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110th out of 319 books
—
231 voters
Patriotism
By now, Yukio Mishima’s (1925-1970) dramatic demise through an act of seppuku after an inflammatory public speech has become the stuff of literary legend. With Patriotism, Mishima was able to give his heartwrenching patriotic idealism an immortal vessel. A lieutenant in the Japanese army comes home to his wife and informs her that his closest friends have become mutineers.
...morePaperback, 64 pages
Published
November 1st 1995
by New Directions Publishing Corporation
(first published 1966)
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Sep 13, 2012
Traveller
added it
If I'd had to rate this directly after first reading it, in my late teens, I would have been impressed enough to have given it 4 or 5 stars.
However, I have since had time to think about the Mishima/samurai/seppuku debacle, and now I'm not so impressed anymore.
Besides general issues that I may have with Mishima's political sentiments, the real seppuku undertaken by Mishima and his friends was a much less romantic undertaking and much more of a horribly messy affair.
In fact, horrific in it's garb...more
However, I have since had time to think about the Mishima/samurai/seppuku debacle, and now I'm not so impressed anymore.
Besides general issues that I may have with Mishima's political sentiments, the real seppuku undertaken by Mishima and his friends was a much less romantic undertaking and much more of a horribly messy affair.
In fact, horrific in it's garb...more
This story makes me wonder if Mishima wasn't just some big jokester, and him committing seppuku was his final prank on the world. I think the biggest mistake people make in regards to Mishima is taking him way too seriously.
Who says that he has to kill his friends? He's not even sure if he's going to be ordered to kill them, or if he's going to be leading the unit. So why is he going to kill himself? It surely can't be out of patriotism--or at least our definition of patriotism: "love of one's...more
Who says that he has to kill his friends? He's not even sure if he's going to be ordered to kill them, or if he's going to be leading the unit. So why is he going to kill himself? It surely can't be out of patriotism--or at least our definition of patriotism: "love of one's...more
To read this book as a Westerner coming from the Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman traditions is a really odd experience. The ritual of seppuku, and the honored place it has in Japanese tradition is almost incomprehensible on some fundamental level to someone raised with the Judeo-Christian conception that suicide is abhorrent. I say that, but I want to clarify what I mean. This novella (I suppose that would be its technical description) takes us into the mind of an Imperial Army Lieutenant and hi...more
Two questions: Why did I read? and Why did Mishima write this novella?
It is my first of Mishima. In fact I wanted to try out this before venturing into his other works. And now I am just stupefied. A novella that contains one of the powerful beginnings. The novella begins with a first chapter of just two pages in which the reader is already told of the tragedy. And then he narrates the events. The tragedy is always on every page and at the end when it really happens it is unbearable and you chok...more
It is my first of Mishima. In fact I wanted to try out this before venturing into his other works. And now I am just stupefied. A novella that contains one of the powerful beginnings. The novella begins with a first chapter of just two pages in which the reader is already told of the tragedy. And then he narrates the events. The tragedy is always on every page and at the end when it really happens it is unbearable and you chok...more
I've never thought of suicide as a particularly noble or honorable thing. I usually think more about the devastating conditions within an environment that drive a person to believe there's no other alternative except death. In Patriotism, Yukio Mishima depicts a mixture of this desperation with an unshakable, almost righteous, determination as the main characters decide to take their own lives. What Mishima presents is partially a commentary on a society where suicide has been seen as an option...more
Probably the most sensual short story ever written. Although I do not feel it is necessary to have a sexually repressed adolescent read it, I was glad to have discovered Mishima at such a young age. The tale is gripping and pulls the strings of loyalty, honor and tough decisions that follow such stringent moralities, giving insight to ancient Japanese custom and culture as it reverberated down through the generations toward today's confusion in the cross between modernity and tradition. I highly...more
I hate to admit this, but Patriotism is the first Mishima book I've read. Pretty interesting though. (Going to use the first few pages in my upcoming class.) And makes me want to read Spring Snow and the other books in the "Sea of Fertility" tetralogy.
Also, and I know it's odd to post this question here, but I came across this line in the Wikipedia entry on Mishima:
"In 1962, Mishima's most avant-garde work, Utsukushii Hoshi (Beautiful Star), which at times comes close to science fiction, was pu...more
Also, and I know it's odd to post this question here, but I came across this line in the Wikipedia entry on Mishima:
"In 1962, Mishima's most avant-garde work, Utsukushii Hoshi (Beautiful Star), which at times comes close to science fiction, was pu...more
This short story is breathtaking. I read it in college and I was brought to tears reading it on the subway.
Not a book your girlfirend should read, unless they like seppiku..
2 likes · like · see review
This book by Yukio Mishima is one the most intense books I have ever read! A short book yes,only 57 pages, but not short on it message! The writer tells us about a Japanese way of life , one of a loyal devoted soldier to his nation with such a devotion that not many people could ever relate to! The author tells about am army officer of the Imperial troops of Japan during the 1930's and his wife and blends Patriotism, death and ecstasy with such a unique rigor and passion as never before!I would...more
1 like · like · see review
Reading this book is sort of what I’d imagine watching a snuff film would be like. The story is a simple one: a young soldier in ’30s Japan comes home and informs his wife that in order to preserve his honor, he must commit seppuku before the night is through. The wife proves her love and devotion by agreeing to go with him, so they calmly organize their affairs, make love one last time, and then kill themselves. All of this is beautifully, and in fact, lovingly described. Parts of it, especiall...more
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how to fairly review a book that one finds well written yet marked by a dubious morality? yukio mishima's patriotism, though seemingly beloved by nearly all others, did not agree with me entirely. other reviews praise this famous tale as the epitome of devotion and romance, though i found it to be rather misogynistic, the very antipathy of love and allegiance (however not lacking in passion). i have never considered misguided adventures into the realms of martyrdom worthy of celebration (especia...more
Patriotism is said to be Mishima's favorite story; there is little doubt it is one of his greatest - sublime in all its nuances, and compelling in its vision of finality. It is a fascinating look into the world of death and eroticism - a rare work of beauty, seduction, and sensuality. How does Mishima create a scene that overwhelms the soul, enslaves the imagination, and draws out - almost beguiles - the perverse desire for the death act?
He writes with sweeping power in a style so subtle, yet so...more
He writes with sweeping power in a style so subtle, yet so...more
a little history on the great mishima..
FROM WIKIPEDia:
"On November 25, 1970, Mishima and four members of the Tatenokai, under pretext, visited the commandant of the Ichigaya Camp - the Tokyo headquarters of the Eastern Command of Japan's Self-Defense Forces. Inside, they barricaded the office and tied the commandant to his chair. With a prepared manifesto and banner listing their demands, Mishima stepped onto the balcony to address the soldiers gathered below. His speech was intended to inspire...more
Patriotism is a 1966 novella by Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. Written after his embrace of traditional Japanese social values and four years before his own death by seppuku after a failed coup d'etat, the work concerns a soldier and his wife during a 1936 incident in which some imperial troops mutinied against the emperor. The soldier is dismayed to see his colleagues rise up against the forces of the emperor, and resolves that he and his wife shall kill themselves through seppuku in order to d...more
when people think of mishima's language in patriotism, i imagine they come up with words like "lyrical", "illustrious" and "contemplative". i can understand these opinions, but for me the key adjective would be "hyperbolic". mishima's life pretty much confirms that, not only did he take patriotism awkwardly seriously compared to his contemporaries, he also took himself and life much too seriously, too.
i don't need to give some wide-eyed slack-jawed revelation of the fact that *gasp* he actuall...more
i don't need to give some wide-eyed slack-jawed revelation of the fact that *gasp* he actuall...more
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whoa. all i have to say is, whoa.
i watched that gus van sant film, finding forrester, recently and saw a book by yukio mishima on one of the character's bookshelves. i had no idea who he was or what he was about. flash forward a few days, and i see this novella on a spinner at left bank. after picking it up and reading it in half an hour, i must repeat myself: whoa.
