Yukio Mishima's talent is no mere hyperbole and I pity the reader who gives this book a miss, thinking it is nothing more than a piece of meaningless, homo-erotica trash. I also pity the reader who flips through this book to look for titillating scenes of sado-masochistic sex because he'd surely be sorely disappointed by the apparent lack of the aforementioned. Contrary to what is said (most misleadingly) at the back of the book jacket, this book does not easily fall into the genre of gay literature and neither is it a glorification of the intriguing world of sado-masochism. Instead, the story consists mostly as the startling self-revelations of a Japanese boy who, living in a conservative and traditional society, tries to repress his unorthodox homosexual tendencies while simultanouesly attempting to cultivate a way of life that conforms to the accepted norms of his time. To achieve the latter, he develops a highly complex (and platonic) relationship with his friend's sister, Sonoko, which spans the duration of several years, even after her marriage to another man.
The story traces the growth of the protagonist, not only in the physical sense, but also mentally, spiritually and emotionally, from boyhood to the early adult years of his life. Plot-wise, there is nothing spectacular to rave about but what makes this work a masterpiece is Mishima's vivid and arresting descriptions, and his in-depth, almost psychological, study of the complexities of the human mind. An example of Mishima's exciting and effective use of imagery is as follows:
"The wave grew tall and, as far as the eye could reach, revealed the razor-keen blade of the sea's enormous ax, poised and ready to strike. Suddenly, the dark-blue guillotine fell, sending up a white blood-splash. the body of the wave, seething and falling, pursued its severed head, and for a moment it reflected the pure blue of the sky, the unearthly blue which is mirrored in the eyes of a person on the verge of death..."On the whole, Confessions of A Mask is not such a difficult read, and it certainly is not as verbose as any of the works of contemporary literati such as Arundhati Roy or Toni Morrison (but they are great novelists too). So intent was I on devouring the contents of this book that I managed to finish it within the weekend! Upon completion, my only regret was that I was not able to appreciate the book as it was orginally written (which was in Japanese). ~my ratings: 4/5 stars!
Besides Mishima's talent in crafting beautiful prose, what attracted me most to him was his real life story. It seems that "Yukio Mishima" was the pseudonym adopted by Hiraoka Kimitake who, during his lifetime, produced many other great works of literature. In addition to being a writer, Kimitake is also an accomplished actor and director. In 1958, he married a girl named Yoko, with whom he had two children. In 1968, Kimitake formed the Shield Society in Japan, which acted as a make-shift private army dedicated to the emperor and the restoration of traditional Japanese values. In 1970, he committed seppuku, or Japanese suicide, after failing to gain credibility for his beliefs, despite his success in overthrowing the leader of the Japanese Self-Defense Force.
Perhaps, the motives of his actions and the rhetorics of his beliefs might have been unfathomable to most people (surprisingly, most Japanese view Kimitake as a national disgrace rather than as a respected contributor to Japanese literature), but the genius of his artistic vision and the sheer intensity of his character, as personified in his literary works, is indisputable.
PS: My utmost gratitude to shortbread who introduced me to this book and its author... ;)
