Book Description
Using scholarly historical insight and evocative storytelling that brings to life the glories of ancient Rome, Steven Saylor takes the reader from the bloody lines of clashing Roman armies to the backrooms of the Senate floor, where power-hungry politicians wrestle the Fates for control of Rome's destiny. With the consular election drawing near, Rome is fiercely divided between the conservative Cicero and the tempestuous Catilina, whose followers are rumored to be plotting a blood-thirsty siege for power if their leader fails to win office. Gordianus the Finder, retired to his Etruscan farm, is happy to be free of the intrigue and danger of the capital. But when his old friend Cicero enlists the Finder in an elaborate plot to control Catilina, Gordianus is drawn back into a familiar world. Now caught in a cloak-and-dagger political struggle for the fate of the Republic, Gordianus finds himself strangely drawn to the controversial candidate. Is Catilina really a subversive renegade, or are Cicero suspicions part of an even greater conspiracy? When a headless corpse ominously appears on his farm, Gordianus knows he must unlock the secret of Catilina's Riddle before Rome tears herself apart.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting view of a republic.......2007-06-29
I found this book quite disturbing in a thought-provoking way. The motivations of the voting public in choosing a candidate are described very pessimistically. Voters choose candidates that make them feel good about their personal choices (or perceived personal choices -- the more hypocrital the public, the more effective this campaign strategy is) over what might be good for the republic. While reading this book, I felt the tragic inevitability of republic descending into dictatorship, and then into empire.
Turn your mind off.... pour the koolade.......2007-02-15
What did the other reviewer say? "Could have done without the history lesson"?? If that is the case why would you ever read a mystery about ancient Rome when you could read Raymond Chandler and a mystery about Los Angeles ? Personally I want to learn about history as I devour the story of ROME (and Greece) No history = no good, in my perspective. So Saylor gets 5 stars if you are in a hammock or on a plane sipping a Mai Tai. That way you can fall asleep and pick up where you left off when you wake up with no real expenditure of brain power. Nothing wrong with that. At least you are reading. But, if like me, you are putting the Roman jigsaw puzzle together you can skip all of Saylor's books and proceed directly to Dando-Collins.... Michael Curtis Ford.... or Colleen McCullough.
Oh, a review of this book? THE FINDER retires to the country, Cataline stays with him once in a while before he is denounced by Cicero, there is a murder or two, THE FINDER solves the mystery...cue the Perry Mason music and take another sip of that ole' Mai Tai. See you after you read CICERO by Anthony Everett.
Would have been better without the history lesson.......2007-01-16
This was my introduction to this series and it was good enough to make me want to read others, but I hope they aren't quite so heavy on the history lessons. Huge sections of the book slow to a crawl while the author innundates us with minutae of Roman politics and history. If I *were* interested in those topics, I'd read a non-fiction book!
When the book focuses on the the main characters, it proves to be extremely interesting. I liked Gordianus the "Finder" and his family and think Saylor is a particularly fine wordsmith. I am encouraged by several of the reviews to hope that other entries in the series deal more with everyday life in Rome than with the political intriques of the day.
As a fan of historical fiction, this ranks higher than most (although for ancient Rome, I prefer the Marcus Didius Falco Mystery series by Lindsey Davis, and Kate Sedley's "Chapman" series retains its status as favorite among all historical fiction).
The Third Book in the Roma Sub Rosa series.......2006-12-18
Steven Saylor's fascination with Ancient Rome began at an early age. A history graduate and former newspaper and magazine editor, he lives in Berkeley, California. His series of books about Ancient Rome and featuring Gordianus the Finder are extremely popular both here in England and also in America. Anyone who is a fan of Lindsey Davis will love these books too. Steven Saylor brings Ancient Rome to life, so much so that the reader can lose himself in the sights and sounds of the ancient city.
Gordianus the Finder, the investigator of crimes, a man whose skill and integrity have made him much sought after by some of the most important men in Rome. Men who may need a secret to be kept, men who need to know that when Gordianus is working for them he will be discreet and not susceptible to bribery.
The year is 63 BC and Gordianus has been left every Roman's dream, a farm in the Etruscan countryside. He immediately decides to up sticks and get his family out of the city that is becoming more decadent with every passing day. He is more than happy to escape all the politics and intrigue that surround him. But is anything as simple as that?
