The Temple of Dawn

This is a much more complex book than Spring Snow and Runaway Horses. While those books focus on characters who have a purity of spirit to the point of being unable to lead what we might consider a “normal” life, this book focuses on Honda, the old judge who serves as what seems a sort of spiritual brainstorming proxy for Mishima and as again (what seems to me) a proxy for Mishima's thoughts on post-war Japan.

I was fascinated by Honda's spiritual adventure through India and Thailand if a bit bogged down by the chapters of him reflecting on points of Eastern religion.

Ultimately Honda becomes consumed by a desire that seems inappropriate but serves as a basis for all sorts of interesting ruminations by him.