The Sound of Waves

Book Description

Set in a remote fishing village in Japan, The Sound of Waves is a timeless story of first love. A young fisherman is entranced at the sight of the beautiful daughter of the wealthiest man in the village. They fall in love, but must then endure the calumny and gossip of the villagers.

Customer Reviews:

A modern literary classic that does not hold up to the test of time.......2007-08-11

"The Sound of Waves" by Yukio Mishima appears to be a modern classic that is not holding up well to the test of time. It was one of the first modern literary novels coming out of postwar Japan to gain wide recognition and fame. Its 1956 release in English translation a decade after the close of World War II was perfect timing. It soon became a standard in English classes all over the United States. The book appealed on many levels: as exquisite lyrical literature; as a charming first-love and coming-of-age tale with strong moral overtones; but perhaps most importantly, as a subtle way to build better understanding about a culture that young Americans needed to accept with greater respect following years of war-induced Japanese demonization.

I was only ten years old when this book came on the American scene, so I missed out on having to read it as a teenager. I read it for the first time a few days ago, more than fifty years after it was first published in English. I approached the book with great expectations, but I was sorely disappointed.

First, I suspect much of the original beauty of this lyrical novel is lost in translation. There is still a great deal in the writing to be admired, but the words lack the sparkle of innovation that no doubt exists in the original Japanese.

The story is endearing in its lyric simplicity, but it stretches the credulity of the modern mind. Perhaps I am too world-weary and academically well-read, but for me the story seemed far too unrealistic--more like a fairy tale. All was too rosy, too one-sidedly idealistic, too much the idyll--the perfect harmony of man and nature. I've read too much anthropology to know this is possible at any time, in any culture. The noble savage is, after all, a complete fiction. "The Sound of Waves" was Mishima's own delusional vision of a perfect Japanese past that was quickly slipping away. It was a theme he returned to repeatedly over the next fifteen years of his life before committing seppuku (ritualistic suicide) because, in his words: "I came to wish to sacrifice myself for the old, beautiful tradition of Japan, which is disappearing very quickly day by day." Mishima certainly was not a man of sound mind.

I see no continuing redeeming value to reading this fairy tale in the present day. In its time, it sparked an interest as a lovely tale about love in Japan--subconsciously, it helped move many toward a love of Japan. But those times are over. There is widespread tolerance and understanding of differing cultures.

Today, there are far more compelling works of worldwide modern literary fiction, some written directly in English, that have more meaningful messages to convey to the modern reader--messages that may help us deal with the reality of the human predicament that we find ourselves in at this, the beginning of the 21st century--this an age of widespread terrorism and ecological disaster, a time where oil wars, water wars, global climate change, and famine loom on the not-too-distant horizon. Much modern world literature aims indirectly to helps readers comes to terms with these all too pressing comtemporary world issues. If you are not familiar with these books and themes, try reading most Booker Prize winning authors.

A Lyrical Love Sonnet to a Disappeared Japanese Way of Life.......2006-12-26

Yukio Mishima's THE SOUND OF WAVES is, on its face, a classical and infinitely subdued love story, a Romeo and Juliet tale without the tragedy. A young but poor fisherman, Shinji, falls deeply in love with Hatsue, daughter of the wealthy businessman Terukichi Miyata who has just returned to her small home island of Uta-Jima (Song Island) during a vacation break from her studies. Hatsue reciprocates Shinji's amorous interests, and the two exchange secret messages and arrange covert (but essentially Platonic) trysts. The more sociably acceptable match, Yasuo, also desires to marry Hatsue, and her father presumably leans toward this better arrangement. Yasuo's marital goals are further aided by Chiyoko, daughter of the island's lighthouse keeper, who informs Yasuo about the young couple's illicit romantic escapades because she fancies Shinji for herself. Unknown to Shinji (but patently obvious to the reader), Uncle Teru recruits both young men to work on one of his ships in order to gauge their character and test their mettle for their marriageable worth to his daughter.

Of course, for the ultranationalistic Mishima, the story provides little more than literary cover for his philosophical leanings. In that regard, THE SOUND OF WAVES operates on several symbolic levels. First is the question of fate versus free will - are Hatsue and Shinji fated to be together, or are their actions (and those of others) the driving forces from free choice that bring them together. Mishima offers events on both sides of this issue, from Hatsue's writing of hidden notes and Shinji's courageous actions on Uncle Teru's ship during a bad storm on the one hand to the interventions on the other hand by Nature in the form of an angry wasp when Yasuo attempts to seduce Hatsue during her late-night water drawing and during Hatsue's chance meeting of Shinji at the island's former military observation tower.

Second is the question of individuality versus community - do Hatsue and Shinji owe more allegiance to the good of their island community and their respective families than to their personal feelings for one another? Mishima idealizes the traditional Japanese cultural emphasis on community and family over the welfare of the individual, presenting a Japan that now seems hopelessly naïve and outdated. Every character is ultimately selfless, acting with saintly virtue and atoning for earlier sins and errors before the story's end. Not surprisingly, virtue is its own reward, and each character's selfless action leads, against all societal odds, to a fairy tale ending.

Mishima's characters on Uta-Jima live outside of time - like Rousseau's noble savages or Paul Gauguin's Tahitian natives, they live in a world where a healthy and virginal adolescent boy and girl can like naked in each other's arms without apparent thought of consummation. The only person who displays a sense of heightened sexuality is the author himself, who repeatedly demonstrates a female breast fetish that can only be described as disturbing. Life on Uta-Jima projects an Eden-like simplicity, so utterly withdrawn from the modern (i.e., real) world that the story itself could be taking place any time from 1750 to 1950. Not until well into the novel do we discover that World War II is already history (obviously never having touched this Eden) and that the Korean War is underway. Only in the last several chapters of this book, as the story reaches its denouement, does the modern world impinge ever so lightly on Uta-Jima and its inhabitants. Mishima may well have been lionizing them, but to the modern reader's sensibilities, they appear (with the exception of Uncle Teru) as hopelessly childlike, ill-equipped for the Japan we know is charging toward them from a decade or two down the road.

THE SOUND OF WAVES is elegant in its slow pacing and narrow story line, illustrating a Japan that may once have existed - or perhaps it only ever existed in idealized form, in Yukio Mishima's mind. Regardless, the story line is classical, the writing as translated by Meredith Weatherby is lyrical, and the world it describes contrasts sharply with the militaristic leanings and violent har-kiri death of its author. Uta-Jima is a life some readers might wish still existed, while others may be glad that such backwardness and naïve isolation have followed Mishima into increasingly ancient history.

Simple and charming.......2006-01-25

I read Mishima's "The Sailor who fell from Grace with the Sea" years ago and while Sailor got rave reviews, I actually preferred this story.

Mishima masterfully weaves a simple love story that, despite its Japanese setting, is evocative of youthful love everywhere. The sensitive protagonist is a hero the reader will root for from the first page; of course, it's partly a fairy tale we've read a thousand times before, where the peasant (fisher boy) falls in love with the princess (bourgeois daughter). There are no dragons slain in this tale, however, except those of personal dilemmas and our hero's inevitable rivals.

A charming, heartwarming tale of unforgettable characters told with Mishima's trademark poetic simplicity.

Horrible book.......2006-01-01

This book is awful, boring, has no real excitement and is disgusting. Do not read, I do not recommend this.

Simple and Charming.......2005-09-06

Lovely cover to start with, and then Mishima's style in analyzing the life of the island is so real, he describes perfectly the responsibilities of the women and men in the fishing island and their life style...

Shinji and Hatsue have an automatic attraction that leads the rest of the city to talk about the little they have. The biggest challenge they have is that Shinji the boy is poor and his social class puts him in a disadvantage compared to the son of the richest man in town. Hatsue's father decides to send the 2 boys on a fishing trip on board of one of his ships to test their manhood and choose a husband for his daughter...

A book to read in a day.

Average customer rating:

Boring and maudlin
the beauty and destructive power of all-consuming love
First Novel of Mishima's Masterpiece
Landscapes -- Interior and Exterior
Beautiful Modern Allegory for the Aristocrats of the Soul

Spring Snow
Yukio Mishima
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679722416
Release Date: 1990-04-14

Book Description

The first novel of Mishima's landmark tetralogy, The Sea of fertility

Spring Snow is set in Tokyo in 1912, when the hermetic world of the ancient aristocracy is being breached for the first time by outsiders -- rich provincial families unburdened by tradition, whose money and vitality make them formidable contenders for social and political power.

