This is the story of one poor boy who falls in love with the daughter of the richest man in the village. Shinji and Hatsue have an instant connection and decide to continue meeting in secret to prevent attracting the attention of nosy villagers. When rumors of their relationship is revealed, however, gossipy neighbors and one strict father may end their love story before it even starts.Personally, I didn't find this book very appealing and didn't connect with it at all. There was nothing in particular that made the story unique from every other cliché romance. Of course, this book has received lots of praise, which I'm guessing is because of Mishima's excellency in describing setting and providing insight on Japanese culture. Even with this, I found the writing to be a little bland, the dialogue was stiff and there wasn't much character development.
This book is often assigned in school, and I suggest if you have a choice in which novel you read, don't pick this one. I would only recommend this to someone who wants a simple book to get over with in class. There is definitely some symbolism and deeper meanings to analyze, but the story is just really mediocre. Not to mention, there is quite of bit of thinly veiled sexism behind the author's writing.
I'd rate this book 4.5/10
~Mushu