Cicero, a man he has worked for before want to hire him to gain evidence against the popular politician Catilina. The politician is a charismatic man, but also a very dangerous one and Gordianus is no longer interested in putting himself and his family at risk, that is until the first headless corpse is found down his well . . .
A fascinating story about a fascinating man........2006-12-17
Catilina lives in Roman legends something like Richard III does in English legends. Saylor has presented a wonderful picture of the man as seen through the eyes of his hero Gordianus. This is a must-read book for Roman history buffs. The only complaint that I had with the book was the extended political monologues that appear throughout, but even in these Saylor brings his characters to life. It is interesting to meet a young Julius Caesar too. There's everything in this book - a mystery, a history lesson, a Roman battle, and lots of Roman politics and spymaking. Ssylor brings his world to life, and I absolutely love his characters. At the end of this book Gordianus is 51 years old. My only concern is that he's getting old too fast and the series will have to end long before I'm ready for it to.
Book Description
Record of Lodoss War is heroic fantasy at its finest, set in a timeless world of knights and elves, gods and witches, that has led to some of the most popular series of animated films and TV series, comics and graphic novels of all time. Chronicles of the Heroic Knight Book 01 is the latest graphic novel from the world of Lodoss, and introduces Spark, the young knight-in-training. Although he dreams of being a glorious hero, he fails in his first assignment from the king, guarding the magical Crystal Ball of Souls. The beloved Grey Witch characters Deedlit the Elf and Parn the Knight return to guide and help Spark, but the focus of this series is the new heroes who join Spark in his quest. This comic series is as pulse-pounding as the Heroic Knight anime series, but tells a very different story, richer and with deeper character development. Every Lodoss fan will want this series.
Customer Reviews:
Quick but entertaining!.......2003-01-30
In true Lodoss War fashion this story is compelling and a great read. This is the first volume that starts it all off and is what the 27 episode tv series was based on. It picks up about 5 years or so after the Grey Witch series but is not entirely connected. A few characters have changed a bit and have no relationship with each other even if they previously did. If you know this going in then the read is fine because the author is technically writting two seperate stories. The plot line is also failry similar but new characters get involved.
Average customer rating:
|
Project Arms, Volume 8: Gallows Bell (Project Arms (Graphic Novels))
Ryoji Minagawa
Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Graphic Novels
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Manga
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
Viz
| By Publisher
| Manga
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
Fantasy
| Manga
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Novels
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Viz
| By Publisher
| Manga
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Fantasy
| Manga
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Manga
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Project Arms, Volume 2: Egrigori (Project Arms)
-
Project Arms, Volume 5: The Second Revelation: The X-Army (Project Arms)
ASIN: 1591167329 |
Book Description
This is an exciting and invaluable collection of recipes that aims to help the reader follow that government and expert advice without scrificing variety, flavor or temptation in their routine.
Customer Reviews:
Too complicated, odd ingredients, not healthy.......2007-04-26
Too start with the positives: magazine (book) is beautifully photographed, pages are thick quality, prep and layout instructions seem good. The negatives: this is more a magazine (less than 100 hundred pages and stapled together, no spine) rather than a book so don't plan to give it as a gift. One of the suggestions for getting more vegetables in your day was to eat cut up crudities. Well if a person could do that they wouldn't need to buy a cookbook that tells them how to add more fruits and vegetables in their day. Many of the vegetable recipes called for rather expensive or hard to find ingredients. One of the recipes is fennel and mussel provencal; calling for fresh mussels, don't know that my kids would eat mussel much less fennel. Another recipe is cut up taro, carrot and parsnip and roasting all together with sugar and orange juice. I guess if you add enough sugar to something anybody would eat it.
Several recipes call for vine leaves, greek yogurt, sultanas, mooli and tagliatelle, where am I suppose to get that stuff? There is a recipe for french beans with bacon and cream; another peas and cream; mushrooms and creme fraiche; baked marrow with cream. Most of the recipes are not diet friendly at all. Many have creme fraiche, half and half, double cream, heavy cream, sugar, cheese, etc. You couldn't make many of these recipes if you had any dietary limitations. One of the recipes calls for a whole cup of sugar, like I said earlier if you add enough sugar to it I guess someone would eat it but then aren't you defeating the purpose of eating healthy fruits and vegetables?
