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mandalor3960's review against another edition
2.0
This collection is superior to Acts of Worship: Seven Stories but is not without faults. Mishima’s philosophy on beauty and politics is pronounced in “Dōjōji” and “Patriotism” respectively. I am not sure if Mishima had become involved in the kabuki theatre at the time of writing “Onnagata” but his appreciation for the onnagata may reflect this.
This collection of short stories received mixed results from me, not apparent in the 2.03 rating. I enjoyed and appreciated certain stories in this collection because of the pronouncement of Mishima’s philosophy and focus on topics that I like. However, there was an equal amount of topics that I did not enjoy reading about.
Notes
“Death in Midsummer”: The note at the end of the story says that it is abridged, which annoys me. Why must it be abridged? It wasn't a story that I enjoyed; a mother losing two of her three children and a sister-in-law at the beach. I did not enjoy how she returns to the same beach with her newborn daughter. It all seems grotesque for a grieving mother to do. Thirty pages for a story with this topic was too long. I am not surprised that this is the central story of the collection, especially because of its focus on death and strange topics. I was disappointed that this started off the collection. One star-rating.
“Three Million Yen”: What is with Mishima and his short stories? I feel like they try to get at something deep but fail to evoke anything in me. They're all in contemporary setting (not unlike him) with silly topics. In this short story, a couple meticulously plans their life and upcoming childbirth. The last few pages reveal that they perform some form of services for older people from which they make their income. Mundane and boring topics. One star-rating.
“Thermos Flasks”: I enjoyed the San Francisco setting with two Japanese people wandering through it, their dialogue revealing an undertone of a hidden love. I am surprised at the choice of setting by Mishima. I also enjoyed one of the Japanese characters, Asaka, as this former Geisha assimilating into western culture. The male counterpart's passion for the Asaka was to my liking. However, his turn to being aggressive while intoxicated put me off. I will rate this short story at three stars because only the final four pages deal with the only negatives and aren't part of what precluded it. I am glad that I have finally enjoyed a short story by Mishima but it disappoints me that it deals with a forbidden love trope, like in The Frolic of the Beasts (this comment does not impact the rating). Three star-rating.
“The Priest of Shiga Temple and His Love”: I find this sentence to be amateurish: "At this point it will be clear to the reader that the Great Imperial Concubine was not, as was so widely believed, the personification of courtly elegance, but, rather, a person who found no real relish of life in the knowledge of being loved" (Mishima 76). The story's ending was not what I had expected, with the priest liberated and the concubine following in foot by copying sutras. I expected some tragic death. A decent story overall. I enjoyed the descriptions of the True Land. However, everything else fell flat. Two star-rating.
“The Seven Bridges”: A Donald Keene translation! A story about three geishas and a countrywoman trying to get through seven bridges to have their prayers answered is an OK premise. The plot became foreseeable, with each geisha falling behind. However, this did not detract from it. I did enjoy the description of the city and night. I did not enjoy the geisha theme which brings the rating down from a two star-rating. Two star-rating.
“Patriotism”: This was the first work that I read by Mishima. This being a reread, I knew I would be bored while reading it. What hurt just as much as the boredom was the realization that their suicides were preemptively done to avoid the lieutenant possibly clashing with his friends in a battle. This made everything seem empty and inappropriate. Overall, it was an OK read. Two star-rating.
Here were notes I took while reading:
I have a better understanding of the story's basis on the February 26th Incident. I am also surprised that the lieutenant commits seppuku on the belief that an imperial ordinance will be sent to his unit to attack his friends (Mishima 107-108). This hurts my feelings of the lieutenant's suicide as preemptive and possibly a waste, since it is not revealed whether there was an ensuing imperial ordinance. Mishima's philosophy appears very pronounced in the prose: "The light from the low lamp clearly revealed the majestic sweep of her white flesh. The lieutenant, not without a touch of egocentricity, rejoiced that he would never see this beauty crumble in death" (Mishima 114). I read this short story slower and came to appreciate and enjoy the metaphors and imagery.
