The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea?

I recently bought and just finished reading a book written by the Japanese author Yukio Mishima and translated into English by John Nathan.
I didn't know anything about the book or the author until I bought the book.
I only bought it because of the cover art, which had nothing to do with the author or the book really, apart from the author and the story being from and about Japan.

The picture on the cover of the book is variation of 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' by Katsushika Hokusai and I have a magnet of it on my fridge, because I'm a bit of a fan of the artwork.

I bought 'The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea' thinking it was going to be a story about a sailor who was drawn to the sea, and probably lost his life to it through a siren call of some sort, but no it is more of a horror story somewhat like a cross between 'Lord of the Flies' and 'The Wicker Man'.

I was surprised to see Newcastle,
 Australia mentioned in the book 

I had to smile when I saw Newcastle, Australia mentioned in 'The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea', because it reminded me of this old post of mine -

Heidi Regan vs Sharks?

But it's actually quite a nasty little book by the end of it.

It's basically a book about a pervy little kid who for most part of the book spies through a hole in his bedroom wall that goes into his mother's bedroom, and he decides to tell the gang of little monsters that he hangs with about his new future stepfather, and how this guy is banging his mother.

So, they decide to lure the sailor to his death and do to him what they did to the cat that they skin alive basically, and cut up in the middle of the book.

I won't be reading anymore Mishima novels in the future on the basis of reading this one.

Mishima's own death seamed a rather gruesome event also, at least to a western mind like mine -
"A fierce critic of Marxist ideologies, Mishima formed an unarmed civilian militia for the avowed purpose of defending the Japanese emperor in the event of a revolution by Japanese communists. 

On November 25, 1970, Mishima and four members of his militia entered a military base in central Tokyo, took the commandant hostage, and tried to persuade the soldiers at the base to join them in supporting the emperor and overturning Japan's pacifist Constitution.

When this was unsuccessful, Mishima committed suicide by seppuku."

When I was reading Mishima's book I saw a spectacular work of art in a newspaper lift-out by an artist named Michelle Caitens.

The picture of Michelle's I saw in the 'Out & About' lift-out was called 'Ride the Storm' and it's got that same 'Great Wave' feel to it, but there is even more power and beauty to it, I feel.

Michelle's work is really worth checking out by clicking here and going to the gallery website.

Ironically, with me being a Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks supporter, I also saw in the same newspaper lift-out a work of art involving sharks in a rather nightmarish setting, especially for someone like me who likes hiking and hates being anywhere near real sharks.

These nightmarish pieces of art are by an artist named Kim Wilson, whose art is also worth checking out here.

I don't know why these ocean images have really hit my subconscious radar in the last few years, maybe there is something fishy coming down the pike, like what the blind mystic warned us about.

I hope not, but the modern-day tide does seem emotionally high and getting higher for some reason, at least to my spidey-senses.

If Baba Vanga's predictions get anywhere near her reported 85% strike rate, then the above Michelle Caitens painting could well sum up the year ahead in world events.

Fingers crossed for smooth sailing in 2019, though I say and let's not go overboard with wild predictions.

But still keep a set of floaties handy just in case;-)
FISHPEOPLE?