Some of the recipes call for so little amount of vegetables that I'm not even sure you could count them as a true serving. Another recipe is frying up chicken livers in bacon and serving over a mixed green salad.
There are better books on the market that might have more than 5 recipes that you could call heart healthy and would actually make.
But I did give it 3 stars because it is a very pretty magazine, there's a picture on every page and instructions are clear and concise. But no recipes that I could actually use.
Book Description
More and more horse owners are turning to alternative therapies to enhance the health and well-being of their equine companions. Many believe - as Jenny Morgan does - that horses kept in a healthy, all-natural environment have fewer health problems. Thus, this essential reference for horse owners begins with preventive care. Natural Healing for Horses teaches how to know a horse thoroughly, from forelock to fetlock; understand a horse's moods and immediately recognize the slightest change in appearance or behavior; build a stabling system that has proper space, drainage, and safety; select the ideal pasture location; and develop affordable and natural routines for exercising, feeding, watering, and grooming horses kept in a stable or at pasture.
The second section of this book addresses specific health issues and suggested therapies, including herbal and homeopathic treatments, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, and aromatherapy, as well as standard veterinary treatments.
Whatever the need, Morgan provides all the information necessary to choose the right natural treatment to improve a horse's general well-being or solve particular health problems.
Book Description
Become reacquainted with these baby boomer dolls and the era of fashion reflected by these dolls. You will spot the favorite dolls of the 1950s and the early 1960s in the 142 color and 57 b/w photos of such favorites as Chatty Cathy, Miss Curity, BARBIE, G.I. Joe, and a host of others. An exquisite photo album ideal for any doll lover-now in it's 2nd big printing. 144 pages.
Customer Reviews:
Authors comments.......2000-04-21
This book is a walk down memory lane for the Baby Boomer generation. I can't tell you the fun I had doing the research! Here presented in color are the dolls that were cherished from 1946-1964, often considered the Golden Age of collectible dolls. If you like vintage dolls and those who loved them, then this is the book for you! A. Glenn Mandeville
Customer Reviews:
You'll read this over and over again:.......2004-07-05
While this book may not address the exact how-to's of CAS (cowboy action shooting) as much as some other titles, that in no way takes away from the value of the book. This book is a goldmine of information about single action pistols of all kinds. It also reviews the roots of CAS as well as clothing, gear, leather, loads and reloading components. This has become one of my very favorite books, and I find myself re-reading it about once a year. Taffin writes in an honest, straightforward style that makes the reader feel that they are having an informal conversation with a trusted friend. Even if you only have an interest in old west guns, and don't even shoot CAS, this book will be an excellent addition to your library. I consider this Taffin's masterwork, and it will be very difficult for any writer to ever top it.
If you like gun reviews..........2003-03-03
...then this is the book for you. If you actually want to learn anything about cowboy shooting beyond shooting tests of some of the guns, then it's not. If you're looking for info on how to actually do the sport, then I'd strongly suggest trying Scotty Anderson's book instead. Shucks, Mike Venturino's article in "Popular Mechanics" about 5 years ago was more informative on the actual sport than this book...
Covers revolvers and load data plus lever gun information........2001-02-01
Taffin does an excellent job of covering the various revolvers and calipers used in Cowboy Action shooting. While his coverage of the lever actions is not as extensive, it is still good and provides a great deal of useful information. He also covers shotguns, but not in great detail. This book is a good companion for Taffin's book on 'Bigbore Sixguns".
If you like sixguns and lever actions this is a great book.......2000-05-11
I believe authors John Taffin and Craig Boddington share a common trait; both have found a method and style of writing that conveys a great deal of detailed information, educates and holds the reader's attention. "Action Shooting Cowboy Style" is an excellent book for any firearms enthusiast.
I am not active in action shooting, but in a Hamilton Bowen / John Linebaugh frame of reference, I am a fan of single action sixguns. Like Taffin's 1997 book, "Big Bore Sixguns", "Action Shooting Cowboy Style" offers a good deal of insight into these types of handguns, making this information alone worth the price of admission. However, the new book goes much further in covering what is an incredibly popular sport, a sport perhaps more appropriately defined as a philosophy or life style.