prepare yourself to be both repulsed and amazed. one of those reads, for me, where i was quite offended by undertones of misogyny an...more
i watched that gus van sant film, finding forrester, recently and saw a book by yukio mishima on one of the character's bookshelves. i had no idea who he was or what he was about. flash forward a few days, and i see this novella on a spinner at left bank. after picking it up and reading it in half an hour, i must repeat myself: whoa.
prepare yourself to be both repulsed and amazed. one of those reads, for me, where i was quite offended by undertones of misogyny an...more
What an interesting novelette. Striking images all placed on a symbolic backdrop of white and red like the book cover. It was amazing how Mishima takes the reader through a horrible ritual but makes it feel like an art. Disturbing. It's a very quick read. So quick that I read it twice. I kept noticing things everywhere in the text. Review on the blog Wednesday. I'd actually give this a 4,5 star rating. Check it out!
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Mishima Yukio committed suicide by seppuku at the age of 45, drawing attention to a very old and nearly extinct tradition of honorable suicide.
Patriotism is a concise, graphic depiction of the ritual double-suicide of a young Lieutenant and his wife during the famous 2-2-6 incident. It has been said that this book depicts Mishima's ideology and was the prototype for his later self-immolation.
Patriotism is a concise, graphic depiction of the ritual double-suicide of a young Lieutenant and his wife during the famous 2-2-6 incident. It has been said that this book depicts Mishima's ideology and was the prototype for his later self-immolation.
You can't really give a book less than one star. It doesn't merit a big fat zero. It is very much better than zero. But if you can't go more than five for the absolute best book you have ever read, then I don't think that this one quite reaches one. I hope some one reading this understands my quandry and considers this in relation to my other reviews.
This is one physical, sexual and romantic story. After reading his biography, this short is not too surprised for me. The man had long visualized his own dramatic death and this is one part of the rather theatrical and narcissistic illusion preceding his real suicide. In the end, I hope he was able to retain his own peace.
Apr 22, 2013
BookMaven
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This does help one understand the practice of Seppuku, if one can ever understand violence. The writing is admirable, but the subject matter renders this reviewer incapable of finding any enjoyment in reading this book.
This book grants absolutely no mercy. It's the equivalent of beating a lump of metal into the perfection of a samurai's sword. Mishima has taken the raw materials of ink, paper, ideas, and has molded them into something as uncompromising.
Strange that such powerful writing is contained is such a short book.
Strange that such powerful writing is contained is such a short book.
One of the most beautifully tragic books around, with a lush yet humble, cinematic poise to its every word. Its simple story, which can fit on a business card, is an endlessly fertile well of emotion, depth, and power.
A beautiful short written with masterful prose. Mishima's writing literally stopped my breath. The people talking about "dubious morality" are ridiculous. tat tvam asi
A slim, disturbing story about a Japanese husband and wife's last hours and joint ritual suicide. The best description of committing seppuku I've ever read.
This is one of my favorite short stories of all time. Possibly one of the most romantic (and viciously bloody) books I've ever read. Not for the squeamish.
The story flows beautifully, but be prepared to feel nauseated. The description of ritual suicide is not for weak stomachs. Well, now I know.
A lurid, blood-curdling dissection of suicide. It may not be about patriotism. It celebrates supreme vanity and it negates everything.
One of the few books i've ever read that made me feel queasy! Details seppuku (ritual suicide), which Mishima did later.
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Yukio Mishima, a Japanese author, poet and playwright, famous for both his highly notable post-war writings and the circumstances of his ritual suicide by seppuku.
Mishima wrote 40 novels, 18 plays, 20 books of short stories, and at least 20 books of essays, one libretto, as well as one film. A large portion of this oeuvre comprises books written quickly for profit, but even if these are disregard...more
More about Yukio Mishima...
Mishima wrote 40 novels, 18 plays, 20 books of short stories, and at least 20 books of essays, one libretto, as well as one film. A large portion of this oeuvre comprises books written quickly for profit, but even if these are disregard...more
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“Reiko had not kept a diary and was now denied the pleasure of assiduously rereading her record of the happiness of the past few months and consigning each page to the fire as she did so.
- Death in Midsummer and Other Stories”
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- Death in Midsummer and Other Stories”
Sep 16, 2012 01:28pm
Sep 16, 2012 01:37pm