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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I liked it a surprising amount - much better than the last book of his I read. The writing was utterly beautiful, the stories deeply melancholy.
It wasn’t... an enjoyable book, not necessarily, but it was deeply beautiful.
It wasn’t... an enjoyable book, not necessarily, but it was deeply beautiful.
Includes the masterpiece “Patriotism,” simply one of the best short stories ever and a piece that single-handedly expresses much of Mishima’s worldview and themes. All the stories here are deceptively layered; what may seem shallow at first is sleight-of-hand. Anyone familiar with Mishima will find lots to enjoy and unpack here. The fact that he turns the matter of a missing (and possibly digested) pearl into a critique of Japanese manners and a contest of individual wills is a testament to his genius.
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
the stories are hit or miss but the eponymous story, patriotism, and the pearl are standouts
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Gostei de ler Mishima, embora sinta uma espécie de amor-ódio pela sua escrita, por um lado a rigidez formal confere-lhe um controlo sumptuoso da escrita, nomeadamente do ritmo e consequente envolvência do leitor, por outro lado, essa mesma rigidez contamina o ideário com um conservadorismo que me afasta pela atrocidade humanista que comporta.
Morte em Pleno Verão: 4.8
Três Milhões de Ienes: 3
Garrafas-Termos: 3.5
O Sacerdote do Templo de Shiga e o Seu Amor: 4.5
As Sete Pontes: 3
Patriotismo: 5
Onnagata: 3
Uma nota final. Até agora não gostava de ler livros de contos por não darem espaço suficiente ao desenvolvimento dos personagens, que é aquilo que mais prezo na literatura. Na leitura deste livro identifiquei outro problema. Quando os contos são intensos, capazes de abalar a nossa estrutura emocional, terminar o texto e ter logo outro a apresentar-se com um novo mundo, novos sentimentos, retira uma certa "graça" à experiência da leitura. Quando termino algo deste calibre, gosto de virar a página e fechar o livro, e não ficar com a ideia que ainda não terminou, mais ainda sabendo que aquilo que falta não tem nada que ver com o que acabei de ler.
Morte em Pleno Verão: 4.8
Três Milhões de Ienes: 3
Garrafas-Termos: 3.5
O Sacerdote do Templo de Shiga e o Seu Amor: 4.5
As Sete Pontes: 3
Patriotismo: 5
Onnagata: 3
Uma nota final. Até agora não gostava de ler livros de contos por não darem espaço suficiente ao desenvolvimento dos personagens, que é aquilo que mais prezo na literatura. Na leitura deste livro identifiquei outro problema. Quando os contos são intensos, capazes de abalar a nossa estrutura emocional, terminar o texto e ter logo outro a apresentar-se com um novo mundo, novos sentimentos, retira uma certa "graça" à experiência da leitura. Quando termino algo deste calibre, gosto de virar a página e fechar o livro, e não ficar com a ideia que ainda não terminou, mais ainda sabendo que aquilo que falta não tem nada que ver com o que acabei de ler.
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
the second 'work' i have read by mishima! a while ago i purchased for myself a copy of 'spring snow', but i have not yet gotten to reading it -- it is rather dense and presently i am busied with schoolwork etc...
this is a very nice collection of short stories though. if i'm to compare it with the other japanese short story collection i have read -- that being murakami's 'the elephant vanishes' -- i think this trumps it in essentially every regard. what i found interesting about the stories in here is how every single one of them wound up drawing me in for an almost intimate reading experience, even if they did not initially strike me as something i'd be interested in. i am just looking through the contents and there was not a single story in this book that did not present some merit to me -- i am fondly recalling all of them as i make my way down the list. it is also really awesome how there is a play in here! i have never really read the script to a play before, and 'doujouji' was a very nice introduction to the medium.
my favorite story in this book was 'the pearl'! i will be writing about it for my short fiction course at university. the lottie verdict: read this book.
this is a very nice collection of short stories though. if i'm to compare it with the other japanese short story collection i have read -- that being murakami's 'the elephant vanishes' -- i think this trumps it in essentially every regard. what i found interesting about the stories in here is how every single one of them wound up drawing me in for an almost intimate reading experience, even if they did not initially strike me as something i'd be interested in. i am just looking through the contents and there was not a single story in this book that did not present some merit to me -- i am fondly recalling all of them as i make my way down the list. it is also really awesome how there is a play in here! i have never really read the script to a play before, and 'doujouji' was a very nice introduction to the medium.
my favorite story in this book was 'the pearl'! i will be writing about it for my short fiction course at university. the lottie verdict: read this book.