4.0
Runaway Horses
ByPublisher Description
The second novel in the masterful tetralogy, The Sea of Fertility—and “a modern masterpiece” (The Baltimore Sun)—narrated by a judge in Osaka who believes he has met the successive reincarnation of his childhood friend Kiyoaki Matsugae.
In 1932, Shigekuni Honda has become a judge in Osaka. Convinced that a young rightist revolutionary, Isao, is the reincarnation of his friend Kiyoaki, Honda commits himself to saving the youth from an untimely death. Isao, driven to patriotic fanaticism by a father who instilled in him the ethos of the ancient samurai, organizes a violent plot against the new industrialists who he believes are usurping the Emperor’s rightful power and threatening the very integrity of the nation. Runaway Horses is the chronicle of a conspiracy — a novel about the roots and nature of Japanese fanaticism in the years that led to war.
In 1932, Shigekuni Honda has become a judge in Osaka. Convinced that a young rightist revolutionary, Isao, is the reincarnation of his friend Kiyoaki, Honda commits himself to saving the youth from an untimely death. Isao, driven to patriotic fanaticism by a father who instilled in him the ethos of the ancient samurai, organizes a violent plot against the new industrialists who he believes are usurping the Emperor’s rightful power and threatening the very integrity of the nation. Runaway Horses is the chronicle of a conspiracy — a novel about the roots and nature of Japanese fanaticism in the years that led to war.
Download the free Fable app
Stay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
Rate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
Curate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesStay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building toolRate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tagsCurate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesRunaway Horses Reviews
4.0
“Bless you Shigekuni Honda my beloved”
Change and growLikeableMultilayeredStrong relationshipsUnforgettable protagonistAddictiveGripping/excitingSatisfying conclusionSteady pacingSuspensefulUnpredictableWell-structuredAtmosphericBeautifulDarkEvocative imageryIdyllicMagicalMajesticPicturesqueSetting fits the storyBeautifully-writtenDescriptiveFlowery/lushAbuseDeathDomestic violenceExplicit sexual contentGriefMisogynyMurderReligious intoleranceSelf-harmViolenceWar violence
“This has been my one of my favourite reads of this year and I am so happy I have commited so much time to Yukio Mishima and will continue to do so for the rest of the year. Not only is learning more about early 20th century Japanese history has been so interesting but the story itself was so engaging and suspenseful throughout it all, Isao and his story was phenomenal and intriguing to have his character tested and questioned throughout was so fascinating. To see Hondas obsession over reincarnation I found interesting and luckily I thought it might have been too much or something I would become frustrated being repeated about but I’m glad with all sections or his perspective very much. I like the Honda I have invisioned in my head! That ending too! My goodness it was fantastic, not even the beginning or middle act dragged and all the acts or chapters felt so good to read I literally don’t have a point where I think it dragged on. I thought the court section would be difficult to understand but I thought it again added to the whole story as well as the culture of the time, to then be followed by the ending after the reveal too! Superb!! There is so much about this book I love and in comparison to the first I think this is leagues ahead (hope that’s not a bad take) I will now continue this tetratology and I am excited to see where this story goes next and with what topics! Loving it!!”
“took me one and a half years to finish this... but i pressed on because i love mishima's writing style.
did i enjoy this? not as much as spring snow. it got dry in places - reading about Japanese nationalism isn't high on my list as a Southeast Asian but Mishima's great at capturing the fervor and intensity of Isao's character. There's a lot of historical context (meiji restoration?) that would have made me appreciate the book better, but it's still an excellent character study!”
About Yukio Mishima
YUKIO MISHIMA was born in Tokyo in 1925. He graduated from Tokyo Imperial University’s School of Jurisprudence in 1947. His first published book, The Forest in Full Bloom, appeared in 1944 and he established himself as a major author with Confessions of a Mask (1949). From then until his death he continued to publish novels, short stories, and plays each year. His crowning achievement, The Sea of Fertility tetralogy—which contains the novels Spring Snow (1969), Runaway Horses (1969), The Temple of Dawn (1970), and The Decay of the Angel (1971)—is considered one of the definitive works of twentieth century Japanese fiction. In 1970, at the age of 45 and the day after completing the last novel in the Fertility series, Mishima committed seppuku (ritual suicide)—a spectacular death that attracted worldwide attention.
Other books by Yukio Mishima
Start a Book Club
Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!FAQ
Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?
Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?
How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?
Do you sell physical books too?
Are book clubs free to join on Fable?
How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?
