YUKIO MISHIMA was born in Tokyo in 1925. He graduated from Tokyo Imperial University's School of Jurisprudence in 1947. His first published book, The Forest in Full Bloom, appeared in 1944 and he established himself as a major author with Confessions of a Mask (1949). From then until his death he continued to publish novels, short stories, and plays each year. His crowning achievement, the Sea of Fertility tetralogy—which contains the novels Spring Snow (1969), Runaway Horses (1969), The Temple of Dawn (1970), and The Decay of the Angel (1971)—is considered one of the definitive works of twentieth-century Japanese fiction. In 1970, at the age of forty-five and the day after completing the last novel in the Fertility series, Mishima committed seppuku (ritual suicide)—a spectacular death that attracted worldwide attention.
One of LitHub's Best Translated Novels of the Decade
“Mishima is a giant. . . . One of the most acclaimed writers of the
20th century. . . . The uniquely askew relationships at the center
of the story mean that its most riveting scenes are well and truly
riveting; unforgettable, even.” —The New York Times Book Review
“A compelling tale of love and violence. . . . Mishima is a
magnificent and important storyteller. . . Admirers of the
enigmatic Japanese master have reason to rejoice. Those still
unfamiliar with his work might very well have a new entryway to one
of the most vital—and troubling—literary voices of the 20th
century. . . . By the time we reach the end, Mishima’s twisty
timeline pays huge dividends. A powerful epilogue ties a neat
ribbon around the plot.” —The Washington Post
“[A] little gem.” —The Wall Street Journal
“[A] luridly propulsive novel. . . . This disturbing book is a
masterful look into the ‘very instant when the truth of perverse
human nature begins to shine.’ . . . With Mishima’s baroque,
beautiful prose hinting at depravity on every page.” —Publishers
Weekly (starred review)
“[A] psychologically complex novel finally available in a honed
translation by Andrew Clare. . . . Mishima, an extraordinary
literary talent, was to the last a consummate multifaceted
performance artist, profoundly aware of the pressing momentum of
time.” —The Times Literary Supplement
“Classic Mishima terrain. . . . A stimulating read and a welcome
addition to the canon of Mishima translations.” —The Japan
Times
“Masterful. . . . A tale of lust, violence and acceptance, the
story stands as another example of [Mishima’s] genius.” —Shelf
Awareness
"The kind of book you scribble all over in excitement because every
line is so brilliant." —Chicago Review of Books
“The Frolic of the Beasts has finally been published in English, in
a decent translation by Andrew Clare. . . . Mishima was prolific
and versatile in a manner reminiscent of a writer like John Updike.
In addition to hundreds of short stories and eleven volumes of
critical essays, he wrote thirty-five novels and thirteen plays . .
. including adaptations from the Noh theater repertory.” —The New
York Review of Books
"Representative Mishima. . . . [The Frolic of the Beasts
shows] the author’s penchant for meticulously peeling the
onion." —The Hudson Review
“A tragic, haunting work from a master.” —The Gazette (Cedar
Rapids)
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