Yukio Mishima's Breasts

Yukio Mishima is an acclaimed author. I read his "Thirst for Love" and though I thought some of it was a bit clumsy (especially the 2nd half) it was filled with great phrases, descriptions, psychological insights, etc, etc.

The entire flashback of the young wife nursing with strange relish her husband to his death is fascinating-- incredible, really. I highly recommend that flawed but compelling book.

"The Sound of Waves" is the 2nd Mishima novel I've read and it has none of that "Thirst for Love" brilliance. But, it's a simply and neatly told story. And interesting the way soap operas are. (Lately, I've been enjoying these sorts of books in my down time in the middle of the day. On the way and into sleep.)


But this is a post about Breasts!

And, so, here are some amusing breast-excerpts from "The Sound of Waves":


"Bending her head, she started slapping her breast with open hands. Beneath her sweater, which all but seemed to be concealing some firm supports, two gently swelling mounds were set to trembling ever so slightly by the brisk brushing of her hands.

Shinji stared in wonder. Struck by her hands, the breasts seemed more like two small, playful animals. The boy was deeply stirred by the resilient surface of their movement."

and, many pages later,

"two small, firm breasts turned their faces slightly away from each other, as though abashed, and lifted up two rose-colored buds."

and, many pages later,

"Shinji's mother was proud of the fact that her own breasts were still young and fresh, the most youthful among the married women of her age. As though they had never known the hunger of love or the pains of life, all summer long her breasts turned their faces toward the sun, deriving there, first-hand, their inexhaustible strength."

and, lastly,

"Between two small mounds that held on high their rose-colored buds there was a valley that, though darkly burned by the sun, still had not lost the delicacy, the smoothness, the veined coolness of skin-- a valley fragrant with thoughts of early spring."