Kawabata’s writing is always like pieces of poetry strung together to look like prose. There isn’t a heavy plot, but you still feel connected to the characters, and the dialogue leaves you feeling heavy. Yoko’s death feels sudden and disconnected on the surface, but makes sense with the overall themes of the destructive relationship that Shimamaru has with the ski hot springs and Komako. It’s as sad as almost all of Kawabata’s other books, but worth reading if you love Japanese literature.