“Dōjōji”: I love the climax of the story being a lover planning to disfigure her face in the wardrobe in which her lover was killed. In addition, her belief that her beauty pushed her lover away is beautiful. The ending falls steeply after she does not to disfigure herself and pursues another man, citing that nothing can change her face. I perceived some loss of loyalty to her dead lover. However, she appears still attached to him. The climax and the ending has me conflicted, and a two star-rating is appropriate for a middle ground. The boring, two star-rated scenes of the auction of the wardrobe, prior to the lover's arrival, is slightly included in this rating as well, since it's not necessary for the lover's explanation of the wardrobe's origin. Two star-rating.
“Onnagata”: This is a consummate short story that I enjoyed. Masuyama is an academic man that joins the kabuki theatre to shatter his fascination with Mangiku, the onnagata. In the end he accomplishes this only after leading Mangiku into a calamity with Mangiku's unrequited lover, the young director, and Mansuyama discovers his fascination has become replaced with jealousy. I loved Masuyama and his academic background in Japanese literature and observations of kabuki theatre. I also liked the explanations on the philosophy of acting (I ignored the kabuki relation) and the setting of the theatre. While imagining the theatre, I thought for some odd reason of the old yellow gymnasium that is now closed, and the coldness inside, with the bluish-white sunlight streaking in through the tall, thin windows. I did not enjoy as much Mangiku, and still am slightly unnerved and fascinated with the onnagatu. There were not as many faults with this short story; everything felt necessary and fine to read. Four star-rating.
Here were notes I took while reading:
Was Mishima being lazy in this sentence: "Three disciples and dressers joined to remove what had to be removed and store it away" (Mishima 152).
“The Pearl”: This was an OK mystery about four aristocratic women and a lost petal. I don’t like reading about frivolous, aristocratic women trying to save face. However, I’m not sure about the one star-rating and the ending resolution and hypocrisy of the women put me off. A one star-rating seems appropriate. One star-rating.
“Swaddling Clothes”: An intriguing ending with reality blending with the woman's imagination. The execution of the ending, in particular the wording and abruptness, was lacking. Even though this blend is something I enjoyed, I was bored by the parts preceding the ending. A decent story overall. Two star-rating.
Individual ratings of the short stories in relation to the overall rating:
“Death in Midsummer” (Pages 9-38, 30 pages in total). One star-rating.
“Three Million Yen” (Pages 39-51, 13 pages in total). One star-rating.
“Thermos Flasks” (Pages 52-67, 16 pages in total). Three star-rating.
“The Priest of Shiga Temple and His Love” (Pages 68-84, 17 pages in total). Two star-rating.
“The Seven Bridges” (Pages 85-101, 17 pages in total). Two star-rating.
“Patriotism” (Pages 102-127, 26 pages in total). Two star-rating.
“Dōjōji” (Pages 128-144, 17 pages in total). Two star-rating.
“Onnagata” (Pages 145-167, 23 pages in total). Four star-rating.
“The Pearl” (Pages 168-180, 13 pages in total). One star-rating.
“Swaddling Clothes” (Pages 181-186, 6 pages in total). Two star-rating.
Calculation:
(30+13+48+34+34+52+34+92+13+12)/178=2.03 stars.
I have debated the one star-ratings for “Death in Midsummer”, “Three Million Yen”, and “The Pearl”. I will leave them at a one star-rating because even if they are raised to a two-star rating, they would only raise the average of the collection to 2.35 stars. I have found their ratings to be partly a result of their lengthiness (I remember finishing “Death in Midsummer” and being exasperated at reading 30 pages that resulted in nothing. I had also just gone through Acts of Worship: Seven Stories and was dismayed with Mishima’s short stories that I had read so far) or their dealings with topics that I did not care for.
December 28, 2019
Update
A note for the December 27, 2019, rankings from my "Yukio Mishima Rankings" document: "I had a problem whether to rank Death in Midsummer And Other Stories lower than Thirst for Love because of the prevalance of one star-rated short stories, whereas Thirst For Love has few if not any one star-rated sections. However, I defer to the rating number and Death in Midsummer And Other Stories 2.03 star-rating is .03 higher than the regular two star-rating that Thirst for Love has acquired". This note was also added to the Thirst for Love review.
January 10, 2020
Update
If I am to worry about the ratings of “Death in Midsummer” and “Three Million Yen", I must remind myself that after having finished them, I also found them to not be of my taste. They felt like a waste to read as well.
This collection of short stories received mixed results from me, not apparent in the 2.03 rating. I enjoyed and appreciated certain stories in this collection because of the pronouncement of Mishima’s philosophy and focus on topics that I like. However, there was an equal amount of topics that I did not enjoy reading about.
Notes
“Death in Midsummer”: The note at the end of the story says that it is abridged, which annoys me. Why must it be abridged? It wasn't a story that I enjoyed; a mother losing two of her three children and a sister-in-law at the beach. I did not enjoy how she returns to the same beach with her newborn daughter. It all seems grotesque for a grieving mother to do. Thirty pages for a story with this topic was too long. I am not surprised that this is the central story of the collection, especially because of its focus on death and strange topics. I was disappointed that this started off the collection. One star-rating.
“Three Million Yen”: What is with Mishima and his short stories? I feel like they try to get at something deep but fail to evoke anything in me. They're all in contemporary setting (not unlike him) with silly topics. In this short story, a couple meticulously plans their life and upcoming childbirth. The last few pages reveal that they perform some form of services for older people from which they make their income. Mundane and boring topics. One star-rating.
“Thermos Flasks”: I enjoyed the San Francisco setting with two Japanese people wandering through it, their dialogue revealing an undertone of a hidden love. I am surprised at the choice of setting by Mishima. I also enjoyed one of the Japanese characters, Asaka, as this former Geisha assimilating into western culture. The male counterpart's passion for the Asaka was to my liking. However, his turn to being aggressive while intoxicated put me off. I will rate this short story at three stars because only the final four pages deal with the only negatives and aren't part of what precluded it. I am glad that I have finally enjoyed a short story by Mishima but it disappoints me that it deals with a forbidden love trope, like in The Frolic of the Beasts (this comment does not impact the rating). Three star-rating.
“The Priest of Shiga Temple and His Love”: I find this sentence to be amateurish: "At this point it will be clear to the reader that the Great Imperial Concubine was not, as was so widely believed, the personification of courtly elegance, but, rather, a person who found no real relish of life in the knowledge of being loved" (Mishima 76). The story's ending was not what I had expected, with the priest liberated and the concubine following in foot by copying sutras. I expected some tragic death. A decent story overall. I enjoyed the descriptions of the True Land. However, everything else fell flat. Two star-rating.
“The Seven Bridges”: A Donald Keene translation! A story about three geishas and a countrywoman trying to get through seven bridges to have their prayers answered is an OK premise. The plot became foreseeable, with each geisha falling behind. However, this did not detract from it. I did enjoy the description of the city and night. I did not enjoy the geisha theme which brings the rating down from a two star-rating. Two star-rating.
“Patriotism”: This was the first work that I read by Mishima. This being a reread, I knew I would be bored while reading it. What hurt just as much as the boredom was the realization that their suicides were preemptively done to avoid the lieutenant possibly clashing with his friends in a battle. This made everything seem empty and inappropriate. Overall, it was an OK read. Two star-rating.
Here were notes I took while reading:
I have a better understanding of the story's basis on the February 26th Incident. I am also surprised that the lieutenant commits seppuku on the belief that an imperial ordinance will be sent to his unit to attack his friends (Mishima 107-108). This hurts my feelings of the lieutenant's suicide as preemptive and possibly a waste, since it is not revealed whether there was an ensuing imperial ordinance. Mishima's philosophy appears very pronounced in the prose: "The light from the low lamp clearly revealed the majestic sweep of her white flesh. The lieutenant, not without a touch of egocentricity, rejoiced that he would never see this beauty crumble in death" (Mishima 114). I read this short story slower and came to appreciate and enjoy the metaphors and imagery.
“Dōjōji”: I love the climax of the story being a lover planning to disfigure her face in the wardrobe in which her lover was killed. In addition, her belief that her beauty pushed her lover away is beautiful. The ending falls steeply after she does not to disfigure herself and pursues another man, citing that nothing can change her face. I perceived some loss of loyalty to her dead lover. However, she appears still attached to him. The climax and the ending has me conflicted, and a two star-rating is appropriate for a middle ground. The boring, two star-rated scenes of the auction of the wardrobe, prior to the lover's arrival, is slightly included in this rating as well, since it's not necessary for the lover's explanation of the wardrobe's origin. Two star-rating.
“Onnagata”: This is a consummate short story that I enjoyed. Masuyama is an academic man that joins the kabuki theatre to shatter his fascination with Mangiku, the onnagata. In the end he accomplishes this only after leading Mangiku into a calamity with Mangiku's unrequited lover, the young director, and Mansuyama discovers his fascination has become replaced with jealousy. I loved Masuyama and his academic background in Japanese literature and observations of kabuki theatre. I also liked the explanations on the philosophy of acting (I ignored the kabuki relation) and the setting of the theatre. While imagining the theatre, I thought for some odd reason of the old yellow gymnasium that is now closed, and the coldness inside, with the bluish-white sunlight streaking in through the tall, thin windows. I did not enjoy as much Mangiku, and still am slightly unnerved and fascinated with the onnagatu. There were not as many faults with this short story; everything felt necessary and fine to read. Four star-rating.
Here were notes I took while reading:
Was Mishima being lazy in this sentence: "Three disciples and dressers joined to remove what had to be removed and store it away" (Mishima 152).
“The Pearl”: This was an OK mystery about four aristocratic women and a lost petal. I don’t like reading about frivolous, aristocratic women trying to save face. However, I’m not sure about the one star-rating and the ending resolution and hypocrisy of the women put me off. A one star-rating seems appropriate. One star-rating.
“Swaddling Clothes”: An intriguing ending with reality blending with the woman's imagination. The execution of the ending, in particular the wording and abruptness, was lacking. Even though this blend is something I enjoyed, I was bored by the parts preceding the ending. A decent story overall. Two star-rating.
Individual ratings of the short stories in relation to the overall rating:
“Death in Midsummer” (Pages 9-38, 30 pages in total). One star-rating.
“Three Million Yen” (Pages 39-51, 13 pages in total). One star-rating.
“Thermos Flasks” (Pages 52-67, 16 pages in total). Three star-rating.
“The Priest of Shiga Temple and His Love” (Pages 68-84, 17 pages in total). Two star-rating.
“The Seven Bridges” (Pages 85-101, 17 pages in total). Two star-rating.
“Patriotism” (Pages 102-127, 26 pages in total). Two star-rating.
“Dōjōji” (Pages 128-144, 17 pages in total). Two star-rating.
“Onnagata” (Pages 145-167, 23 pages in total). Four star-rating.
“The Pearl” (Pages 168-180, 13 pages in total). One star-rating.
“Swaddling Clothes” (Pages 181-186, 6 pages in total). Two star-rating.
Calculation:
(30+13+48+34+34+52+34+92+13+12)/178=2.03 stars.
I have debated the one star-ratings for “Death in Midsummer”, “Three Million Yen”, and “The Pearl”. I will leave them at a one star-rating because even if they are raised to a two-star rating, they would only raise the average of the collection to 2.35 stars. I have found their ratings to be partly a result of their lengthiness (I remember finishing “Death in Midsummer” and being exasperated at reading 30 pages that resulted in nothing. I had also just gone through Acts of Worship: Seven Stories and was dismayed with Mishima’s short stories that I had read so far) or their dealings with topics that I did not care for.
December 28, 2019
Update
A note for the December 27, 2019, rankings from my "Yukio Mishima Rankings" document: "I had a problem whether to rank Death in Midsummer And Other Stories lower than Thirst for Love because of the prevalance of one star-rated short stories, whereas Thirst For Love has few if not any one star-rated sections. However, I defer to the rating number and Death in Midsummer And Other Stories 2.03 star-rating is .03 higher than the regular two star-rating that Thirst for Love has acquired". This note was also added to the Thirst for Love review.
January 10, 2020
Update
If I am to worry about the ratings of “Death in Midsummer” and “Three Million Yen", I must remind myself that after having finished them, I also found them to not be of my taste. They felt like a waste to read as well.
raulbime's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Macabre, resplendent, and unnerving. These are the descriptors that came to me after I finished reading this collection. Mishima's great strength of portraying inner conflict to the reader shines through these short stories (and play) as it does in his novels. Although I do think that the novel gives his work more space to become fully actualized. Which isn't to mean that he isn't a fantastic short story writer, just that Mishima's novels offer a lot more in terms of character and plot development. I thought the title story revolving around a family coping with a tragedy to be the best.