Among this rising new elite are the ambitious Matsugae, whose son has been raised in a family of the waning aristocracy, the elegant and attenuated Ayakura. Coming of age, he is caught up in the tensions between old and new -- fiercely loving and hating the exquisite, spirited Ayakura Satoko. He suffers in psychic paralysis until the shock of her engagement to a royal prince shows him the magnitude of his passion, and leads to a love affair that is as doomed as it was inevitable.

Customer Reviews:

Boring and maudlin.......2007-10-08

Maybe it was a bad transalation. Maybe I could not relate as a westerner to an old Japanese story, but I really did not enjoy this book. It was maudlin and unbelievable. Story was boring. Character development was terrible and it was poorly written/transalated. I recommend Murakami's Norwegian Wood for those who want to read books by Japanese authors.

the beauty and destructive power of all-consuming love.......2007-07-23

Mishima's Spring Snow is a coming-of-age tale for nouveau riche Kiyoaki, whose naive childhood crush on the more mature Satoko grows into something much more powerful, beautiful and, ultimately, destructive. Kiyoaki's failings are human and familiar; acting on rash impulses, immaturity, a failure to realise what he wants till he has lost it. Mishima's characterisation is finely drawn and accurate. The scheming Tadeshina turns out to have her own secret heartbreak, enervated Ayakura lacks guile but not luck, the ancient loyalties of the Abessess make her a formidable eminence grice. The characters are at once individually drawn and representative of a unique and fascinating era of flux and change in Japan, as ancient modes of behaviour gave way to modernising forces. Mishima's novel is both of its time and timeless. A true masterpiece.

First Novel of Mishima's Masterpiece.......2007-07-01

Just finished reading an excellent book, just a few minutes ago, and I feel compelled to write a review, while ideas are still fresh in my mind.

This is the first book I've finished reading for my Summer Reading. The book is called Snow Spring (Haru no Yuki) by Mishima Yukio and its the first book in his masterpiece, The Sea of Fertility or Hojou no Umi. The Sea of Fertility is a series of four novels by one of Japan's greatest authors. The book I have is the Vintage International edition, translated by Michael Gallagher.

This novel really moved me. In the last 100 pages, I couldn't do anything but finish it. Just like a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, where the reader hangs onto every word until the truth and mystery is finally revealed in the last word, so does this novel grip the reader.

On the surface is a conventional tale of the Japanese idea of unrequited love, a theme that is done over and over again in Japanese fiction. What sets this piece apart from others, is Mishima narrative drive and richly detailed characters and the psychological insight into every major and minor character involved.

Kiyoaki begins his ill fated relationship with the beautiful Satoko, whom he has known all his life. At first he disregards her and then he is on fire to obtain her love after she is engaged to a Prince. Wealthy families are invovled in making the Wedding ceremony a success and any type of scandal leaking out to the press must be avoided at all costs. But Kioyaki single minded determination to pursure Satoko, despite such obstacles, causes the reader to want him to succeed.

On the one hand, Kiyoaki lets his desires and emotions rage out of control and on the other all those emotions put him into action. He used to sit around in his room all day, lonely and depressed, until he just decided to pusure love. Its his drive to obtain love and his selfish quest for Satoko's heavenly beauty that pushes him along page after page. These type of overly romantic novels can quickly turn unwittingly comical in lesser writer. But Mishima combines the richness of Japanese traditional and culture with romantic ideas of love and realistic views, based in concrete reality, that prevent the work from becoming a low form of soap opera.

The novel is both realistic novel and emotional charged romantic that causes the entire work to be a cleverly crafted paradox. For example, Honda is Kiyoaki's best friend in high school. Honda has a revelation that he must prevent Kiyoaki from pursuing Satoko becomes of his friend's harmful obession. The fact that Honda can't bring himself to hurt his friend by giving him a cold rational arguement, shows love between friends that isn't distorted by irrational love. Kiyoaki's love for Satoko is more based on his own selfish fantasy. It is this fantastic love that wins out between Satoko and over Honda, who had good intentions but failed to act on them. Irrational love wins out over the gloom of reality.

Without giving away any more of the story, let me just end with how this book took over my imagination and wouldn't let it go for 2 whole days. All day Saturday and all Sunday afternoon, I cared more about the characters in this story then my own family. I couldn't do anything else except finish reading it.

It starts out slow but builds to a breakneck speed in the end. It is highly recommended for anyone who wants to read an excellent novel this Summer. Forget about it being Japanese and look past all that exoticism and you will see the novel for all its beauty.

Today I will start on the second novel in the series, called Runaway Horses.

I can't wait.

Landscapes -- Interior and Exterior.......2007-03-06

In "Spring Snow," Yukio Mishima has chosen the perfect title for his novel. The narrative is as gentle and as beautiful as wet snow on spring blossoms, and indeed there is a poignant scene where two lovers have a tryst in a rickshaw under such conditions. It was my first foray into the world of Mishima -- indeed, of Japanese literature -- and will not be my last.

The story of a young and handsome aristocrat, Kiyoaki Matsugae, and the beautiful and mysterious Ayakura Satoko, comes from the same time-honored tradition of as more familiar star-crossed lovers such as Romeo and Juliet, Pyramus and Thisbe, Tristan and Isolde, and Lancelot and Guinevere. Set just after the Russo-Japanese War in the early 20th century, the novel offers intriguing insights into a Japanese culture that is at once in flux and clinging to traditions.

If you love a writer whose strength is description of nature, Mishima is not to be missed. His words are as fit as any Nature Channel special on the wonders of Japan and he is equally adept at describing the contours of his young lovers' bodies. In addition to the sensual and sensuous wonders, the inner psychology of passion-plagued minds is a point of expertise for this writer. He deftly avoids sentimentalism while walking the thin line between hatred and love, between passion and pain.

Symbolism, description, psychology, and a gentle narrative pace. What's not to love? Readers looking for a fast-paced plot might not be overwhelmed, but those who love it when they stumble upon a "writer's writer" will be glad they tried Yukio Mishima. It is the first book of the tetralogy, "The Sea of Fertility."

Beautiful Modern Allegory for the Aristocrats of the Soul.......2006-11-21

Suprisingly, after reading the reviews for Yukio Mishima's literary masterpiece "Spring Snow," I was unable to find anyone who interpreted this tragic Romeo and Juliet like love story the same way that I did. Perhaps, because of my own right wing and nationalistic belief systems that were similar to Mishimas I was able to catch the subtle hints of greater depths beneath the somewhat simple and cliched story of two lovers whose desire to be with one another was thwarted by unfortunate circumstances. I understood "Spring Snow" to be an elegantly written allegory full of symbolism and metaphors and describing the decline and gradual dissolution of the traditional world of the past; a society that existed as a thriving, living hierarchy wherein the Emperor represented the peak. I understood the main protagonist Kiyoaki, a son of an ancient traditional samurai family, to represent a weakened and diluted traditional Japanese society that has become listless and frail due to the inroads that "progressive" Western society and influence had made on it, but which still retained some residue of its health. Satoko, Kiyoaki's love whom he is obsessed with, is the soul of that traditional society. Honda, Kiyoaki's best friend, represents the modern world with its emphasis on all of its afflictions such as rationality, reason, "progressiveness," intellectualization, and industrialism. The ending is a tragic scenario describing symbolically and microcosmically what has happened on a macroscopic scale. The life and spirit of the traditional world has separated (Satoko willingly renounces this world and becomes a nun at a Buddhist convent, swearing an oath never to see Kiyoaki again in this life), Kioyaki, representing the traditional world, lacking the very spirit that gives it life, dies, leaving only his dreams to Honda (the best friend who is compassionate, caring, and sympathizing, but incapable of understanding Kiyoaki) the new sterile modern world which replaces the old. However, once our declining civilization finally self destructs, a world will be reborn in which Kiyoaki and Satoko will be reunited, and a mechanistic sort of life will be again reinvested with a passionate spirit. Also described is the corruption in the nobility who no longer follow principles and modes of behavior that arise not through the acknowledging of rules and ideas that are imposed on them from the outside, but a way of life that permeates from within, overflowing and filled with an organic livelihood, and who are instead preoccupied with pettiness and a pathological preoccupation of appearances.
"Spring Snow" is the first book I have had the fortune of reading by this luminary literary figure from Japan and it will not be the last.

