In search of desperate beauty (Review of “Confessions of a Mask” by Yukio Mishima)
From this point on, there will be an english version of this blog. I open this space with the review of Yukio Mishimas’s novel “Confessions of a Mask”.
It is a commonplace, among those interested to classify Mishima as sensualist author, to review this story from pansexual perspective. However, Mishima goes far beyond this materialistic and reductionist interpretation of his early chef d’oeuvre by creating a complex narration about a troubled young lad searching for beauty through the spiritual vein of art that accentuated his synesthetic experiences toward human body and masculine virtue, as masterfully related by the author, in his amazing discovery of San Sebastian depiction made by Guido Reni. To sum up, this a memorable short novel written in elegant style composed by delightful prose, where Mishima paid great homage to the strange and mysterious nature of beauty.
Yasunari Kawabata (Mishima’s former mentor), 1968 Noble Prize, once said that he did not deserve to be awarded with the aforementioned prize if Mishima was still alive, by reading this book anyone can agree with his honorable judgment.
