaganda leaflets they prepared, and loses interest in helping them. Honda saves the situation by persuading him to lean on the Imperial Household Minister to have that part of the evidence suppressed. Isao is moved to Ichigaya Prison in late January, and a long prophetic dream is described. He learns that Honda will be defending him, and realises that he has awakened popular sympathy. During an interrogation he hears Communists being tortured , and asks why he is not tortured; the interrogator replies that as a rightist he has his heart in the right place. In June he receives a Saigusa Festival lily from Makiko, which she has gone all the way to Nara to pick. The trial opens on June The evidence of the leaflets has been suppressed, and it becomes clear that Lt. Hori is unlikely to be indicted. At the second session on July 19, Isao boldly admits to planning the assassinations. Honda tries to fudge the issue by bringing up the purchase of the daggers and leading the witness Izutsu to admit that, as imitators of the League of Divine Wind, these weapons would be more appropriate for committing seppuku than for murder. The innkeeper Kitazaki is called as witness, and he says he heard Hori telling a lone visitor to "Give it up! Pressed to identify the person, Kitazaki points to Isao, but his strange words seem to suggest he is confusing Isao with Kiyoaki, although they had no physical resemblance. Most assume he is senile. Only Honda realizes the significance of his confusion of Kiyoaki and Isao. Makiko is called as witness, and while reading a mendacious diary entry for November 29, she manages to cleverly insinuate that Isao was not only planning to abandon the conspiracy, but that he was merely a schoolboy in over his head, boasting and play-acting all along. The manipulative older woman hopes that her young lover will surrender his ideals and save himself by lying, since he cannot contradict her in court without exposing her to a charge of perjury. Thinking fast, Isao sidesteps dishonor by claiming that he did indeed talk of giving up the conspiracy, but only to spare her from any consequences of his actions. The judge, who becomes sympathetic, allows him to enlarge on his motives, and he delivers a long address on the suffering of the common people and the need to destroy the deadly spirit poisoning Japan. The prosecutor expresses doubts about Makiko's testimony, but it is clear he senses defeat. The verdict is handed down on December They are found guilty, but punishment is remitted on account of their youth and pure motives, and they are released. That evening, a celebratory dinner is held at the Academy of Patriotism. Tsumura, the youngest student, is irritated by the jolly atmosphere and shows Isao a newspaper account of desecratory blunders made by Kurahara on December 16 at the Inner Ise Shrine. Iinuma, drunk, tells Isao that he was the informant. Isao is not surprised until Iinuma goes on to say that the Academy is run entirely with money paid by Baron Shinkawa as protection, and that Shinkawa made him promise, just before the May 15 Incident , never to allow Kurahara to be touched. Later, Honda hears the sleeping Isao mutter "Far to the south. Very hot In the morning he meets Tsuboi, who asks him to teach kendo to children, and he has a vision of himself doing so till old age. Sawa takes Isao into his room and lets him know that it was Makiko whom Isao has not seen since the trial who told Iinuma of their plan by telephone. This is the final straw for Isao. On 29 December, Isao slips away from Sawa during a lantern procession, buys a dagger, and travels to Inamura, a seaside village near Atami, Shizuoka. He breaks into Kurahara's weekend house, stabs him to death because of his blasphemy at Ise Shrine, then runs through his tangerine orchards down to a cave on the shore where he commits seppuku. The book explores the history and atmosphere of the early Showa Period and also of the Meiji Period through Isao's increasing obsession with the League of the Divine Wind , a group that attempted an insurrection in Kumamoto in October , eight years after the Meiji Restoration , in reaction to the prohibition of the wearing of swords. It also discusses the Wang Yangming school of thought according to which, "to know and not to act is not truly to know" , espoused in Japan by Chusai Oshio, a rebel who died in while leading an insurrection in Osaka. While Mishima's vision is considerably darker, more ambiguous and more complex than that of J. Salinger , the theme of adult corruption versus adolescent purity is strongly present throughout the novel. Isao resembles Holden Caulfield in his disdain for adult duplicity, hypocrisy, and the dreary ugliness of adult sexuality, but differs from him sharply in terms of his greater courage, his charisma and natural leadership, his passionate eloquence and athletic skill, his reverence for the past, and above all his willingness to sacrifice himself for the greater good. Isao's final acts are to a certain extent nihilistic because he performs them after he has become aware of their falsehood and futility. In other words, it is a much more profound kind of suicide than the one he had been planning. The book explores the boundary between atheism and religious belief by presenting Honda with seeming evidence of reincarnation and exploring his emotional responses. The religions of Buddhism and Shinto are contrasted. Richard T. Kelly of The Guardian , after discussing the character of Honda envying Isao's ardor, wrote that "Mishima is dispassionately brilliant in noting ignoble human impulses — the twinge of jealousy, the flicker of disgust. Runaway Horses is the most explicitly political of the novels in The Sea of Fertility and contains detailed descriptions of the court and penitentiary systems of the time, and of official attitudes towards political extremists. Until after World War II , Japanese people generally reckoned age by number of different regnal years lived in rather than by birthdays. So in ch. The translation usually tries to disguise this problem. In a letter about The League of the Divine Wind , Isao's favorite book a book which Mishima reproduces in full , Honda writes to him: "At your age, however, every excitement is dangerous. A final caveat : If your horse already has a confirmed running-away habit, seek professional help. Emergency pulley-rein stop. Where-to-Ride Guide. Training Tips. 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