Падение ангела

Honda is old and lonely. He has retired from his work as a lawyer. He seeks signs of rebirth in a boy aged sixteen. He hopes to find the Thai princess Moon Flower in him. Yukio Mishima tells this story in his novel Падение ангела.

The book ends the four-part series Море изобилия. The series links rebirth with love that cannot last. It also links rebirth with giving up oneself for others. Other themes include lost hopes and thoughts that take over one's life. The series explores beauty and death. It asks how beauty can destroy a person.

Mishima draws on samurai and Shinto thought. He also uses ancient European images. He draws on esoteric Buddhism, with its hidden teachings, and Hinduism. This 2021 paperback edition has 352 pages.