Reviews

Star by Yukio Mishima

ev4zinh4's review against another edition

2.75

"So tired I didn't know if I wanted to sleep or if I wanted to die." p85

idk what to think
very unlikable mc, objectifies women but also realises that other men do it..
kayo is a yes on some things but also has a lot of very misogynistic behaviour 
les cardboard cutouts woopwoop

henrikyoung's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

lonelyhyperion's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

At first I thought I wasn't going to be into this, but Mishima's prose lulled me in, as it often does. Wonderful little existentialist book.

vita13's review

The book is really short, less than a hundred pages. Still, I couldn’t make myself finish reading it. In all honesty, it was plain boring. I usually like this sort of “stream of consciousness” “nothing really happens” books, but this one was just bleak, I was tired of reading the main character’s thoughts. 
At first, I thought I’d give it a chance and had an intention of finishing it, but than I started hating more and more the way the author writes women. In the end it became apparent that I don’t want to waste my time on this book. I think I still want to give this author another chance, but not for now.

maybebon's review

dark mysterious reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

zaraishka's review against another edition

adventurous challenging medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

zo12zo's review against another edition

2.0

it had its moments but it was completly underwhelming

geofroggatt's review

3.0

“Star” is a short story by Yukio Mishima. It was originally published in the November 1960 issue of Gunzo, a literary magazine published by Kodansha. The story centers on Rikio "Richie" Mizuno, a twenty-three-year-old actor disillusioned with fame and the film industry. He acts in a series of films where he plays a tough and hardened Yakuza gangster. Rikio prides himself for his appearance and physical build, and is adored by crowds of obsessive fans. This story was a brutal dissection of fame, and of the actor's realization that looks can fade. Star is an efficient, economical book in which ordinary life concerns are muted in favor of fashionable appearances. I liked how the story functions as a look behind the curtain of the film industry and celebrity culture, dissecting our ideas of fame and showing the cruel and grim reality of things. This book easily shows the masks and personas of celebrities and the artifice behind celebrities, how the real acting begins when the actors are off set. I think that this was a succinct and precise look at the shallowness and falseness of fame and the world of celebrities, but I also think that this short story didn’t say anything new despite the decent writing and good ideas. The one idea that I wish was focused on and expanded upon more was the idea of growing old and watching your youthful pride and juvenile beauty die. I liked the humbled mortality that the protagonist faced at the end, I just wish it was expanded upon and made more impactful. Overall, bleak and cynical, but had potential. I’d recommend this for readers who enjoy the themes of fame, persona, and celebrity.

qemorio's review

reflective fast-paced

flexluthor's review

challenging dark reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5