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (Everyman's Library (Cloth))

Average customer rating:

A golden novel
Deliberately, carefully constructed, but somehow inadequate.
Literature that rightfully make us proud to be Japanese
Beauty and Obsession
Beautifully Written

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (Everyman's Library (Cloth))
Yukio Mishima
Manufacturer: Everyman's Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0679433155
Release Date: 1995-03-21

Book Description

Introduction by Donald Keene; Translation by Ivan Morris

Customer Reviews:

A golden novel.......2007-07-17

Yukio Mishima was to receive the Nobel Prize for literature the year he committed suicide. I feel he was one of the best writers of the 20th century and with over 40 stories, novels and plays its a wonder he isn't more known in the western world. "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" follows Mizoguchi, a poor, working monk stationed in Kyoto. Through his life he has come to see beauty in very few things, though he becomes enthralled at the site of the Golden temple. Being a boy, his father told him of it and so he built it in his mind as something amazing, something divine.

I won't tell much of the story (you'll read the novel if you really want to know), but this novel is similar to many of Mishima's -- it deals with a character trapped between his culture and a forbidden taboo (this time it's arson and suicide, sometimes it's only a woman). Mishima's philosophy and introspection comes in to play in Mizoguchi's mind, and at times one feels like he or she is reading a philosophical text.

And it is indeed hard to see what Mishima thought through all of this. Is Japan a violent, narcissistic country, caught up in it's own masochistic culture and suffocating its youth? Or is he saying that real human beings are not born, but bred?

This is a novel, but is based on the actual burning of the temple in 1950 by a monk (though his name was not Mizoguchi). The historical connections have a part to play in post-war Japan, of course, but what's really worth experiences is Mishima's passion and his incredible gift to create extremely visual and visceral scenes that seem to vibrate poetically in the readers mind. This is one of the ten best novels I have ever read and should stand as a testament to anyone who doubts Mishima's brilliance.

Deliberately, carefully constructed, but somehow inadequate........2006-12-31

The Temple Of The Golden Pavilion is possibly Mishima's most famous novel. Strangely, it's also one of his least distinctive. It is very heavily influenced by Dostoevsky, much more than any other book Mishima wrote. Mishima even seems to imitate Dostoevsky's style at times. Even the names of the characters, even though they're Japanese, somehow seem to echo with the names of Verhovensky, Karamazov and Raskolnikov. Maybe it's just the number of syllables. Dostoevsky is also present in the book's way of ascribing great psychological significance to minor details, stating its main themes through philosophical disputes between characters, and constructing those characters to symbolize the different sides in those disputes. The destruction of the Golden Temple in Kyoto, like the murder of the elder Karamazov, is a philosophical problem more than a crime.

The book's protagonist Mizoguchi is a stutterer, and he is also tempted by evil thoughts. Such things cannot be independent in a book of this sort. The protagonist is evil because he is a stutterer. His stutter alienates him from society, and turns him to evil thoughts. His outer ugliness causes his inner ugliness, which in turn seems to increase his outer ugliness all the more. Mishima dwells on the speech impediment beyond all measure, until it becomes a symbol.

In a book of this sort, every action taken by the protagonist must be symbolic of something. He is given to internal monologue. Even his ostensibly irrational acts are laboriously pored over. Thus, when an American soldier orders him to abuse a prostitute, his compliance is not merely an act of violence or cowardice. It is also a symbol, a highly stylized way of expressing his alienation and demonstrating his love of evil. And his refusal to confess to his actions is nothing less than "experimenting with the single problem: 'Is evil possible?'" (88)

The book's antagonist Kashiwagi works along the same lines. He is also ugly and deformed, and this also must necessarily be a symbol of his inner evil. When he takes any action, it's not to achieve the ostensible end of the action, but to make a philosophical point. For instance, he does not go the geisha district because he desires physical pleasure. His hedonism is intellectualized by the author into a deliberate philosophical statement. He does certain things because he is nihilistic and cruel, but his nihilism and his cruelty are the products of a conscious intellectual decision on his part. After he commits his evil acts, he is always happy to sit down and explain his motives in great detail, like Dostoevsky's Smerdyakov.

And the good guy, Tsurukawa, is likewise not just a good guy and an optimist, but a symbol. His purpose is to "take [Mizoguchi's] feelings in his hand, turn them round and transmit them to the outside world" (57). Like every other action taken by anyone in the book, this has a philosophical consequence, namely that "there was no discrepancy between the very finest feeling in the world and the very worst; that their effect was the same; that no visible difference existed between murderous intent and feelings of deep compassion" (57).

Do real people ever think or act like this? I don't know. Maybe. But there's something unsatisfying about it. This way of writing can create dramatic intensity, as in the case of Dostoevsky. This novel, too, creates a feeling of impending doom which hangs over the setting from beginning to end. But it also feels glib. Actions which are supposed to be irrational suddenly become pre-meditated, carefully explained, constructed, and justified. A poorly educated, stuttering country boy has the eloquence of a learned philosopher in his inner monologues. And his stutter, his lowly origins, and his ugly appearance are also of great intellectual significance. They strengthen his philosophical arguments even as they are not entirely consistent with the very fact that he is articulating them. Is he a character in a novel, or an abstraction? Mishima's evil is very stylized.

To find a refutation to this way of writing, we might look at Mishima's own later works. In The Decay Of The Angel, Mishima's last novel, there is a narcissistic character much like Mizoguchi who feels compelled to intellectualize his every action. Like Mizoguchi, he is drawn to evil, and he records his evil thoughts in painstaking detail. But in that novel, he meets a very ignominious end. His self-awareness is revealed to be a shallow kind of self-delusion. His idea of evil is unfavourably compared to the genuinely irrational actions of Kiyoaki Matsugae, the protagonist of Mishima's greatest novel Spring Snow.

We might also look at Mishima's own life, which ended with a spectacularly irrational act known as the Mishima Incident. Strangely enough, Mishima did absolutely nothing to explain or justify this act. His last novel, which he completed on the day of the Incident, reveals nothing about it. Mishima, unlike Kashiwagi, was not inclined to exhibitionistically describe his own motives. Doesn't that mean that the character of Kashiwagi is somehow inadequate for his intended purpose? Is it his extremely stylized, self-aware philosophizing that makes him inadequate?

But if that's the case, then this book begins to look weak. It is so stylized that, if one removes the intellectual arguments, there really isn't much left. In fact, it really is kind of weak. Its saving grace is in the few truly irrational moments. The best of these occurs at the end of the second chapter, when Mizoguchi and Tsurukawa observe a parting ceremony between a military officer and a woman. Mishima was very good at coming up with such striking, sensuous images. The scene is extremely short, presented without any justification whatsoever. Mizoguchi is so transfixed by the sight that he forgoes his usual commentary about rejecting the world and so forth. The description is beautifully concise. Would that the whole book were like that.

Literature that rightfully make us proud to be Japanese.......2006-05-25

If ever criticized, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima is chided most frequently for some of its seemingly mundane, superfluous and repetitive details and paragraphs. Many give up, or decide not to read it at all, since the text appears heavy and unmanageable from the very first page. However, after analyzing the book and enduring challenges, one should come to realize the book's deeper meanings.

Mishima's writing is filled with archetypes and symbols that reoccur throughout the novel which may seem repetitive, but are utterly paramount and necessary to encourage deeper thought within the reader. After studying a chapter or two, one can make connections using these archetypes as a guide to interpret the book. For example, the seasons and the weather reflect the state of mind of the protagonist, Mizoguchi. Descriptive words such as "brilliant" and "bright" are premonitions of future events. Other distinctly repeated archetypes include colors, water and fire (they are repeated for the sake of emphasis), which help the reader to stay intact with the extraordinary world that Mishima creates.

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion is famous for mind-boggling its readers. A way one can come to terms with the frequent juxtapositions in the book is by researching a little about the author's background. Then, one will realize that Mishima incorporated his own philosophies and experiences in the character of Mizoguchi (which resulted in an active voice in its narrations: almost as if Mishima was talking to you personally). This may explain why the book seems abstract yet realistic, absurd yet understandable. Some characteristics of Mizoguchi we can relate with--others are puzzling and enigmatic.

It is striking to think that the main happenings of the novel actually happened--a stuttering young monk did in fact set fire to the golden temple after becoming obsessed with its beauty, as cited in the introduction of the book. The plot is simple, and its synopsis can be predicted through reading the introduction and the blurb. Mishima focuses acutely on the insight of the distressed monk's mind, even forcing the reader to unexpectedly sympathize with the mentally "different" protagonist. This may be the reason why some readers find Mishima's book hard to understand, or not fruitful. A reader cannot expect to obtain anything productive out of this book simply from the plot alone. Its true value can be attained through reading the book proactively, with care.

