The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea

infobox Book |
name = The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea
title_orig = 午後の曳航 (Gogo no Eiko - Eng trans. Afternoon Shiptowing )
translator = John Nathan


image_caption = Cover of the 1994 First Vintage International English Edition paperback
author = Yukio Mishima
cover_artist = Susan Mitchell
country = Japan
language = Japanese
series =
genre = Philosophical, Psychological
publisher = Alfred A. Knopf (U.S.)
release_date = 1963
english_release_date = 1965
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 181 pp (1994 First Vintage International Edition, paperback)
isbn = ISBN 0-679-75015-0 (1994 First Vintage International Edition, paperback)
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea" (Japanese: "午後の曳航", meaning "The Afternoon Towing"), is a novel written by Yukio Mishima, published in Japanese in 1963 and translated into English by John Nathan in 1965.

Plot summary

The novel chronicles the story of Ryuji, a sailor with vague notions of a special honor awaiting him at sea.He meets a woman called Fusako with whom he falls deeply in love, and he ultimately decides to marry her. Fusako's 13-year-old son, Noboru, is in a band of savage boys who believe in "objectivity", rejecting the adult world as illusory, hypocritical and sentimental.

As Ryuji begins to draw close to Fusako, a woman of the shore, he is eventually torn away from the dreams he's pursued his entire life. Fusako's son, Noboru, who shares an especially close bond with his mother through a voyeuristic ritual, hates the idea of losing his mother to a man who has let his hope and freedom die. This anger and fear of loneliness translates into terrible, savage acts performed by Noboru and the gang in which he is a part.

Plot meanings

The novel makes a powerful statement of what it means to discard the beliefs that drive you, the result of copying another's passions and customs, and the lengths some will go to in order to maintain what they believe to be true.

Characters in "The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea"

Ryuji Tsukazaki

Ryuji is a lonely sailor who dislikes small talk, and friendship. He is straightforward, works hard, and spends very little money. He feels that there is something destined for him in the world, a glory that only he should have. He feels that he is unique and has a destiny set in course for him. He dislikes land, and finds the sea to be his home.

Fusako Kuroda

The mother of Noboru. After falling in love with Ryuji, she begins to spend more time with him rather than her son.

Noboru Kuroda

The thirteen year old son of Fusako and her first husband. He is timid and enjoys learning about sailor adventures. He is also extremely intelligent, calculating, and, when the need arises, violent.

The Chief

A character who remains nameless throughout the novel, he is the leader of the "objectivity" group that Noboru is in. He is greatly respected by all other members of the group. He goads the others to do activities to prove their willpower, but is also willing to partake in violence and cruelty himself. The Chief's personal history is very mysterious, living in a large mansion. His parents are never seen in the novel, but they are mentioned several times.

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

The novel was made into a film of the same title in 1976 starring Kris Kristofferson and Sarah Miles. The setting was changed from Japan to England to accommodate the shoot location (Dartmouth, in the south-west county of Devon).

External links

*imdb title | id=0075161 | title=The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea