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A review by bookwormlukas
After the Banquet by Yukio Mishima
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!