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion has become internationally accepted, possibly because of its universal philosophical messages, unique writing style, and also precisely for its absurdness. It is an esoteric piece of writing. It is loved by individuals (intellectuals) who are able to enjoy and appreciate quality writing while carefully deciphering its many conundrums; but it is dismissed by those... seeking a lighter read.

For more in-depth information and analysis, please visit:
http://goldenpavi.exblog.jp

Beauty and Obsession.......2006-02-10

Yukio Mishima was perhaps one of the more colourful individuals in Japanese literature, and one whose works have had enduring popularity. For this reason alone, his "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" is worth reading, even if it is not your normal taste in books.

Using events in 1950, when the Golden Temple was deliberately torched, as a very basic foundation to his book, Mishima writes of Mizoguchi, a stuttering young man who becomes obsessed with the Golden Temple and beauty as a general concept. Seeing himself in world that he feels separated from, Mizoguchi is influenced by many characters through the story.

The book is intensely reflective and told in the first person, which gives this reflective and speculative element a deeper punch. The internal journey of Mizoguchi is the mainstay of the book, and this also focuses on Mishima's own concerns.

This novel is very deep, and can get pretty heavy at times, though this is sometimes counter-balanced by moments of true humour and tension, though rarely.

"The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" is not everyone's cup of tea, so I would suggest giving it some thought before reading it. However, for something different and quite deep, it is a good book to provoke thought, and also introduce one to the thought of Yukio Mishima, himself a troubled and unusual man.

Beautifully Written.......2005-10-14

A great book and very unique in its depth and detail. I was once told to write on subjects that are not broad but quite narrow and bring it deep down to its core which is exactly how Yukio Mishima writes. I love this book!

Confessions of a Mask (New Directions Paperbook)

Average customer rating:

A psychologically sexual journey
Ideas concerning human existence...
Good starting point into the world of Mishima
Explaining the sexual ambiguity
hiding the true self

Confessions of a Mask (New Directions Paperbook)
Yukio Mishima
Manufacturer: New Directions Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 081120118X

Customer Reviews:

A psychologically sexual journey.......2006-05-30

Yukio Mishima is one of Japan's most famous modern writers, having written over twenty books, forty plays, ninety short stories, and numerous poems, and having earned three nominations for the Nobel Prize before he committed seppuku (ritualistic suicide) in 1970 at the age of forty-five. Confessions of a Mask was his very first novel (arguably semi-autobiographical), but it is still considered one of his classics. The story is about a nameless homosexual narrator and his attempts throughout his life, from a young child to a grown man, to try to understand himself, his desires, and why exactly he feels so different from everyone else. He comes to the conclusion that he can fit easily into society if he just hides his true self behind a "mask", but he soon finds out it isn't that simple, and before long he begins to lose his firm grip on who exactly his "true self" really is.

The book begins with the narrator describing certain instances from his childhood, memories that he feels have had a significant effect on who he is now. I thought this was just the story's introduction, Mishima's way of introducing the character and letting us get to know him better, but after many pages of these memories, I began to realize that this was the story. It doesn't have a clear beginning, middle, and end as much as it is just a series of events. After all, isn't that closer to the way real life is? Some of the events might seem random at first, but they are all strung together by the highly precise and articulate narrative.

However, even though I thoroughly enjoyed Confessions of Mask, it is definitely not for everyone. There is not very much action in the narrator's life compared to what is going on in his head. And every time something exciting or dramatic does happen, the intensity is constantly being cut down by the narrator's analysis of exactly what psychological or philosophical importance the event has, and occasionally he goes off on tangents that lead to another event entirely before making his way back to where he started. This type of narrative style could easily have been botched by a less skilled writer, making the story sound messy and awkward, but Mishima knows from the beginning where he is going, and he arrives there successfully, detours and all. His psychoanalysis of himself comprises a lot of the book, but he keeps himself from sounding too self-centered by also offering his philosophical insight into human nature in general, not just his own.

There are still a few times when his psychology begins to get tiresome or repetitive, but the beauty of Mishima's writing and the yearning to know what happens next still kept me reading without many complaints. Confessions of a Mask is depressing in how negatively the narrator views himself, but unfortunately the feeling of not fitting in is something that most everyone can relate to. The ending might not seem completely satisfying or conclusive at first, but it fits fairly well with the style of the rest of the novel. I recommend this fascinating and psychologically complex story to anyone who prefers reading books where there's more happening internally than externally, or to anyone else who is interested in trying something different.

Ideas concerning human existence..........2005-01-09

I waded carefully into this book, not knowing what the writing would be like. From the opening of the book the imagery and use of language were fantastic and captivating (some credit/blame may go to the translator).

The story itself - specifically the main voice, a young man (Mishima himself?) - never progresses. The same lack of form and function persists in the telling of the story, start to finish. Mishima muses and postulates about love and sexuality. The voice explores its secrets and thoughts carefully and meticulously. And while the explorations are clever for their language and style - they are not fresh and grow stale as they are reviewed cyclically.

Does he love a woman, does he not. Does he feel sexually attracted to women? No - but certainly aroused by men. But - nothing ever happens. His arousal for men is only truly brought to life in vivid fantasies of pain and suffering inflicted on the men in his mind.

And - still - at the close of the book - the character continues to avoid himself and chase after a girl he has used as his foil and who is now married to another man. He is the same person despite his years and experiences. This book has a potential for power - but feels sad and hollow.

Per Mishima, "It was like being given a gift of damp fireworks."

Good starting point into the world of Mishima.......2004-02-09

Reading other reviews of Confessions of a Mask, I see that many readers are looking at it from a perspective of "gay literature" and seem disappointed that Mishima is not really a supporter of the cause. But from my perspective, as someone interested in Mishima as a giant in Japanese literature, Confessions of a Mask is a great introduction into the literary world of Mishima Yukio.

Without giving away too much, the main forces that propel the protagonist in this semi-autobiographical work, are a secret lust for masculine beauty and an attempt at heterosexual "normalcy" attempted mainly through a painfully flawed try at loving a sister of his friend. Other reviewers have commented that the second half of the story flags a bit, but for me, the frustration and concealed emotion that is tangible in the conversations between the protagonist and Sonoko is both convincing and intriguing.

However, I would agree that the first half of the book is probably more interesting. Mishima's work is less about homosexuality (with the emphasis on sex) and more about an almost reverent approach toward masculine virtue and beauty. These ideas and the struggle within the protagonist start to flag as the war draws to an end and he becomes involved with Sonoko.

I have yet to read many of Mishima's works, but the two main things that appeal to me are his staunch commitment to an ideal or perfection of some sort, and also the amazing penmanship that his stories exhibit. As with most Japanese literature, this sort of subtle detail is lost in translation, so I encourage all who have the ability and time to read the originals!

Although I have a feeling this book will be hard-pressed to please everyone, as it is a bit too extreme for the mainstream reader but perhaps not strong enough for the alternative audience, for me at least it seems like a great insight into the mind and the works of Mishima. No study of modern Japanese literature would be complete without a look at Mishima, and although Confessions of a Mask may not be his greatest work, it is unquestionably an excellent starting point.

Explaining the sexual ambiguity.......2003-08-25

Yukio Mishima's Confessions of a Mask takes the 20th position among 100 Gay Literature fiction. However, after reading the book, I would say it cannot be truly catergorised as a gay literature. The book starts with the same-sex desire towards the classmates and some strangers of the narrator. In chapter three (the longest chapter in the whole book), he suddenly fell in love with a sister of his classmate, called Sonoko. At this point, a heterosexual desire is developing. The narrator tries his very best to distinguish the passion of love from the lust of sex. It is very clear that the narrator's relationship with Sonoko is purely platonic, and later in the book, the narrator tries to lose his virginity by calling a prostitute. Yet, this casual sex encounter proves to fail. The whole story continues towards the last chapter, in which the narrator meets Sonoko on several occasion even though the female has been married to a man.

As a reader, especially a reader reading this book as gay literature, I am very disappointed in the way that book should be better categorised as a heterosexual literature in which the narrator has a defect in sexuality. The same-sex desire of the narrator is purely based on sex, and the physical attraction of male's bodies. What is superior to this is the undying love between Sonoko and the narrator. The author uses over half of the book, clumsily, telling the readers where the heterosexual love goes, and in fact, it goes to no end. The heterosexual plot is the only part which tells the story continuously. The description on same-sex desire, in the first part of the book, is fragmented and the gay narrative lacks coherence and therefore also lacks unity in convincing me that this is a gay fiction.
The narrator cherishes the male's bodies and also does not want to let go his passion of Sonoko, but at the same time, it is obvious that he is sexually incompetent in copulation with a female. Should he be seen as a homosexual or heterosexual? The book does not really tell. Maybe he is a bisexual. However, if this book is read as an autobiographical work of Yukio Mishima, then this argument is defeated, as it is clear that Mishima is a homosexual, though he was married and had two children in his lifetime. What perplexes me apart from the sexuality of the narrator is the matter of the queer propaganda. Should the narrator be regarded as a traitor of homosexuality or heterosexuality? Is this book about a gay man who has a heterosexual tendency or about a straight man who has a hidden homosexual interest? Is the author celebrating gay love or heterosexual relationship? After reading the book, there are still lots of questions unanswered.

