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A review by febrfebrfebr
After the Banquet by Yukio Mishima
3.0
Kazu and Noguchi is really a mismatched couple. I’m not sure how can Kazu fall in love with such a person after all the past affairs of hers did not make it. Both main protagonists are not very likeable, which perhaps is not very important in literary works. However, I found myself sympathize with Noguchi more with his stern disposition and aversion to vulgar and flashy gestures Kazu indulges to sport. At the same time, I feel a bit appalled by how Noguchi treats Kazu, especially when he was upset. I also did not like it when Kazu had to kneel and hold the basin for Noguchi’s gargle waste. I guess this really displays the dominating patriarchal values in Japanese society, especially during the time setting of this book. Despite Kazu’s successful business as a proprietress of a luxurious restaurant, she still has to do that to display her devotion to her husband.
I had difficulty on reading the Omizutori ceremony part because I had no idea how the ceremony was like, and the entire chapter was all descriptive of the ceremony’s process. If anything, I finally get why political campaigns are such expensive projects. Mere posters and gimmicks featuring the campaigning candidate may look tacky, cheap, not to mention ugly, but they have to print hundreds of thousands of those and it is certainly not cheap. With the assumption that such campaign would appeal to the mass, each candidate’s aspiration and idealism do not seem to matter much compared to how much their budget is. Such society we have been living in!
I had difficulty on reading the Omizutori ceremony part because I had no idea how the ceremony was like, and the entire chapter was all descriptive of the ceremony’s process. If anything, I finally get why political campaigns are such expensive projects. Mere posters and gimmicks featuring the campaigning candidate may look tacky, cheap, not to mention ugly, but they have to print hundreds of thousands of those and it is certainly not cheap. With the assumption that such campaign would appeal to the mass, each candidate’s aspiration and idealism do not seem to matter much compared to how much their budget is. Such society we have been living in!