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abookbish's review against another edition
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jetjaguar124's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A really magnificent book from Mishima, taking his knowledge of the political machinations of post-war Japan and deftly applying it to a very complex, human story. Kazu is a rich and complex character, and in her Mishima finds one of his greatest narratives.
pip94's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 - this was my first book by Mishima. I enjoyed it - I enjoyed the descriptions of the characters and think the book contains an interesting look into human nature. I enjoyed the look into politics and ambition. It was also interesting to see this deceptively complex woman forge her way through a sexist society (this was written in the 60s). Although the characters are interesting, I didn't particularly like any of them and I didn't feel particularly captivated by the story. It was good but not amazing for me. I would be interested to try out more by the author though.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I began a new call to a church last year. One of my parishioners is a Japanese native; perhaps the first person I know on an intimate level from the island itself.
This has led me to read more about Japan, both fiction and non-fiction and I find the more I read, the less I know. Japan has a rich history and a deep, diverse culture. I learn something every time but I still feel wanting.
I won’t pretend to parse the unique cultural aspects of this book, it’s political and gender dynamics. To speak on it would be presumptuous. But the story itself is interesting: a successful restauranteur who rose from nothing in Japan’s rigid patriarchal culture to make a name for herself falls for a down-on-his-luck politician who is still considered something of a catch because of the importance of his family name.
As tensions arose in their relationship, Kazu, the female character keeps falling back on the idea that as long as she dies with his name, she can be buried with his ancestors and live well in the afterlife, as opposed to the supposedly cold reception she would receive stuck in a pauper’s grave. This drives a lot of her anxieties, as well as what to do with her restaurant.
The political subplot was also interesting. Without giving too much away, it does a great job of moving the book from point A (its start) to C (its finish). It’s the ideal second act that keeps the book’s narrative flowing.
Like most Japanese lit, it is less concerned about the characters inner motives and more about sensory descriptions. If you like reading elaborate prose describing food, flowers and the weather, this is for you. It’s not my thing but Mishima is a good writer so I appreciated it.
If you’re looking for quality Japanese fiction, this is a good way. It is a nice, at times beautifully written book. I enjoyed reading it.
This has led me to read more about Japan, both fiction and non-fiction and I find the more I read, the less I know. Japan has a rich history and a deep, diverse culture. I learn something every time but I still feel wanting.
I won’t pretend to parse the unique cultural aspects of this book, it’s political and gender dynamics. To speak on it would be presumptuous. But the story itself is interesting: a successful restauranteur who rose from nothing in Japan’s rigid patriarchal culture to make a name for herself falls for a down-on-his-luck politician who is still considered something of a catch because of the importance of his family name.
As tensions arose in their relationship, Kazu, the female character keeps falling back on the idea that as long as she dies with his name, she can be buried with his ancestors and live well in the afterlife, as opposed to the supposedly cold reception she would receive stuck in a pauper’s grave. This drives a lot of her anxieties, as well as what to do with her restaurant.
The political subplot was also interesting. Without giving too much away, it does a great job of moving the book from point A (its start) to C (its finish). It’s the ideal second act that keeps the book’s narrative flowing.
Like most Japanese lit, it is less concerned about the characters inner motives and more about sensory descriptions. If you like reading elaborate prose describing food, flowers and the weather, this is for you. It’s not my thing but Mishima is a good writer so I appreciated it.
If you’re looking for quality Japanese fiction, this is a good way. It is a nice, at times beautifully written book. I enjoyed reading it.
bookwormlukas's review
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
‘After the Banquet’ is my fourth Mishima, and my second in the last few weeks after ‘Thirst for Love’, a novel I highly enjoyed. Now, ‘Banquet’ itself doesn’t quite hit the highs of that novel when it comes to story and theme (that one happens to be a little darker), but it’s still an interesting little tale in itself that really puts politics at the forefront of its story.
Telling the tale of Kazu, a successful restauranteur and her burgeoning romance with Noguchi as he begins a run for office, ‘Banquet’ is mostly concerned with the politics of Noguchi’s campaign and how Kazu fits into the environment of his team as his wife, placing an emphasis on what was expected from a woman in her position in that particular time period. As in ‘Thirst for Love’ though, Kazu doesn’t really react or act like what is expected of her, and as she gains a knowledge and enjoys the backhanded nature of the political structure that develops around her, the campaign begins to feel like her own as opposed to her husbands (who just seems to be going through the motions) - creating secrets, and an interesting seesaw effect when it comes to who holds the power in the relationship.
