Thirst for Love (1950) was apparently Mishima's third novel. He is not yet twenty-five and is still experimenting with form and content. Here he tackles a female protagonist, the newly widowed Etsuko, no longer young but by no means old. After her husband's horrific death from typhoid she is invited to live with his family, the Sugimoto family, on the farm outside Osaka. The father, Yakichi, is a retired executive; his son Kensuke a feckless intellectual married to the shewish Cheko. The wife of the third son, who is working abroad, also lives on the farm with her two young children. The family keep two young house servants, the housemaid Miyo and the gardener Saburo.
Etsuko's late husband was a faithless and cruel philanderer. His mistresses visit him on his deathbed at the hospital for infectious diseases. Etsuko placidly accepts everything and does her duty. She is the only one present when her husband dies. She leaves central Tokyo for the rural hinterland of Osaka. Again, she accepts her fate, accepting Yakichi's hospitality and his overtures. She becomes mistress of the household in every sense.
Her fantasy is to be loved, not just used. The object of her fantasy is young Saburo. But Saburo is enjoying himself with Miyo, who falls pregnant. After a surreal visit to the local Autumn Festival Etsuko determines to she must have the boy whatever it takes. The outcome is complex, violent, and for me at least, unexpected.
The novel has its flaws but it also contains many passages of brilliant writing. It is short, only 200 pages, and the ending more than makes up for any duller patches. The characters are well-drawn and convincing; they attract and repel as real people do. It would be going too far to claim I enjoyed Thirst for Love but I am certainly glad I read it.
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