If you have time and intend to read truly gay fiction, go for the first 19 books before picking up Confessions of a Mask.

For further reading, I would recommend the following secondary source:

Mark Lily, Gay Men's Literature in the Twentieth Century. 1993. New York University Press. Washington Square, New York. Chapter 5, pp. 127-143.

hiding the true self.......2003-06-04

I've never been much a reader of Mishima. The only books of his that I had red before this one were Death in Midsummer and The Sound of Waves, and although I enjoyed reading both of those books they did not impact me as much as say reading the works of Tanizaki. That however was until I read this book. Not having read one of Mishima's biographies but knowing that he had homosexual tendecies I can not say if this book is semi-autobiographical or not, however, if it is it gives the reader a glimpose at his internal demons. The book seems to be more of a memoir than anything else. The writer speaks of his early years and his emerging homosexuality. It is quite moving in some parts because he depicts his inner struggles in good detail. However, his desires are also quite disturbing because of the way he self gratifies himself. he does not think of intercourse, but of inflicting wounds. Criteria of fantasy include stomach muscles that would look good with blood flowing down them. an interesting book.

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Another aspect of Mishima
Long Search Rewarded

Ba-ra-kei: Ordeal by Roses

Manufacturer: Aperture
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0893811696
Release Date: 2005-06-15

Book Description

Ba-ra-kei is the fierce and lyrical testament of the legendary Japanese writer Yukio Mishima, who shocked the world when he committed ritual suicide in 1970. The year marked Japan's new economic confidence, and Mishima accused the country of being "drunk with prosperity." Many in Japan regarded the suicide as a sensational act. However, with the publication of Mishima's final cycle of novels-conceived eight years prior to his death-it was revealed that his suicide was a carefully considered act, a gesture of historical implication in accord with the morbid and esoteric aesthetic that pervades his writing.

Mishima's elaborate and erotic psyche was captured nine years before his death by master photographer Eikoh Hosoe. This collaboration resulted in surreal photographs of Mishima taken in the baroque interior of his home. The props that surround the writer are the antithesis of the Japanese sensibility of understatement, alluding to Mishima's dark, theatrical imagination. The images in Ba-ra-kei grant us entry into the private world of an extraordinary subject.

Customer Reviews:

Another aspect of Mishima.......2001-12-31

A world apart from his words, movies, and actions, this team effort with the famed japanese photographer will surprise. The centerfold image with a sledgehammer starting straight up at the lense is chilling. Black and white photos are offset with unique use of monochormatic coloring to further shock the eye. 10 years after finding this one I am willing to part with it. If you are a interested collector contact me at mmurd@hotmail.com

Long Search Rewarded.......1998-04-15

It took a long time for me to find this book (courtesy of Amazon.com) but it was definetly worth the frustration! This book of photography is a MUST for serious Mishima / Hosoe collectors and fans - it offers not only a set of beautifully taken photos but a deadly and not insignificant insight to both the photographer and his tempramental subject. Buy, beg, steal but whatever you do dont borrow it because you will be a sad man when the day of parting comes........

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Continues the themes of SPRING SNOW with expanded form and new perspectives
greatest mishima book
Sequel to Spring Snow, But Not As Good
Sea of Silence ...
Standalone

Runaway Horses
Yukio Mishima
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679722408
Release Date: 1990-04-14

Book Description

The chronicle of a conspiracy and a novel about the roots and nature of Japanese fanaticism in the years that led to war--an era marked by depression, social change and political violence.

Customer Reviews:

Continues the themes of SPRING SNOW with expanded form and new perspectives.......2006-06-29

In RUNAWAY HORSES, the second volume of Yukio Mishima's "Sea of Fertility" tetralogy, we are presented with a remarkable turn of events. Kiyoaki Matsugae, the tragic protagonist of SPRING SNOW, has been born again. Those who wondered why the first novel in the cycle had those long debates on the transmigration of the soul will be pleased to see the consequences of the Siamese princes' beliefs.

The year is 1932. RUNAWAY HORSES unfolds through the thoughts of Shikeguni Honda, once Kiyoaki's best friend, who is now thirty-eight years-old and a judge in Osaka. Honda encounters a young man, Isao, who is almost as old as Kiyoaki was when he died, and Honda comes to believe that this boy is his old friend come again, whose life contains events that Kiyoaki foretellingly dreamed of and wrote in his journal. While Kiyoaki's fatal flaw was excess love, his reincarnation is an obsessive patriot, who seeks to purge Japan of foreign ideals and the vices of a capitalism which denied the Emperor. RUNAWAY HORSES is, essentially, a novel of political extremism. The Japan of this era seems poised on the verge of either Communist revolution or, what actually came to pass, military dictatorship, and the uncertainty of the times makes for a very engaging setting. Some knowledge of Japan history comes in handy, although the novel can still be read as it is. The form of the work is also rather more varied than in the first volume of the cycle. RUNAWAY HORSES contains a fifty-page long imagined political tract praising the leaders of a 19th-century rebellion, which inspires the protagonist, and a courtroom scene recounted in dialogue form.

I found so much of this novel supremely agreeable. Mishima expertly causes the reader to feel the long years that have passed for Honda, and the shock that comes in being jerked back to the death of Kiyoaki. Some of the people and places linked with Kiyoaki are seen again in this novel, and often the characters have little idea of the connection, but the reader knows the haunting truth. Nonetheless, the novel is not entirely perfect. One common objection may be that Mishima gushes too much over the purity of Isao, for the author's own political ideals where much the same. Still, anyone concerned with issues of globalization and the existential crisis of the West and westernized nations will have some sympathy for Mishima and his protagonist, even though much about them is deplorable. And Isao is certainly more nuanced than the protagonist of Mishima's gory nearly-pornographic novella "Patriotism" of three years before. My own dissatisfaction about the matter comes from Mishima giving his protagonist, toward the end, the opportunity to rather unrealistically give a long speech to an audience that in truth probably wouldn't hear it.

Still, these are relatively minor complaints. I underestimated the beauty of SPRING SNOW the first time I read it, and I'm quite happy that I re-read it and moved onto RUNAWAY HORSES. The "Sea of Fertility" cycle is indeed an impressive work of fiction.

greatest mishima book.......2006-06-23

this is definately one of the greatest novels written in japanese. though the main character seems naive and unreal, the novel does have merit in revealing a different side of japan. unlike spring snow or novels by kawabata, this does not conform to the steretype of being "feminine", but portrays the more musculine samurai culture of japan.

admittedly, the main character, isao's political fanaticism is somehow scary, especially when we look at it now. however, rather than portraying him as a hero who is perfect, Mishima's attitude toward him is conflicting, which makes the story more interesting and the characters more controversial.

Sequel to Spring Snow, But Not As Good.......2006-03-29

Mishima is a great author, but like every author not every book is likely to be 5 stars. The present book is one such example.

This is the second of a group of four novels by Mishima called The Sea of Fertility series. Taken as a group they are excellent novels or even what one might call a literary masterpiece. The four books are:

- "Spring Snow,"
- "Runaway Horses,"
- "The Temple of Dawn," and
- "The Decay of the Angel."

"Spring Snow" was set in Tokyo around 1912; it involves two families and two lovers; there is a problem betrothal involving the female protagonist Satoko (Kiyoaki is the male); and there are outside forces at work - the Royal family. The present book is time shifted 19 years later to approximately the early 1930s. The protagonist is changed to Honda - a secondary character in the first book - plus we have a new character, Isao, a young man of about 19 who is swept up with a national fervour after reading "The League of the Divine Wind."

It is a clear and compelling read, and I sat down glued to the book and read 220 pages the first day. Having said that, this story is not as good as "Spring Snow." The characters brought forward 19 years from the first book do not quite fit together. The author has to use mysticism to make the pieces fit together.