If I’m honest, the relationship itself can feel quite distant, as Kazu and Noguchi are just two very different characters who seem to want and like each other for semi basic reasons. Kazu herself though is probably the most interesting aspect of the novel, as we see an older and successful Japanese business woman attempting to own and develop her husbands political aspirations as part of her own success. It’s an interesting story and one that I read quite quickly, it just seemed to be lacking ever so slightly compared to the other two Mishima I’ve read recently.
Now to complete my highly Mishima focused Japanuary with ‘Confessions of a Mask’, a Mishima re-read which was one of my favourite reads a few years ago!
Telling the tale of Kazu, a successful restauranteur and her burgeoning romance with Noguchi as he begins a run for office, ‘Banquet’ is mostly concerned with the politics of Noguchi’s campaign and how Kazu fits into the environment of his team as his wife, placing an emphasis on what was expected from a woman in her position in that particular time period. As in ‘Thirst for Love’ though, Kazu doesn’t really react or act like what is expected of her, and as she gains a knowledge and enjoys the backhanded nature of the political structure that develops around her, the campaign begins to feel like her own as opposed to her husbands (who just seems to be going through the motions) - creating secrets, and an interesting seesaw effect when it comes to who holds the power in the relationship.
If I’m honest, the relationship itself can feel quite distant, as Kazu and Noguchi are just two very different characters who seem to want and like each other for semi basic reasons. Kazu herself though is probably the most interesting aspect of the novel, as we see an older and successful Japanese business woman attempting to own and develop her husbands political aspirations as part of her own success. It’s an interesting story and one that I read quite quickly, it just seemed to be lacking ever so slightly compared to the other two Mishima I’ve read recently.
Now to complete my highly Mishima focused Japanuary with ‘Confessions of a Mask’, a Mishima re-read which was one of my favourite reads a few years ago!
charlesc's review against another edition
dark
reflective
3.5
Content de ne pas être japonais !! Pas grand chose à dire d’autre
Agréables détails sur les vêtements et les menus
Agréables détails sur les vêtements et les menus
onatigre's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
3.25
aku's review against another edition
3.0
Kazu is an ambitious yet bored woman. She's at the top of her game and needs a challenge when she meets him. He is a retired politician, who wants a peaceful life and might be interested in settling down. They both get together, but will this relationship last?. Who says men can't write well formed and complex female characters?. Our protagonist is probably one of the best fictional female characters I've encountered and is created by a man, an extremely 'masculine' man nonetheless. This is one of those books which tells you what love is not. And so if you just broke up with your significant other and need some form of closure, read this book. It might help ease your pain.
epictetsocrate's review against another edition
3.0
Setsugo-an, „chilia zăpezilor”, era aşezată pe un platou înalt în Ko-ishikawa, un cartier deluros din Tokio. Rămăsese ferită de stricăciunile războiului. Neatinsă era vestita grădină de vreo zece ari, plantată în stilul lui Enshu Kobori1, ca şi „poarta păunului” adusă dintr-un cunoscut templu din Kyoto; la fel şi pridvorul şi pavilionul de oaspeţi ale vechiului templu din Nera, mutate în întregime şi reconstruite întocmai; neatinsă rămăsese şi sala cea mare, ridicată în vremuri mai noi.
După război, în timpul răsturnărilor iscate de noua lege a impozitelor, Setsugo-an trecuse de la vechiul proprietar, un industriaş pasionat de ceremonia ceaiului, în mâinile unei femei frumoase şi energice. Astfel, „chilia” devenise peste noapte un restaurant cu renume.
Noua proprietăreasă era Kazu Fukuzawa, o femeie frumoasă, voinică, cu un aer sănătos, aproape ţărănesc, debordând de vitalitate. Kazu era genul de femeie în faţa căreia oamenii complicaţi se ruşinează de complexele lor, iar cei slabi de înger fie că prind curaj, fie se pierd cu torul. Prin nu se ştie ce voie a naturii, Kazu întrunea în firea ei o hotărâre bărbătească şi o personalitate cu totul feminină. Cu asemenea calităţi ar fi putut ajunge mai departe decât orice bărbat.
Kazu avea sufletul senin şi un caracter fără compromisuri: o fire simplă şi dreaptă, încă din tinereţe îi plăcuse mai curând să iubească decât să fie iubită. In naivitatea ei firească se ascundea o oarecare doză de îndrăzneală. Iar răutăţile şi meschinăriile oamenilor nu reuşiseră decât să-i întărească generozitatea şi modestia.
De ani de zile, Kazu avea câţiva prieteni apropiaţi, care însă nu-i făceau curte. Printre ei se număra de o vreme şi Genki Nagayama, un politician abil care trăgea din umbră sforile în partidul conservator. Faţă de femeia cu douăzeci de ani mai tânără decât el, Genki nutrea o afecţiune de frate mai mare.
