Prior to reading Yukio Mishima’s Confessions of a Mask, I had high expectations for both Mishima and the novel itself. After reading the novel though his style of writing and the content of the novel ended up disappointing me. I’m a believer that in whatever piece of work there are aspects that are likeable and therefore, it’s very hard to give a book just one star but in comparison to what I’ve read in the past, Yukio Mishima’s Confession of Mask confused me and annoyed me in many ways. I seem to be in the minority by giving this novel just one star and seem to ask myself if I’ve missed something that others have noticed. In writing this review though I’m impelled to write about why I found this book to be disappointing.
Although this book was to be about a young gay adolescent I didn’t associate this book with homosexuality as much as I did with sadism. In getting to know Kochan, the protagonist, and his sadistic and at times cannibalistic sexual desires I was confused as to why anyone would have such desires.
Besides this fact, I also found many other characteristics about him that confused and bothered me. In order for a character to be liked or at the very least be sympathized with, I believe, they have to be relatable in some aspect and Kochan didn’t really have any qualities that resonated with me.
If this book has accomplished something it is leaving me with a mound of questions that include: Why did Kochan try to prove to himself that he could fall in love with a girl when he knew that he wasn’t sexually attracted to women? Why did he think he might have loved Sonoko when it could have just merely been an emotion that comes with being close to a friend? Why did he feel like the victim once he broke it off with Sonoko? Why did he go and try to have sex with a prostitute when he wasn’t sexually attracted to women?
I honestly feel that if you know who you are that there isn’t a need to try to be someone else. Even if you are trying to hide behind a mask of propriety there are various ways in which one can still hide behind a mask of propriety while still being true to oneself to a degree.
Overall, although this read was quite disappointing it hasn’t deterred me from reading some of Mishima’s other works in the future.
I wish Yukio Mishima would come back and behead everyone who posts on Goodreads with a muramasa katana that glows as it absorbs souls
>>8040934
I follow this guy who likes a lot of Mishima Chan's favorite literature and has him as a profile picture. I like to think that's him.
Best translation?
What is /lit/'s opinion about reading Shakespeare's plays while referring to modern english whenever you don't understand something?
>>8040909
If you're some ghetto nigger who just needs to read it for the sake of getting through Highschool then I don't see any issue
>>8040909
it's idiotic as fuck
if you're gonna eat your vegetables at least use some fucking salt and pepper
>>8040909
Pretty much all of Shakespeare's English was entirely natural to me. At worst, the meanings could be easily deduced; by context and so forth.
If this wasn't the case for you, get your head in the fucking dunce hat.
Is Stoicism truly the GOAT school of philosophy?
>>8040897
More like the 'good goy' school
no that would be accelerationism
>>8040903
>Deleuze
here's an ancient meme for you
What do you think of him? Did your read him? The Horseman on the Roof was pretty comfy.
>>8040877
>pretty comfy
Is it? Somehow I had the impression it was some sort of medieval Blood Meridian.
>>8040877
He's cool
>>8041369
>medieval
But it's set in 1830
Hey, I've been traveling a lot recently and brought along a few Discworld novels to read b/c Prachet was apperently a comedy genius.
They're...ok? I mean to read on a plane or as a two minute distraction or something.
The jokes are honestly rare* and repetitive to a degree I initially couldn't believe. Story-wise it's hard to ever feel tense. The relative strengths of all the characters are so incredibly arbitrary it's always possible for an old lady to beat a dragon to death with her handbag b/c 'lolololololo WORLD OF COMEDY'and...
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>>8040854
give examples of comedic literature you hold in greater esteem than pratchett's work
>>8040854
Eh did you get this place confused with reddit? No one here likes this drivel
> inb4 100 responses of pure hatred
pshaw
nobody gives a shit about genre fiction, proceed to the contamination thread for it
Looking for quality fedorature. How's pic related?
it's too popular among normies
look no further
its a false flag from the neocon religious right designed to turn people away from leftist rhetoric by associating it with losers
ignore unless you're into politics
>See the child.
>They [synonym for walking][word for Mexican geographical fixture][description of the sky as sanguine][synonym for exhaustion applying to man and beast][depiction of violence against indigenous peoples][simile invoking some primal metaphysical presence that has been and always will be].
I just wrote Blood Meridian
>>8040736
You forgot
>he leaned forward and spat
>>8040736
Where's the cool violence?
>"When a woman has five grown up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty."
"In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of."
>"She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I have no option of her."
Literally two chapters in and I'm laughing my ass off.
when a woman has 5 grown up daughters she is an old hag with a loose cunt and has no use but as a cook and laundress
>>8040627
>"She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I have no option [sic] of her."
My guess is that this line is not as ironic as you are taking it to be. "I have no opinion of" is generally understood as a way of expressing disapproval.
Which book
If He was delineating a list of writing rules, what would they be?
>>8040449
>writing rules
Get fucked
1. Get high.
2. Rip the bong.
3. Make yourself laugh.
4. Have fun.
5. It don' need to make sense.
BRUH LOOK AT THIS DUDE
Is the word "mines" as in "I have your interests, not mines, in mind" correct? Or do we say "mine" in singular?
Mine, you idiot.
>>8040451
Thanks, sorry bro. English isn't my first language
depends if he thought about one mine or a few of them. it would need an article if it's singular though
Do you agree with Roland Barthes' idea of the "Death of the author"?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_the_Author
>>8040395
Only up to a point. New Criticism is cancer when it's based on overly literal interpretations of things like Death of the author.
>>8040395
I think the idea is legitimate but others take it to autistic extremes when really the point of it is to negate autism.
The expressed and analyzed intentions of authors may not be the most legitimate interpretations of works but they can be extremely valuable in forming your own interpretations some people seem to take the Death of the Author as a signal to just discount this.
>>8040395
The idea that it's even considered an "idea" is disgusting. Literature departments need to be firebombed out of existence.
"My God, it's full of stars!"
Lov this flick
>>8040342
Yeah but that line is only in the book, not the film.
>>8040343
It's whispered very quietly
How is this still the best world history available?
>>8040322
Pretty sure you mean Marx's Capital mate
>>8040322
Will Durant
You mean this?
Does Hungary have good literature?
I just saw a thread on /tv/ about animated movies and there's been a mention of the tragedy of man which is an adaptation of a hungarian play of the same name (currently downloading it and will probably watch it tonight) and that caught my attention.
I'm no expert on hungarian history and don't know shit about their language (heard it's one of if not the most difficult european language) so I'm wondering if any of you guys know a bit about hungarian literature even if it's just translation.
>>8040287
Magyar are smelly huns so no
Yes we have good literature.
Tragedy of Man has an english translation.(Wikipedia has the links)
Translations are hard to come by.
But they definetely exist
http://www.scaruffi.com/fiction/besthu.html
For what specific reason did They steal Slothrop's clothes and stuff when he was staying at the Casino?
Bump. Still curious and highly confused. I understand why they're using him, but why fuck with him like that?
depersonalization
Kek'd heartily at "great purple kite"