El pabellón de oro
by Yukio Mishima
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*** NEW ADDITION, Jan 4, 2009.
The real story about the young man who set fire to this Japanese treasure in order to become immortal in the national imagination has always fascinated me. I am choosing this as my introduction to Mishima. ***As every tourist is told, although the young man hoped to live powerfully imbedded in Japanese memory, the officials outfoxed him, blandly telling the public that he was obviously a very disturbed person and so as not to further embarrass his family and hims...more
The real story about the young man who set fire to this Japanese treasure in order to become immortal in the national imagination has always fascinated me. I am choosing this as my introduction to Mishima. ***As every tourist is told, although the young man hoped to live powerfully imbedded in Japanese memory, the officials outfoxed him, blandly telling the public that he was obviously a very disturbed person and so as not to further embarrass his family and hims...more
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Read in May, 2006
Mishima is one of the most famous modern Japanese writers and, near as I can tell, a complete nutjob. Or was, anyway. He killed himself by seppuku back in 1970.
Kinkakuji is one of his most famous works, and I chose it as a first entry into Mishima because I love reading books set in Kyoto and, well, I've been to Kinkakuji a few times.
My reaction upon seeing it was a lot like the main character's - disappointment. In the book, a young Mizuguchi is told by his father that the Golden...more
Kinkakuji is one of his most famous works, and I chose it as a first entry into Mishima because I love reading books set in Kyoto and, well, I've been to Kinkakuji a few times.
My reaction upon seeing it was a lot like the main character's - disappointment. In the book, a young Mizuguchi is told by his father that the Golden...more
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Read in October, 2007
This was the first book by Mishima for me. It is poetic and complex with beautifully written passages and deep multilayered but unlikable characters. The psychological dynamics of the central protagonist seem unfathomable at times, and I have to wonder whether this is the result of a cultural difference (from the original Japanese -- and my wife read it in that language, her native tongue, but we still don't know) or the fact that the character is, by definition, messed up. Based on a true sto...more
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Read in February, 2008
For me, honestly, this was a two star book but I threw it another star out of respect for its quality. I know this guy's one of Japan's most famous and respected authors, but I couldn't get into this young man's struggle at a Zen temple to discover his life's meaning, or understand the true meaning of beauty, or whatever the hell this was about. It's obvious even in translation that Mishima is no slouch, and for a few pages at a time this novel went all the way up to five stars for me, but then ...more
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Read in January, 2008
excellent story of the life of a young acolyte of a zen buddhist sect. mizoguchi is a stutterer from childhood and because of this he never is capable of connecting with other people or what he refers to as the outside world. he believes his stuttering is and therefore he is the opposite of beauty, so he becomes obsessed with what to him is the epitome of beauty which is a golden temple. because he is obsessed with the idea of beauty he has an uncontrollable urge to destroy beauty and to be evil...more
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My least favorite Mishima so far. Also his most introspective interior, which for me conflicts with his straight-forward minimalist narritive. In other works, his style brought out contradictions, here it feel bare and lonely. More appropriate for the narrative admittedly, but otherwise sparse. Perhaps I would've enjoyed it more if I related to the context, or I found it more accessible as collective memory. I dont think he did anything wron...more
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Read in February, 2008
Mishima's story of a disturbed young Buddhist acolyte is based on a true account of the burning of Kinkakuji (The title of the book and famous temple in Kyoto). Mishima actually interviewed the arsonist while still in prison. A masterpiece. Mishima understands at the intellectual level the meanings of many Koans (Buddhist puzzles) to play with them and twist them, revealing the mind of the main character, Mizoguchi. Mishima's fascination with Nihilism comes alive in this dark, yet beautifully wr...more
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Another of Mishima's often bizarre and sinister masterpieces. Though his deranged public suicide probably affected his stature in the West, it is unfortunate that only a fraction of Mishima's often beautiful writing has been translated from the original Japanese. Books such as Kyoko's House and others previously unavailable would be welcome additions in English.
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Read in July, 2006
recommends it for:
bad monks
Misanthropic monk rides his self destructive spiral, told with classic Mishima intense honesty. Mishima ever seems to me as belonging to the existentialist camp, always ready to take up an antihero as protagonist. Another selfish monk to share more cruel ricks of the trade in this tale. Shame on the family never seemed to eloquent.
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Read in June, 2007
Not until Dan Brown do we see a more thorough conflation of physical disability with ugliness of the soul. Way to go with the original metaphor there, Dan, Yukio. Mishima is, however, perhaps more compelling on the search for and meaning of beauty and the internal arrogance the self-declared misanthrope.
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a favorite. this is like a japanese moby dick to me... the young monk's obsession with the temple and it's beauty, and his need to destroy it. based on a true event.
mishima was a fantastic freak of an artist. check out the paul schrader movie about him.
mishima was a fantastic freak of an artist. check out the paul schrader movie about him.
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Read in August, 2007
One of Mishima's most famous, it's a fictitious narrative that seeks to explain the motives of a young Buddhist monk who burned down Kinkakuji (one of Japan's most famous temples) in post-WWII Kyoto.
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Read in January, 2004
I intend to reread this book again for the ***th time. Philosophical dialogue mixed seamlessly with prose about the nature of beauty, decay and sex. Of all Mishima's work, this is the finest.
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Read in January, 1997
The author who sees his life and his works of literature as one of the same. One of the most colorful and brilliant writers of Modern Japanese fiction.
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Read in January, 1998
Sudah lama sekali membaca buku ini. Yang aku ingat buku ini berkesan kuat, itulah mengapa aku kasih 4 bintang. Pengin suatu saat membaca ulang buku ini.
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Read in February, 2005
I had to read this for class but I'm really glad I had to. It was beautifully written and really neat.
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Read in May, 2007
The ending of this book so deeply disappointed me, it is the worst Mishima book I have ever read.
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This book is one of the most singularly moving works that I've ever read in my life.
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Another one I checked out from Carnegie Library but didn't get to read before I left for Japan.
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the best book ever written. at least in Japan. definitely the most beautiful
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