The Temple of Dawn (The Sea of Fertility)

by Yukio Mishima
The Temple of Dawn (The Sea of Fertility)  
published 1999 by Vintage
binding Paperback
isbn 0099282798   (isbn13: 9780099282792)
pages 352
description Dramatizes the Japanese experience from the eve of World War II through the degradation of the postwar era.
date added
02-04-07



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other translations? 1 10/31/2007 03:00PM




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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 186)



Anna
04/03/08

bookshelves: contemporary-fiction
Read in March, 2004
The third in a series of four, this book follows Shigetoshi Honda in middle age, first as he meets a Thai princess whom he believes is Kiyoaki/Isao’s reincarnation and later as he becomes obsessed with her. The earlier parts of the book were rather dull, more like a textbook describing various aspects of Buddhist beliefs about reincarnation than a novel. But then I almost wished the book had stayed dry, because reading about Honda’s unhappy middle age and unhealthy fascination and voyeuris...more
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Ryan
Ryan rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
02/22/08

Read in August, 2005
I read this in Thailand because I was looking for a book in Ko Phagnan and saw that the first chapter opened in the royal palace in Bangkok, where I had just been days before. This is a haunting, painful -- and I mean, heartwrenchingly painful -- book. Mishima, even in translation, is so raw, and he is meticulous in describing the psychology of his characters -- so much, that you sometimes don't want to know any more. A must read. This book will stay with you for a long time.

I read this ...more
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James
James rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
01/07/08

The third book in the "Sea of Fertility" series, a huge departure from the first two. In the first two we lived vicariously through tragic heroes, along with Honda - now we live vicariously through Honda himself and see firsthand, in a sense, the loneliness of voyeurism (while the first two were voyeuristic in the rigorous etymological sense, this one is voyeuristic in that he actually looks through holes in walls a bathing beauties). The dreams of this novel's Kiyokai reincarnation ar...more
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A
A rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
08/13/07

Read in August, 2007
The gaze is inverted: this one's about Honda.

In the first part, before the war, Honda is a Japanese tourist floating through Siam and India. The war comes and Honda spends the entirety of it studying reincarnation. Tadeshina (from vol. 1) eats a raw egg.

In the second part, after the war, Honda is a voyeur, and watches everyone else have sex. 57 years old, he convinces himself he is in love with the Thai princess, and he transforms into a Humbert. For a few chapters, we, the readers, even...more
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Amari
Amari rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
10/31/07

Read in November, 2007
I'm singularly unimpressed by the translation, which for me is distractingly awkward. But the ideas shine through, plummeting the reader back into Honda's mind. Honda the observer becomes I, the observer as the fateful events begin to announce themselves in the first chapter.
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Clint
08/20/07

This was always my favorite Yukio Mishima, and I live in Bangkok so I can always go see the temple in the title whenver I want and think to myself, wow, Mishima stood here once.
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Hanna
08/08/07

bookshelves: classicreads
Read in February, 2005
recommends it for: everyone
I liked this book very much.. better than the second of the four books in this series.
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Geoffrey
Geoffrey rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
06/04/07

The Buddhist philosophy CAN get a little tedious.
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Rea
Rea rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
04/07/08

bookshelves: to-re-read
Read in January, 2002
I want to re-read this one.
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Stefan
Stefan rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
09/24/07

Read in October, 2007
 

Dave
Dave marked it as to-read
11/11/07

bookshelves: to-read
 

Eduardo
Eduardo rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
12/27/07

 

jen
jen rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
04/16/08

Read in April, 2008
 

Etosha
Etosha rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
07/07/07

 

Joefranks69
Joefranks69 rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
10/22/07

 

Brian
Brian rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
11/19/07

 

Albert
Albert rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
12/20/07

 

Sarah
Sarah rated it: 2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars
04/21/07

bookshelves: fiction
Read in January, 1999
 


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book data (includes all editions)

avg rating (all editions): 3.86 (139 ratings)
avg rating (this edition): 3.83 (103 ratings)
number of reviews: 9






other editions

The Temple of Dawn (Paperback)
Le Temps de l'aube : la mer de la Fertilité III (Mass Market Paperback)
El Templo Del Alba/ The Temple of Dawn (Biblioteca De Autor/ Author Library)