The parts that involve Honda are excellent - and if he had more Honda the book would be 5 stars. But as the story unfolds, his role declines. The youthful Isao seem immature, not attractive as a character, and the story is not that good about him. So, it is two parallel stories, one well written with great prose - about Honda, and one a bit immature and political about Isao. Finally, at the end of the book, the last 50 pages, it does not seem the least bit credible. Also, the author inserts and repeats parts of "Divine Wind" into the book on more than one occasion, and it seems a bit political. It reminds a bit of Upton Sinclair's book "The Jungle" where the last chapter is dedicated to advancing socialism. Here it is Japanese nationalism.

Taken as a group of four, The Sea of Fertility group might be a masterpiece series. In a society such as Japan, the book must have been a bit racy when it came out. That is the same comment that describes "Spring Snow" but now it does not quite work here. On its own this is not a great book, but I recommend the read as part of the series.

As a final note, this book has no introduction or extra notes on the author or the book. It is just the basic book, but it seems to be an excellent translation.

Sea of Silence ..........2005-08-15

This is not an intent to (summarize) mishima's sea of fertility... rather it's an approach into analyzing it ... a sort of reading between the lines...

Then ... again, what are we exactly trying to portray?

we would say we are ( intending ) to deliver a semiotic vision of what the sea of fertility represents ... we are not trying to ( read ) it for our reader , rather , we let him read , and help him amidst it , by presenting a cluster of signs , keys , semiotics , call it whatever you want , that would - at the end - clarify the road , and that can be grasped by the reader so he can get a wider vision , and a better comprehension of this gigantic universe , which mishima called ( sea of fertility ) ...

But first, why is this bizarre title (sea of fertility)?

mishima himself is going to answer this question , to give it the first ( leading ) sign , that we should know it doesn't crack secrets for us , but merely provides us with a minimum limit , which we can begin our journey from ..

in a note mishima sent to the famous American criticizer Donald Keene , he clearly admits that the reason he chose this title for his tetralogy is a hint for an area of the same designation on the moon's surface not so far of ( the sea of silence ) ... the reason for this reference is to aim at a ( contradiction ) between this vivid and colorful name , and the wasteland it stands for in real ... we can go further on saying that this title combines the image of universal nihilism with the image of ( sea of fertility ) ...

in summer 1945 mishima wanted to write an immense oeuvre that would sum up Miller's famous trilogy ( the rosy crucifixion ) , and that would stress more and more on that ( dark ) side of art ... to write a novel that would take six years of his life , and that would cover - chronogically - those sixty years from 1912 and on ..

That decision , which was the most important one in mishima's practical life , obliged writing this novel in four volumes , in each an individual story , for each a special protagonist , but these characters would not be totally separated from each other ...

How?

The figure in the first volume is the lad kiwaki, the noble descent of the wealthy family of Matsugai, lives a love story, one of its kind that memory would not forget easily, and his friend Honda stands as an eye witness for this superb experience of his...

From that point on , in every volume that succeeds, we can notice that the hero is merely the first one, but after being (reincarnated), to start a new cycle of life, and to let Honda only figure out the connections that ties these four characters...

Mishima Knew very well that his Tetralogy is a rich threshold for everything he learned as a writer ... he told his friends, that when he finishes it, there is only one thing left for him to do ... (suicide) ... and by taking his own life in November 25th 1970, he fulfilled his final quote: the life of men is short, I want to live forever...

( The sea of fertility ) is not an easy read nor its a happy one , it is a lament melancholic presentation of life ... rendered by an artist ...

Standalone.......2004-04-15

No book sums up the austere, starkly proud side of Mishima's personality like Runaway Horses. Though it was written as part of the tetralogy and engineered stylistically and thematically for that purpose, it embodies its purpose, I think, better than any of the other three.

The style accentuates the theme. It's written in a more economical, less meandering way than Spring Snow, and the characters are more dynamic and quickly (though not sloppily) drawn. It has in common with Spring Snow an absolute mastery of the language, with no unneccesary details or sentences.

The character of Isao embodies the theme of patriotism without seeming to become its tool. He has a distinct personality, and it can be seen how his ideals stem from and compliment his inclinations. It never feels as though Mishima is putting words in his mouth (partly, though, because he is so much an aspect of Mishima). Some of his speeches are worth recording.

Book Description

In the tradition of Pico Iyer, a witty and revealing insider's journey through a modern Japan that outsiders seldom glimpse

In 1970, the world-famous Japanese writer Yukio Mishima plunged a knife into his belly and was decapitated using his own antique sword. In the decades since, people have asked endless far-ranging questions about this spectacular suicide.

Christopher Ross wondered, What on earth happened to Mishima's sword?

And so Ross sets off for Tokyo on a journey into the heart of the Mishima legend---the very heart of Japan. It was a country Ross knew well after nearly five years of living there--but nothing could have prepared him for this. While searching for the fabled sword, Ross encounters the rather startling range of those who knew Mishima...a world, or perhaps more accurately a demimonde, of craftsmen and critics, soldiers and swordsmen, boyfriends and biographers (even the man who taught Mishima hara-kiri). The trail Ross follows inspires a travelogue of the most eye-opening--and occasionally bizarre--sort, a window into the real Japan that is never seen by tourists and the occasion for digressions on, among other things, socks and the code of the samurai, nosebleeds and metallurgy... even how to dress for suicide.

Mishima's Sword is a dazzling read--the perfect book for all those intrigued by things Japanese, from gangsters to Genji, from manga to Mishima.

Customer Reviews:

Mostly just fascinating.......2007-06-27

I found this book by accident while waiting for someone, and I was enthralled by it. Ross uses the sensational circumstances of Mishima's very public and gruesome suicide to explore Japanese martial culture in general and tries to explain his own fascination with it along the way.
While he keeps tracking Mishima's life and death as a guide to his narrative, it becomes clearer and clearer that Mishima is conceivably of no importance outside his role as a popular author of nationalist appeal, and that his very theatrical life and death actually stand for very little. His careful reconstruction of himself and his image is not so uncommon, and in the end there is just another guy coming to terms with the very big chips on his shoulder, although he does so in a spectacular way.
But along this way Ross manages by description of his travels and interviews to highlight and clarify Japanese history and fascination with death in a highly insightful way.
Sometimes this book is just about Christopher Ross: For instance there is a whole section, where he describes feeling unwell and having to interrupt his stay in Japan to return to the UK. One can't help wondering if his editor slept through that part, since it seems to have very little to do with the rest of the story.
Fortunately these deviations are relatively brief, as is the whole book, and you have basically read past them before they really trouble you. The rest of the ride is wonderful for people who share Ross' fascination with the martial aspects of Japan.

Interesting history lesson mixed with a travel diary.......2007-01-02

Christopher Ross goes on a quest for the sword used to assist in the suicide of Yushio Mishima, one of Japan's most famous authors. Along the way, the reader is treated to a history of Japan, lessons on Kendo, and insight into Mishima himself, and icon (or iconoclast?) of Japanese literature. In essence, the quest for the physical sword takes secondary importance, behind Ross's quest to understand the man, the times, and the context of his suicide.

For those that read Twigger's Angry White Pajamas, this book is a more serious, and more culturally detailed view of the same genre. Perhaps the connection comes as Christopher Ross was the uber-guru that Twigger wrote about...

If there's one issue I have with the book, it's that the writer at times talks down to the reader. For example, most anyone reading this has experienced international travel - the audience is a cosmopolitan set. Explaining the details of an inflight entertainment system detracts from the overall story.

That said, the book is still concise and well written, and worthy of a read from any afficianado of Japan. It certainly earns a prominent place on my bookshelf!

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The Quintessential Mishima
Mishima At His Best
A poor work, but perfectly summarizes Mishima life and art
Will spark debate
"Patriotism"

Patriotism
Yukio Mishima
Manufacturer: New Directions Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0811213129

Customer Reviews:

The Quintessential Mishima.......2006-04-08

"Patriotism" is a deceptively short work, which captures the full impact of Yukio Mishima's life's work in some 50-odd pages. It is as simple and brutally effective as an ice-pick, sharp and beautiful as a wakazashi.
Set during the Feb. 1936 coup attempt in Tokyo, a newly married military officer, left out of the uprising by his compatriots, makes passionate love to his bride, following which they both commit seppuku in perhaps the most graphically detailed description in literature. It is a shocking and inevitable work, written foreshadowing Mishima's own violent end.
I highly recommend this book, for while it may offend the unprepared, it's beauty of language, concise and vivid imagery, as well as it's historical significance, make it essential reading for anyone who loves fine literature. It epitomizes Mishima's dual passions for elegant beauty and bloody death.

