Mishima: a review in two chapters

Part One

If Yuko Mishima is the poet of something, then he’s the poet of a queasy, unsettling feeling that pervades these twenty-odd short stories. They’re almost all set in contemporary Japan, and are firmly grounded in a realistic and secular style that Mishima’s more well-known novels sometimes eschew in favour of the period setting, the fable and the spiritual. Where does this quesiness spring from? Closeted sexuality is one source - as in the story that features an adolescent girl and her divorced father. The intensity of her feelings for him and her physical resemblance to her mother combine to unsettling effect. A much older man strikes up a relationship with a girl as they wait for the results of driving tests.Two middle-aged lovers keep themselves forever young by sleeping with their teenage dopple-gangers.

The threat of violence is another - a man obsessed by peacocks (such a Mishima animal) becomes a target of police enquiries after the birds are slaughtered at a local zoo. A voyeuristic nobleman meets a violent end after taunting a learning disabled child. If there’s a quintessential Mishima theme it involves dysfunctional sexual desire and bloody violence. Beneath the ordered surface of contemporary Japan: all modern conveniences, cars and cigarettes, lurk darker and more animalistic desires.

Part Two
Was ever an author’s biography and image so enmeshed with his work as Mishima - or perhaps as true to say no writer so carefully cultivated and self-mythologised his own image through his life and writing. Mishima was a reactionary and a far-right ideologue who extolled the martial and spiritual virtues of traditional Japan. Much the longest story in this collection - presented as a true incident - rehashes these views. A framing device of a traditional ceremony in which the gods inhabit the body of a priest sees two groups of totemic figures from Japan’s military past summoned: a group of young army officers who were executed after an attempted coup, and the Second World War kamikaze pilots. Only those with a very large appetite for extended discussions around whether the Emperor was betrayed, or he betrayed himself, or he was a god, or a man, will stick with this.

So stick with the stories - they’re a strong four, but this reader would counsel you to not feel bad about skipping through the title 'story.' On that basis four stars.

I went into this collection with high expectations as I have heard nothing but praise for Mishima. However, the few stories I read lacked depth. The first story, Strawberry, was disappointing. It seemed there was no plot, and it ended rather abruptly. I DNF, however I can’t deny Mishima’s masterful way of writing, and I see how he is revered for his prose.

Mishima was such a talented writer. Such a beautiful book and so poetic. Loved it a lot and want to read more.

This is a collection of late Mishima stories that show the breadth of his work and interests. It may not be a good starting point for someone new to Mishima, however, as none of them matched the breathtaking delicacy and brutality of [book:Patriotism|7420324] for me.

There are stories here that showcase the author's nationalist patriotism and the 'betrayal' of Emperor Hirohito. There are haunting ghost stories, and gothic-esque soul divisions where something unknown and almost unacknowledged emanates from the narrator. A striking tale set in America foregrounds a moment when the world stops in a fiery blast of annihilation, characterised here as a profound instance of complete and coherent human understanding as humanity is united in death.

There is something so distinctive about Mishima's vision, that disturbing aesthetic of morbidity and sensitivity.

Not sure if my expectations were just shot toward a completely opposite direction, or if this was just sort of disappointing somehow - on different levels - stylistically lacking, narrative and plot-wise sort of undercooked, and nothing really hits? But it's Mishima, and because of that, I'm still a little bit biased. Would rather read Mishima than a mid, mediocre new debut work of someone new. Maybe that's more my problem than Mishima's then. All in all reminded me of my least favourite work of his, "Beautiful Star", esp. in terms of style and structure, and tone too perhaps. Might reduce it to a two star rating later. Really didn't get anything out of it. Stories were too brief, and mostly without substance. And the style wasn't interesting enough either. It's as if the only reason this could be published or marketed is because Mishima wrote it.

A variety of fiction and real-life stories written in different POVs, styles and genres.
The Peacocks, From the Wilderness and the titular story were my favourites.
I enjoyed the plots and the styles of some more, and overall this was a 3-star read for me.

Mishima is one of my favorite authors and one whose short stories I also tolerate, which is the genre I detest the most along with YA. That said, in my opinion, except for a few, there are some pretty forgettable short stories in this collection, as already mentioned though with exceptions. The themes are the usual ones anyway, death, sex, honor etc. The translator is different for each story, but as not being able to read the original myself, I can only assume it works because it sounds good.

Mishima é uno dei miei autori preferiti ed uno dei quali tollero anche i racconti, che sono il genere che detesto di piú assieme al YA. Detto questo, secondo me, tranne alcuni, ci sono dei racconti piuttosto dimenticabili in questa raccolta, come giá detto peró con delle eccezioni. I temi sono i soliti comunque, morte, sesso, onore etc.Il traduttore é diverso per ogni racconto, ma come al solito, non potendo io leggere l'originale, non posso che dare per scontato che funzioni, perché suona bene.

I received a digital advanced review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.