— Este o femeie cum rar întâlneşti, obişnuia el să spună. E în stare de fapte mari. Dacă ai pune-o să întoarcă ţara cu fundu-n sus, nici asta nu i-ar întrece puterile. Ca bărbat, ar fi un aventurier de clasă, dar fiindcă e femeie, trece doar drept vrednică – si-atât. îi lipseşte numai bărbatul de care să se îndrăgostească. Cu el ar fi în stare de orice.
După război, în timpul răsturnărilor iscate de noua lege a impozitelor, Setsugo-an trecuse de la vechiul proprietar, un industriaş pasionat de ceremonia ceaiului, în mâinile unei femei frumoase şi energice. Astfel, „chilia” devenise peste noapte un restaurant cu renume.
Noua proprietăreasă era Kazu Fukuzawa, o femeie frumoasă, voinică, cu un aer sănătos, aproape ţărănesc, debordând de vitalitate. Kazu era genul de femeie în faţa căreia oamenii complicaţi se ruşinează de complexele lor, iar cei slabi de înger fie că prind curaj, fie se pierd cu torul. Prin nu se ştie ce voie a naturii, Kazu întrunea în firea ei o hotărâre bărbătească şi o personalitate cu totul feminină. Cu asemenea calităţi ar fi putut ajunge mai departe decât orice bărbat.
Kazu avea sufletul senin şi un caracter fără compromisuri: o fire simplă şi dreaptă, încă din tinereţe îi plăcuse mai curând să iubească decât să fie iubită. In naivitatea ei firească se ascundea o oarecare doză de îndrăzneală. Iar răutăţile şi meschinăriile oamenilor nu reuşiseră decât să-i întărească generozitatea şi modestia.
De ani de zile, Kazu avea câţiva prieteni apropiaţi, care însă nu-i făceau curte. Printre ei se număra de o vreme şi Genki Nagayama, un politician abil care trăgea din umbră sforile în partidul conservator. Faţă de femeia cu douăzeci de ani mai tânără decât el, Genki nutrea o afecţiune de frate mai mare.
— Este o femeie cum rar întâlneşti, obişnuia el să spună. E în stare de fapte mari. Dacă ai pune-o să întoarcă ţara cu fundu-n sus, nici asta nu i-ar întrece puterile. Ca bărbat, ar fi un aventurier de clasă, dar fiindcă e femeie, trece doar drept vrednică – si-atât. îi lipseşte numai bărbatul de care să se îndrăgostească. Cu el ar fi în stare de orice.
ashleigheva's review against another edition
4.0
[3.75/5]
interestingly enough, i found the setting up and the resolution; the start and the end of this book to be the most enjoyable.
the initial chase kazu indulges in is thrilling because it's easy to see why from her perspective as quite the character, noguchi's contrasting manner is appealing but also baffling
her expressions of fondness are also just endearing to read
the post-election arc was so enjoyable. pretty much from after kazu and noguchi get married, their relationship had been dissatisfactory. it was nice to see it finally be resolved.
i also absolutely loved the ending letter. it had lots of beautiful statements that i noted down :-)
i think i would've really liked more exploration of kazu and yamazaki to have been done
in terms of the election arc: man i plodded through this. honestly from a story building perspective, i think it did well. it included elements such as the old friend who wrote the blackmailing book in a timely and precise fashion that i could see would culminate to aid the bigger picture. but perhaps politics just really isn't my thing because whew.
i was originally gonna give this a 3.25-3.5 but the ending pulled it up for me :-) i think i'd still like to read some other of mishima's work~
interestingly enough, i found the setting up and the resolution; the start and the end of this book to be the most enjoyable.
the initial chase kazu indulges in is thrilling because it's easy to see why from her perspective as quite the character, noguchi's contrasting manner is appealing but also baffling
her expressions of fondness are also just endearing to read
the post-election arc was so enjoyable. pretty much from after kazu and noguchi get married, their relationship had been dissatisfactory. it was nice to see it finally be resolved.
i also absolutely loved the ending letter. it had lots of beautiful statements that i noted down :-)
i think i would've really liked more exploration of kazu and yamazaki to have been done
in terms of the election arc: man i plodded through this. honestly from a story building perspective, i think it did well. it included elements such as the old friend who wrote the blackmailing book in a timely and precise fashion that i could see would culminate to aid the bigger picture. but perhaps politics just really isn't my thing because whew.
i was originally gonna give this a 3.25-3.5 but the ending pulled it up for me :-) i think i'd still like to read some other of mishima's work~