Mishima At His Best.......2005-05-12

A very moving book by probably the greatest (and certainly the most well known) Japanese author of the twentieth century. This short story tells of Lieutenant Shinji who, when forced to make a decision between betraying his friends (involved in an uprising of young Japanese officers against the corrupt system) and death, chooses death by seppuku, or ritual Japanese suicide. His young wife asks to die with him, and the rest of the story deals with their last, passionate night together and the following (very bloody) suicides. While many have been turned away by the great amount of gore in this work (the description of Shinji's death will most certainly turn weaker stomachs), I believe that the story would have been poorer without this vivid imagery. Mishima himself's favorite story, I believe that this book should be read in conjunction with Mishima's semi-autobiographical "Sun & Steel". They complement each other, as "Sun & Steel" is an account Mishima's tragic ideals, and "Patriotism" transforms these ideals into very intense images.

A poor work, but perfectly summarizes Mishima life and art.......2004-09-28

PATRIOTISM is a 1966 novella by Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. Written after his embrace of traditional Japanese social values and four years before his own death by seppuku after a failed coup d'etat, the work concerns a soldier and his wife during a 1936 incident in which some imperial troops mutinied against the emperor. The soldier is dismayed to see his colleagues rise up against the forces of the emperor, and resolves that he and his wife shall kill themselves through seppuku in order to display their ultimate loyalty.

The work is essentially an erotic tale in which the last evening of the soldier and his wife is portrayed as a sexual ecstasy, and as the couple moves towards their fate they are repeatedly praised for their loyalty and dedication as if it were an erotic voluptuousness. "The last moments of this heroic and dedicated couple were enough to make the gods themselves weep," we are told. The death of the soldier moves slowly and meticulously over ten whole pages, with every detail of his gory end lovingly told. Once he is gone, his wife follows, but as Mishima's sexual interests were mainly towards those of his own gender, he finds it difficult to highlight any eroticism of her end, and it is briefly told.

Mishima considered PATRIOTISM his favourite story. Some time after he wrote it, he even organized a movie production in which he played the soldier, shocking European audiences with appallingly realistic gore. His widow considered this whole portrayal a sort of fantasy of his own upcoming death in 1970--she was most probably right--and burned the negative. One can see that PATRIOTISM is a work very linked to the core of Mishima's being.

My feelings about this novella are somewhat divided. On one hand, though a glimpse of a social order that differently considers sex and death might make it as alluring as a Greek tragedy, PATRIOTISM is a work as ignoble as pornography generally is. It certain doesn't compare to Mishima's other books, such as his masterpiece tetralogy "The Sea of Fertility". On the other hand, no other work so encapsulates everything Mishima was, his obsession with sadomasochism, his desire to uphold Japanese culture against modern and Western influences, and an ultimate sort of nihilism.

If you want to know something about Yukio Mishima's life and work but do not have the motivation to make it through all four volumes of the superb "The Sea of Fertility", PATRIOTISM might be for you. I, however, would think the reader would be more content if he picked up SPRING SNOW and settled for a long and exciting journey.

Will spark debate.......2004-09-15

"Patriotism" is Mishima stripped to the core: a simple tale of the sacrifice of a young couple, willingly and eagerly giving their lives for the emperor. Written by most anyone but Mishima this would be portrayed as a story of regret and tragedy, but in the hands of Mishima, the couple is described in tones extolling their beauty and virtue; death explained in words that evoke images of heat and passion. Mishima does not sugarcoat the experience; he lays it bare for the reader. My personal feelings regarding the content of this short story are at odds with those of Mishima, but I cannot deny the power and skill of "Patriotism". This is the type of book that should be read and discussed, a story that loses no power despite the time that has elapsed since it was written nearly forty years ago.

An interesting note regarding the title: although the original title (Yukoku) is usually translated as "patriotism" in English, the word carries different overtones than the English word "patriotism" or the more common Japanese word "aikoku" or "aikokushin". Yukoku translates more accurately as worry or anxiety over the present state or future of one's country. It is also a homophone for another word that means "evening". When reading this tale, remember these details as well as the fact that Mishima wrote this tale not during the heat and fury of wartime Japan, but twenty years after World War II ended, and this story will take on new nuances.

Patriotism is an intense study in nationalism, wartime-Japan style, as well as a window onto the soul of the enigmatic Mishima.

"Patriotism".......2002-12-14

"Patriotism"

Yukio Mishima could not have chosen a better title for his story, "Patriotism." Mishima's characters demonstrate his idea of patriotism. In the story, Lieutenant Shinji Takeyama and his young wife, Reiko becomes martyrs.

The importance of the information in the first sentence of the story is indicated by the great length of the sentence as well as its placement in the story. First mentioned is the reason the Lieutenant commits suicide, his patriotism, and next that he does commit suicide. Death becomes the ultimate test of patriotism. The second sentence recounts Reiko's suicide. Its placement in the story as second does not necessarily render it less important, but instead subsidiary.

Next the reasons they commit suicide are reiterated as the text of their "farewell" notes, drawing the comparison of love for one's country to the love in a new marriage.

The couple is referred to as dedicated, heroic, youthful, and beautiful. Yukio Mishima values youth, and the couple represents all that is beautiful to him. Mishima goes to great length to describe their perfection thus inferring his ideals.

Shinji and Reiko's suicides are so venerable, according to Mishima that "the gods themselves weep." In the Lieutenant's house, the god shelf is under the stairs. The gods and the leaders of Japan represented on this shelf are held on the same level to Mishima. This creates the comparison of reverence to one's gods to reverence for one's country. The suicides are performed upstairs, above the god shelf, giving the suicides superior status. Mishima also describes the relationship between the two as supernatural. They are above nature and the gods. "For Reiko had never, even to herself, thought of those soaring joys of the flesh as mere pleasure." It is more than that. "A hot moistness of the flesh which defied the snows," it is described as. Furthermore, the Lieutenant sees the consummation of their flesh and the sincerity of his patriotism as parts of the same thing.

Among Reiko's few possessions are five small animal trinkets. She dismisses them as worthless because of the materialism they represent. The first animal is a dog which can symbolize loyalty and friendship. The second animal figure is a rabbit which is a symbol of love and faithfulness. The bear is a symbol of strength. The last of the animal trinkets, a fox, symbolizes the presence of an enemy or rival among acquaintances. While Reiko considered their solely materialistic value, "the expressions on the small animals' faces grew even more lost and forlorn." It is their symbolic values that are becoming lost. This is relevant to Mishima's grievance that Japan's values are waning in modern times.

Reiko examines the squirrel more closely. Her thoughts show the development of its childish material worth into its symbolism of happiness in the home. This happiness is her husband. Her love and dedication to her husband is the love and dedication he has to Japan. On the night of their wedding, Shinji sits on the floor with his sword laid in front of him. Reiko sits across from him as he tells her that his death could come at any moment as a soldier. When he asks if she can handle this, she goes and retrieves her dagger and places it as Shinji has placed his sword. Just as the Lieutenant has joined the army with the acceptance that he may have to give his life out of love for his country, Reiko has married Shinji knowing that she may have to give her life out of love for the Lieutenant.

There is much in the story indicating that Shinji is the symbol of Japan and Reiko's love and dedication of him therefore representing ideal patriotism. Shinji is often compared to the sun. He is "the sun about which her whole world revolved." Mishima says that Shinji embodies a "sun-like principle" when describing Reiko's reflections on the squirrel. During the Lieutenant's suicide, his agony "burned as strong as the summer sun." Also, upon returning home after his two-day absence, Shinji arrives near sundown. Yet the door will not open. It is moments later; perhaps at the time of sundown when the sun rests, that Shinji is permitted into the house. Yukio Mishima also uses words like glowing, radiant, and bright in imagery concerning Shinji. The association with Shinji and the sun can be drawn several more times as when he is shaving he sits in the midst of a "cloud" of steam. Shinji is Reiko's sun and her whole world. Before his suicide, Shinji is beautiful, and after he resolves to commit suicide he becomes beautiful once again and is beautiful in death. However, when he returns from his guard duty, his luster and resilience is gone, his head droops dejectedly. One's head is hung low when they're without honor, which is Mishima's grievance with Japan. In "Patriotism" Mishima implores soldier of the Imperial troops to live for their country and therefore die for their country. "Ever since her marriage her husband's existence had been her own existence and every breath of his had been a breath drawn by herself," Mishima tells the reader as Shinji is dying. The same is true of Shinji's relationship with Japan, which Mishima sees as dying.