I enjoyed the book very much.
Average customer rating:
|
McGraw-Hill On-Site Guide to Building Codes 2000: Commercial and Residential Interiors
William David, III Smith , and
Laura Holland Smith
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Residential
| Building Types & Styles
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Building Types & Styles
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Interior Design
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Architectural Standards
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Building Construction
| Construction
| Civil
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Construction
| Civil
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Contracting
| Construction
| Civil
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Building Codes & Laws
| Construction
| Civil
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Buildings & Construction
| Home Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Professional Reference
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
Commercial
| English Law
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
Codes and Specifications
| Architectural Engineering
| McGraw-Hill Engineering Store
| McGraw-Hill
| By Publisher
| Books
Building Materials
| Civil Engineering
| McGraw-Hill Engineering Store
| McGraw-Hill
| By Publisher
| Books
Codes, Contracts and Manuals
| Construction
| McGraw-Hill Engineering Store
| McGraw-Hill
| By Publisher
| Books
Materials
| Construction
| McGraw-Hill Engineering Store
| McGraw-Hill
| By Publisher
| Books
ASIN: 0071361278 |
Book Description
Achieve code compliance in a flash
Prepared by the well-known architect/interior designer team of David Smith and Laura Smith, McGraw-Hill's On-Site Guide to 2000 Building Codes: Interiors keeps you right on top of the new International Building Codes. More than a simple tool for Code compliance (as if that weren't valuable enough), this reference is a veritable quick course in architectural and interior design and construction. In a highly visual, tabular format -- including over 300 illustrations, charts, tables, and graphs -- this one-of-a-kind guide puts at your fingertips coverage of:
* Walls
* Windows
* Doors
* Fixtures
* Finishes
* Accessibility
* Change-of-use
* Clearances
* Exits
* Finishes
* Fire resistance
* Fixtures
* Furnishings
* Historic buildings
* Occupancy requirements
* HVAC
* Electrical
* Plumbing
* Remodeling
* And much more!
Average customer rating:
|
Blue Dog Truly Rudy Christmas Cards (Blue Dog Christmas Cards)
George Rodrigue
Manufacturer: Stewart, Tabori and Chang
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Cards
Pop Culture
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Dogs
| Animal Care & Pets
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Accessories
| Formats
| Books
| Address Books
| Bible Covers
| Book Covers
| Calendars
| Church Supplies
| Journals
| Note Cards
| Photo Albums
| Postcards
| Writing Stationery
Animals
| Christmas
| Holiday Greeting Cards
| Formats
| Books
Pop Culture
| Note Cards
| Book Accessories
| Our Favorites
| Gift Ideas
ASIN: 158479142X |
Book Description
In the tradition of Pico Iyer, a witty and revealing insider's journey through a modern Japan that outsiders seldom glimpse
In 1970, the world-famous Japanese writer Yukio Mishima plunged a knife into his belly and was decapitated using his own antique sword. In the decades since, people have asked endless far-ranging questions about this spectacular suicide.
Christopher Ross wondered, What on earth happened to Mishima's sword?
And so Ross sets off for Tokyo on a journey into the heart of the Mishima legend---the very heart of Japan. It was a country Ross knew well after nearly five years of living there--but nothing could have prepared him for this. While searching for the fabled sword, Ross encounters the rather startling range of those who knew Mishima...a world, or perhaps more accurately a demimonde, of craftsmen and critics, soldiers and swordsmen, boyfriends and biographers (even the man who taught Mishima hara-kiri). The trail Ross follows inspires a travelogue of the most eye-opening--and occasionally bizarre--sort, a window into the real Japan that is never seen by tourists and the occasion for digressions on, among other things, socks and the code of the samurai, nosebleeds and metallurgy... even how to dress for suicide.
Mishima's Sword is a dazzling read--the perfect book for all those intrigued by things Japanese, from gangsters to Genji, from manga to Mishima.
Customer Reviews:
Mostly just fascinating.......2007-06-27
I found this book by accident while waiting for someone, and I was enthralled by it. Ross uses the sensational circumstances of Mishima's very public and gruesome suicide to explore Japanese martial culture in general and tries to explain his own fascination with it along the way.
While he keeps tracking Mishima's life and death as a guide to his narrative, it becomes clearer and clearer that Mishima is conceivably of no importance outside his role as a popular author of nationalist appeal, and that his very theatrical life and death actually stand for very little. His careful reconstruction of himself and his image is not so uncommon, and in the end there is just another guy coming to terms with the very big chips on his shoulder, although he does so in a spectacular way.
But along this way Ross manages by description of his travels and interviews to highlight and clarify Japanese history and fascination with death in a highly insightful way.
Sometimes this book is just about Christopher Ross: For instance there is a whole section, where he describes feeling unwell and having to interrupt his stay in Japan to return to the UK. One can't help wondering if his editor slept through that part, since it seems to have very little to do with the rest of the story.
Fortunately these deviations are relatively brief, as is the whole book, and you have basically read past them before they really trouble you. The rest of the ride is wonderful for people who share Ross' fascination with the martial aspects of Japan.
Interesting history lesson mixed with a travel diary.......2007-01-02
Christopher Ross goes on a quest for the sword used to assist in the suicide of Yushio Mishima, one of Japan's most famous authors. Along the way, the reader is treated to a history of Japan, lessons on Kendo, and insight into Mishima himself, and icon (or iconoclast?) of Japanese literature. In essence, the quest for the physical sword takes secondary importance, behind Ross's quest to understand the man, the times, and the context of his suicide.
For those that read Twigger's Angry White Pajamas, this book is a more serious, and more culturally detailed view of the same genre. Perhaps the connection comes as Christopher Ross was the uber-guru that Twigger wrote about...
If there's one issue I have with the book, it's that the writer at times talks down to the reader. For example, most anyone reading this has experienced international travel - the audience is a cosmopolitan set. Explaining the details of an inflight entertainment system detracts from the overall story.
That said, the book is still concise and well written, and worthy of a read from any afficianado of Japan. It certainly earns a prominent place on my bookshelf!
Average customer rating:
- A Standard Biography
- A fine biography complementary to another
- A Westerner's understanding of Japanese militance
- Pretty good, I'd say.
- An intriguing life
|
The Life and Death of Yukio Mishima
Henry Scott Stokes
Manufacturer: Cooper Square Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Authors
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Japanese
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
20th Century
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Asian
| History & Criticism
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Mishima: A Biography
-
Sun and Steel
-
Spring Snow
-
Confessions of a Mask (New Directions Paperbook)
-
The Temple of the Golden Pavilion
ASIN: 0815410743 |
Book Description
This incisive biography begins with the spectacularly tragic last day of the militant Japanese novelist, perhaps best known for his monumental four-book masterpiece The Sea of Fertility.
Customer Reviews:
A Standard Biography.......2004-11-20
The Life and Death of Yukio Mishima is, simply put, a definitive biography. Henry Scott Stokes knew the author about as well as anyone could. He accompanied Mishima and the members of the Shield Society to cover exercises the military group (formed by Mishima) carried out at Mt. Fuji in 1969 and knew him from 1966 until his suicide by hara-kiri in November 1970. Mr. Stokes includes a lot of detail concerning this training exercise, during which he met Mishima's disciple Morita, who committed hara-kiri with him just over a year later.
Mr. Stokes, being a noted journalist, provides an excellent approach to Mishima's life. At the outset, the sensational death of the artist is related in detail. I liked this approach because Mishima's life and work has been overshadowed by his death, so taking us through the ordeal allows us to concentrate on his life and learn soothing about what made him seek the death he did.
Also valuable is Mr. Stokes' residence in Japan, which gives him invaluable knowledge on Japanese society, giving us a background for many of Mishima's attitudes. The major literary works are explained in excellent detail with what Mr. Stokes considers minor works (such as "The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea") being only briefly mentioned. This fits well with the aim of the book: to provide an in-depth look at the forces that influenced Mishima. The Sea of Fertility cycle receives a great deal of attention. The book also has a chapter that discusses Mishima's reputation since his death. In this section Mr. Stokes draws some interesting conclusions about the relationship between Mishima and Morita.
I have also read John Nathan's biography of Yukio Mishima, which presents an excellent portrait of the writer, particularly in describing his literary career. However, I find it is Mr. Stokes' book that provides a more in-depth portrait of Mishima. I would still recommend Mr. Nathan's book as a highly readable biography. Mr. Stokes' book is very well written with great attention to detail and should not be missed by anyone seriously interested in who Yukio Mishima was and what drove him.
There is a useful glossary and a chronology of Mishima's life, and is illustrated with photographs and drawings.
A fine biography complementary to another.......2004-09-09
Henry Scott Stokes' THE LIFE AND DEATH OF YUKIO MISHIMA is one of the few biographies in English of the Japanese novelist, whose 1970 death by seppuku after a failed coup d'etat is just as much a part of his legacy as his works.
Scott Stokes understands how Mishima's death overshadows all else, and he begins the work with a very detailed description of Mishima's failed coup and suicide, before going back to his birth and beginning his life stories. His book is based on few interviews; Scott Stokes feels that everything is already out there in written form and can be compacted for English readers. The description of Mishima's unsuccessful coup, for example, is based on records of the trial of the survivors.
Scott Stokes knew Mishima himself in the late 1960's, and was a keen observer of his political activity. He was even the only journalist to view training exercises of Mishima's private army. Because of this first-hand perspective, the latter portion of Mishima's life is told in great detail. Much less, satisfying, however, is his coverage of Mishima's earlier years, in which a large amount of detail is "reconstructed" from Mishima's semi-autobiographical work CONFESSIONS OF A MASK, a dubious approach. For a better view of Mishima's life prior to 1964, I'd recommend John Nathan's MISHIMA: A BIOGRAPHY, written by one of his translators who knew him early on, and to which Mishima's family contributed through personal interviews.
There is a wealth of information about Mishima's books, especially about his masterpiece "The Sea of Fertility" for which detailed summaries are given. I found this had a downside in that it spoiled the surprise ending of THE DECAY OF THE ANGEL for me, and I'd recommend reading that entire cycle, as well as other works which interest you, before coming to this biography.
While Scott Stokes autobiography has not been changed since the first edition in 1974, he has contributed an epilogue to the new Cooper Square Press edition which I feel is actually the strongest part of the book. Certainly necessary reading for Mishima fans. It shows how the perspective on Mishima's work has changed in the last quarter-century, and how many still consider him a fine writer, but fewer and fewer would actually consider him a genius. He also explains how the Japanese now perceive him, complaining that it is sad that Japan's post-literary culture of movies and manga has resulted in Mishima and his mentor Kawabata being nearly forgotten.
A curious matter about the life and death of Yukio Mishima is that the more one learns, the more questions one has. And nothing entirely suffices to explain the way he chose to end his life. Still, Scott Stokes does give some helpful clues. I'd recommend THE LIFE AND DEATH OF YUKIO MISHIMA to fans of the writer's work, as well as those who just marvel at the novelist's bizarre death. Pick up Nathan's biography at the same time, though.
A Westerner's understanding of Japanese militance.......2003-08-31
I was a boy when the report came through on NBC Nightly News that Yukio Mishima had committed sepukku after a failed attempt to take control of Japan. They briefly described the mode of death, & how his second-in-command had also died.
This event was far outside the understanding of anyone in rural Minnesota, so my questions hung in the air. The best I could do was a short report & some big photos in LIFE. I found that Mishima had been considered a young literary lion, bringing Japan to a fascinating new fiction that impossibly synthesised classical writing with modern style.
The whole thing didn't make sense. It was like hearing that Jack Kerouac had also been a Brown Shirt -- nobody could reconcile for me Mishima the uniformed revolutionary with Mishima the sensitive author.
This book has helped bring me to a new conclusion: reconciliation is impossible. The author was a friend of Mishima, & possibly the only Westerner allowed into the funeral; he goes into great depth as only a friend (though somewhat baffled himself) could to show the paradoxes embodied, sometimes quite intentionally, within Mishima.
I appreciate that the story has been brought full circle, at least for me.
