This book was a nice break from the ya I've been reading. 

Whether you read Yozo's actions as taken out of egotism or a lack of agency will determine how you judge his character. Although I would personally find his behaviour inexcusable, it is refreshing that he makes no excuses for the result of his actions.  

His hatred for his life and his selfsabotaging is born from an inherent feeling of otherness that eats at him from within. Because the book is based on his perspective, the prologue adds another layer to an already fascinating character study of a book. Never a fan of the Japanese brand of sexism that seeps through the pages, but I do appreciate this.