This is a story of patriotism and a love story. Mishima lets the reader know it is a story about patriotism above all else, not only by its title. Throughout "Patriotism" Shinji is rarely named. After the first reading, the reader recalls the characters as the Lieutenant and his wife. Reiko's name is given a lot yet she also derives her identity from her husband as he derives his from his position on the Imperial army and therefore Japan. She is called his wife and the wife of a soldier. In her suicide note she refers to herself as a soldier's wife. The value of patriotism over the love story is instilled in the way Reiko thinks of Shinji continuously, and he thinks of her during the brief rest periods between training. He think of his training and his duty to Japan over all though. They do not go on a honeymoon either as it is less important than the state of Japan.

Average customer rating:

A Disquieting Picture of Teen Existentialism/Nihilism

Elegantly wrought, memorable tale of hopes dashed tragically

Chilling

The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea

One of those books that just grabs you...

The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea
Yukio Mishima
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679750150
Release Date: 1994-05-31

Customer Reviews:

A Disquieting Picture of Teen Existentialism/Nihilism.......2006-09-01

Plainly said, this work is dark, with segments that will chill the blood of the toughest of readers. Mishima is a master of imagery and his book is a nihilistic masterpiece. Without summarizing the plot, all I can say is: be prepared for a jolt! When you have a group of thirteen year old boys who have banded together in their belief in nothing, paired with two lonely adults who come together so they can finally believe in something--the combination is like a powder keg, truly.
What is interesting is that the nihilist persona this group of boys takes on collectively is a mask (especially upon Noboru, one of the main figures), which is a reaction to the repressed anguish caused by being either neglected or abandoned, or both.
This is a slim novel, but not necessarily an easy read. Having said that, I feel it is expertly written and belongs in the ranks with Camus and Dostoevsky.
Lastly, I work in a high school and was a bit shocked at first that this was to be compulsory reading for tenth graders...but then I decided to quit playing "Pollyanna," because quite frankly, if this book doesn't speak to the teen angst in today's world, I don't know what does.

It is my feeling that if you liked Albert Camus's "The Stranger," you will have an affinity for this piece as well.

Elegantly wrought, memorable tale of hopes dashed tragically.......2006-03-18

"The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea" is truly one of the classic works of late 20th Century world fiction, written during the final years of Mishima's life. As a harrowing tale of wayward youth and the sailor who does indeed fall from grace with the sea, this slender novel is such a riveting exploration of human relations and emotions that the reader does not need to know anything about the author. But knowing that Yukio Mishima was a staunch idealistic militarist who sought Japan's renewal and spiritual redemption from its "glorious" early 20th Century imperialist past, committing seppuku (ritual suicide) as a public protest of Japan's pacifist leanings certainly is quite useful in informing the reader about Mishima's intentions and perhaps his raison d'etre for writing this novel.

In "The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea", Mishima sets up a riveting, unexpected climax between the sailor and a young boy who idealizes him at first for his masculinity, before discovering the sailor's "weak", almost feminine, side to his personality. The young boy is a member of a band of vagabond boys who share too his enthusiasm for the sailor at first, and who help set in motion a fascinating series of events which will have dire consequences for all. Mishima excels in exploring both the Western and Japanese notions of male-female bonding, especially in his description of the boy's relationship to his mother, and to her suitor, the sailor. Rarely have I've come across a novel as intriguing as Mishima's slender tome; its gripping tale will linger in my memory for a long, long time.

Chilling.......2006-01-18

A quick background on how I got my hands on this novella: I was enrolled in an Asian Literature class that was regrettably cancelled. However, the syllabus outlined the novels we were to read over the course of the semester. With a 1 1/2 hour chunk of time now free in my schedule, I decided to read the assigned books. One of the books was Yukio Mishima's ~Temple of the Golden Pavilion,~ which was good enough to lead me to the rest of Mishima's body of work.

This novella is not much different from the other Mishima books I have read: cold, objective, and beautiful in its imagery. Being less than 200 pages, the characters are not as three-dimensional as one would typically expect from a Mishima novel. However, the thematic elements of the book are further realised by the "caricaturization." Being a comment on the Japanese mindset of a not-so-bygone era, each character represents a facet of life, and quite convincingly.

~Sailor~ is as dichotomous as the author, simultaneously filled with humor and terror, beauty and ugliness, calm and torrent. A fascinating read, this book should be experienced with an eagre and open mind.

The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea.......2006-01-09

Yukio Mishima's 'The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea' is a short novel but, due to its tight plot, brevity is not an issue. Published in 1963, seven years before he committed ritual suicide, the novel explores motivation and the factors that can cause someone to abandon their passions and resume their life embracing the dreams of another.

Noboru Kuroda, a thirteen year old on the cusp of an adult world, is part of a savage gang whose members, despite their exemplary grades at school, have rebelled against the adult world they deem hypocritical. Under the tutelage of Noboru's friend, also thirteen, they condition themselves against sentimental feelings - a goal they call `objectivity' - by killing stray cats.

Ryuji Tsukazaki, a merchant seaman, has been granted two days' shore leave and has spent the time romancing Noboru's widowed mother, Fusako. Noboru likes the sailor at first, his commitment to the sea and all the manly stories he has to tell. But, as Ryuji falls for Fusako, Noboru feels betrayed by the man's burgeoning romanticism and, with the help of his gang, feels that action should be taken against the man who has replaced his father.

The first thing I noticed while reading this novel was that the characters are rich with life and history. Noboru, at thirteen, has strong feelings for his mother that manifest through voyeuristic sessions at night when, peeking into her room through a spy-hole, he watches her undress, entertain, and sleep. Ryuji, the sailor, knows he has some purpose at sea and continues his life off the land in the hope that one day he will learn his place in life. And Fusako, five years widowed, displays certain strength as she runs her own business, mixes with a richer class of citizen, while trying to raise he son as best she can.

The way the characters develop from this introduction is fast yet believable - the book, in fact, is split into two sections, 'Summer' and 'Winter', to show that enough time has passed to be plausible. Noboru's respect for Ryuji wanes as he becomes the worst thing, based on his gang's beliefs, a man can be in this world: a father. Ryuji's abandonment of his life's passion is, of course, the main thread of the novel and it is a tragic decision he makes to give up the destiny waiting for him at sea in order to embrace the world of Fusako and the new direction she has planned for him.

The best thing about this novel is the language. The translator, John Nathan, has done a wonderful job and not a page passes without hitting you with a warm wash of sea-spray. Metaphors and similes are drenched with watery goodness as they add to the novel's appeal. The prose is warm during the 'Summer' section but as the book turns to 'Winter' the turns of phrase become icier and tend to sting more. The dialogue is nice and realistic and doesn't smart of stereotypical Japanese honour; the way the characters interact completely plausible.

I hadn't heard of Mishima until I picked up this novel and, given that he had three Nobel nominations in his lifetime, I will certainly look out for more of his work. His concise prose, realistic characters, and the way his voice carries the sea makes him a rare find. If books were shells, I would hope to hear Mishima in every one.

One of those books that just grabs you..........2005-08-25

I'm not exactly sure why this book caught my attention so well. I'm not exactly sure why I enjoyed it so much. I'll do my best to explain it.
Mishima's main character Noboru is most likely the reason that this book caught my attention so much. Noboru is unlike any other protagonist I've read in a long time. Noboru is violent but innocent. He's a two-faced psychological junk yard that the reader loves and hates at the same time. There's the one side of him where he is an innocent pubescent boy, wanting to know what it's like to be a sailor and having a deep relationship with his mother. There is this other side of him that is quite the opposite. He's violent and rebellious. He disects a cat, watches his mother undress through a peephole, writes down his "charges" against his stepfather and conspires to commit an act of violence so horrible but the law will put him of the hook because of his age. Noboru is the most interesting part of this book that makes it such an interesting read.
As for the other aspects, Mishima's writing is simple, but effective. He uses parallel structure and crisp descriptions, not overly eloquent ones. There is some sort of a minimalist twinge on some parts of his writing and a very descriptive, in depth look at other parts in the book. Nevertheless, Mishima's symbolism and engaging characters make for a very enjoyable, but slightly disturbing read. This story is not for the faint of heart. The only cute cuddly kitty in the story is slaughtered and disected shortly after its introduction. So if you're up for an intriguing, meaty read, I would highly recommend Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea.

Average customer rating:

Probably not for the general reader.
Props to Mishima, a philosopher who walked his talk
Please, people, PLEASE!
Mishima turns Mishima inside out
Fascinating insights into a mysterious character

Sun and Steel
Yukio Mishima
Manufacturer: Kodansha I