Death pervades the most enduring tales here. The short story "Patriotism" being the eeriest of them as it mirrors Mishima's death in many ways.The main character, like Mishima, commits suicide by seppuku. It made me look up the circumstances of Mishima's death for the first time. Which is strange because his suicide is one of the most sensationalized of literary deaths, and all five books I've read have had its mention on the book cover or author bio. Looking back I'm not surprised as I recall googling "seppuku" and never going further than the description of the ghastly operation. His death being a protest of American imperialism in post-war Japan by calling for a return of Japanese imperialism makes it all the more disturbing. While nothing in his speech before his death mentions subjugating other nations or people, given the man's intelligence and the level of insight into some of the human conditions, it's clear that the man must have known what a return to such a system of ultranationalism must have meant. He was, obviously, a very brilliant artist, but what a horrific discovery, which I should read more on before making more opinions than I already have.
Macabre, resplendent, and unnerving. These are the descriptors that came to me after I finished reading this collection. Mishima's great strength of portraying inner conflict to the reader shines through these short stories (and play) as it does in his novels. Although I do think that the novel gives his work more space to become fully actualized. Which isn't to mean that he isn't a fantastic short story writer, just that Mishima's novels offer a lot more in terms of character and plot development. I thought the title story revolving around a family coping with a tragedy to be the best.
Death pervades the most enduring tales here. The short story "Patriotism" being the eeriest of them as it mirrors Mishima's death in many ways.
urbino's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
amorrelles's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
georgiarose888's review against another edition
4.0
Eerie and beautiful- 1st book read @ new job- ranking: Death in Midsummer, Dodoji, The Pearl, 7 Bridges, The Priest at Shiga Temple and His Love, Patriotism, Onnagata, Three Million Yen, Thermos Flasks (I notice that all my faves r the ones about/told through women dot dot dot)
melaniaevohe's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
ilaydesu's review against another edition
5.0
Okumam çok uzun sürdü ama öykülerden oluştuğu için zorluk çekmedim konu bütünlüğü açısından.
Her hikayeye tek tek bayıldığımı söyleyemem ama gereksiz olduğunu düşündüğüm hikaye yoktu. Ayrıca Mişima'nın dili beni gerçekten etkiledi. Öykülerde dili bu kadar etkileyiciylen Bereket Denizi gibi bir isme sahip serisini inanılmaz merak ediyorum şimdi. Umarım en kısa zamanda okuyabilirim.
Bunun dışında yazarın kişiliği-hayatı da çok ilgimi çekti. İntiharı ve savunduğu ideolojiye bağlılığı gibi nedenler sayesinde üst-düzey bir insan olduğunu düşünüyorum.
Her hikayeye tek tek bayıldığımı söyleyemem ama gereksiz olduğunu düşündüğüm hikaye yoktu. Ayrıca Mişima'nın dili beni gerçekten etkiledi. Öykülerde dili bu kadar etkileyiciylen Bereket Denizi gibi bir isme sahip serisini inanılmaz merak ediyorum şimdi. Umarım en kısa zamanda okuyabilirim.
Bunun dışında yazarın kişiliği-hayatı da çok ilgimi çekti. İntiharı ve savunduğu ideolojiye bağlılığı gibi nedenler sayesinde üst-düzey bir insan olduğunu düşünüyorum.
momomo's review against another edition
3.0
Collection of ten short stories mostly iterating on themes commonly found in Mishima‘s other works such as Japan’s cultural decline, beauty and death, suicide and gender performance.
Did not care much for the first half of the collection, but enjoyed everything after that quite a lot. The writing in “Patriotism” was especially impressive and the short film based on it is also quite good. Two other favorites are the mini-play “Dōjoji” and “The Pearl”, both of which are much more humorous than the rest of the collection. Also found the setting of Onnagata, taking place within a Noh-theatre troupe, very interesting.
Did not care much for the first half of the collection, but enjoyed everything after that quite a lot. The writing in “Patriotism” was especially impressive and the short film based on it is also quite good. Two other favorites are the mini-play “Dōjoji” and “The Pearl”, both of which are much more humorous than the rest of the collection. Also found the setting of Onnagata, taking place within a Noh-theatre troupe, very interesting.