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8797999's review against another edition
4.0
My first time reading a work by Yukio Mishima, beyond a short story, and I did enjoy it. It was very well written and translated. I don't think it is a book you can appreciate with a single read through.
A nice introduction to Mishima and hopefully I can scratch off several others of his works this year.
A nice introduction to Mishima and hopefully I can scratch off several others of his works this year.
versmonesprit's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.0
I sometimes wonder what would happen if I didn’t read Yukio Mishima’s fascist manifesto, Sun and Steel. Because his works are imbued with his fascist ideals, but seeing so many decent Mishima fans, I keep wondering — would I have picked up on them?
Either way, I can’t go back in time to un-read it, so it seems Mishima will remain forever tainted for me. I have unfortunately bought three more of his books, and yet a fourth of his stories is included in a collection I have, so my pure hate relationship with him isn’t over. I just regret buying The Temple of the Golden Pavilion upon recommendation by a book-friend, saying I’d like it more than The Sailor who Fell from Grace with the Sea. Did I? Apparently yes, if we consider that was a 0.25/5 for me and this a 1/5. Certainly not a worthy improvement by any means, and I do genuinely feel bad about the money I spent on Mishima’s works. More than un-reading Sun and Steel, I’d want to go back in time to un-buy all of his works.
The first 60 pages were excruciating to read, and just when I was convinced the book would flow from then on, the clubfooted man’s unending monologue brought back that impossible-to-push-through quality. It was a profoundly infuriating experience also because it betrayed Mishima’s total inability to write a single different narratorial voice. You couldn’t tell a single character apart, because not once does he bother to change and adapt their voice. So yes, Mishima is just a shitty author beyond the limits of my personal vendetta too. Because also: for an unending, drivelling, repetitive book that is supposedly about beauty, it says nothing at all. It wouldn’t even fill 5 pages if you were to take out the repetition! And if you were expecting this book to be about the main character’s obsession with the temple, HA HA, no! It’s just a chronicle of his life. Don’t let blurbs and reviews dupe you into believing Mishima had an interesting idea.
I wish it were possible to die a thousand deaths. I would have loved delivering Mishima the remaining 999, not only for being a scummy person, but also for being such a horrible writer. I genuinely felt my blood pressure rise, my jaw lock and tremble, tears of frustration creep into my eyes when the book kept going on and not ending.
Either way, I can’t go back in time to un-read it, so it seems Mishima will remain forever tainted for me. I have unfortunately bought three more of his books, and yet a fourth of his stories is included in a collection I have, so my pure hate relationship with him isn’t over. I just regret buying The Temple of the Golden Pavilion upon recommendation by a book-friend, saying I’d like it more than The Sailor who Fell from Grace with the Sea. Did I? Apparently yes, if we consider that was a 0.25/5 for me and this a 1/5. Certainly not a worthy improvement by any means, and I do genuinely feel bad about the money I spent on Mishima’s works. More than un-reading Sun and Steel, I’d want to go back in time to un-buy all of his works.
The first 60 pages were excruciating to read, and just when I was convinced the book would flow from then on, the clubfooted man’s unending monologue brought back that impossible-to-push-through quality. It was a profoundly infuriating experience also because it betrayed Mishima’s total inability to write a single different narratorial voice. You couldn’t tell a single character apart, because not once does he bother to change and adapt their voice. So yes, Mishima is just a shitty author beyond the limits of my personal vendetta too. Because also: for an unending, drivelling, repetitive book that is supposedly about beauty, it says nothing at all. It wouldn’t even fill 5 pages if you were to take out the repetition! And if you were expecting this book to be about the main character’s obsession with the temple, HA HA, no! It’s just a chronicle of his life. Don’t let blurbs and reviews dupe you into believing Mishima had an interesting idea.
I wish it were possible to die a thousand deaths. I would have loved delivering Mishima the remaining 999, not only for being a scummy person, but also for being such a horrible writer. I genuinely felt my blood pressure rise, my jaw lock and tremble, tears of frustration creep into my eyes when the book kept going on and not ending.
tyufekchieva's review
2.0
Deeply confused by whatever it is I just finished reading. I feel far too stupid to understand what Mishima wanted to say and I’m okay with that.
bede03's review
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sambiddlestone's review against another edition
5.0
incredibly insightful into the psyche of a deeply troubled author over a decade before he went fully insane - the seeds are clearly there, but it’s early enough, particularly compared to The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, that this is a coherent and incredibly well written piece of work. mishima’s decline into fascism is one of the great literary tragedies
m_a_j's review
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, and Suicide
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Minor: Body shaming, Violence, Sexual content, and War
jaquep's review against another edition
reflective
slow-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
2.0
jaden_umeh's review
4.0
Mishima offers a wonderful meditation on the impermanence of beauty, both structural and biological, as well as depicting the inevitably flawed human reaction to said impermanence.