Pretty good, I'd say........2002-10-26
The major point of discussion for reviewers of this book and of John Nathan's biography of Mishima seems to be "Which one is better?" Personally, I'd say neither. For those who were somewhat dissatisfied with the way Nathan glossed over certain things (like, oh, The Sea of Fertility), Scott-Stokes' book has a greater volume of information and a more consistent analysis of Mishima's literature. For instance, I don't recall Nathan having even mentioned Ba-ra-kei (which I intend to procure sometime in the future, now that I know of its existence) in passing; Scott-Stokes, on the other hand, includes it in the appropriate section of Mishima's life (there are four: Literature, Drama, Body and Action). Scott-Stokes also has the better analysis of Mishima's plays, with more quotes and a lengthier discussion.
However, as a whole I think I liked Nathan's work more. I really did not get why Scott-Stokes included the "dramatization" of the Mishima Incident (as the first scene, no less); it's bewilderingly out of place, though I admit that it does provide a good hook to lead into the rest of the book with. But that's emblematic of a larger problem; Scott-Stokes gives himself much greater license than Nathan did to theorize about Mishima's motivations and inner thoughts, and like all canonical examples of dubious reportage, his theories cite anonymous sources. Nor did I particularly appreciate his cavalier dismissal of a rather large part of Mishima's literature as subpar - in fact, unlike Nathan, he really doesn't even come across as an avid reader of Mishima, which would be fine if not for the fact that he decided to be the man's biographer.
If you're interested in Mishima, you're inevitably going to read this, but I recommend reading Nathan's biography first. This will arm you with a good bit of knowledge in advance, and will help you navigate through Scott-Stokes' "original" structure (his book starts with the last day of Mishima's life, then covers his childhood and then branches out into four directions). Scott-Stokes' book, then, will serve as a complement, filling in certain gaps.
An intriguing life.......2002-10-06
Earlier this year, I came across works of Mishima in the used book section of my local book store. When I read that Mishima had committed seppuku and had an "army of young men," I became intrigued about him. I purchased this book and the biography written by John Nathan. I found both books informative and while both covered essentially the same ground, each had items missing in the other. I do not consider one superior to the other, although Scott-Stokes' opening chapter, which details the day of Mishima's death, is riveting stuff. Scott-Stokes, as a journalist, is better at representing Mishima's life in the context of the Japan he lived in, while Nathan, a teacher/writer, is better at interpreting the author's works. Neither can fully explain why Mishima did what he did at the end of his life, but each does his best to give insight into this complex man. It is gracious of Nathan to admit, in the foreword to the newest printing of his biography, that he now understands Mishima better than he did when he wrote the book. Having read both biographies, I know what he means.
Customer Reviews:
His talent.......2004-04-12
Yukio Mishima was many things in his life; an author was only one of them. In general, I have more respect for him as a personality than I do for his individual books. I could go on all day about the man himself, but my praise of this or that novel is usually conditional, and when I find myself thinking of books to re-read just for enjoyment's sake, he usually isn't near the top of my list. I think that these stories are some of his highest-quality work, though, and I can recommend them without any reservations, not just to enthusiasts of Japanese culture or the sort of magnificently sick aesthetic that Mishima represents. The title story, although as coldly inhuman as much of Mishima's work, still seems pyschologically accurate. The second story, Three Thousand Yen, is disarmingly and uncharacteristically sweet, but tempered by a more characteristic ending. Patriotism is probably the standout of this standout, with flawless prose, again backing Mishima's vision with a realistic setting. 'Pearl' is clever, and 'Onegata' is another very polished story, a good candidate for anthologization. 'Swaddling Clothes' is a personal favorite, wickedly barbed and haunting. The greatest strength of this collection is that Mishima never seems to be repeating himself - he explores his central themes from different angles, in a variety of styles, and provides something of outstanding artistic merit.
Piercing Clarity.......2003-12-30
Mishima writes with amazing clarity of thought. His sentences are among the clearest I have ever read. I feel at a loss of words, a "poverty of emotion," as Mishima might call it, in trying to write about Death in Midsummer. The only thing I can say - to even try to do him and his book justice - is READ IT!!!
Very impressive.......2002-12-14
A friend recommended Mishima to me, and this was the book I picked up. First, to respond to a reviewer below, this book (at least my copy) has no introduction, no preface, no afterward, and has numerous translators. The stories were selected by Mishima himself, and the book was published in New York. Reading any "leftist" intentions on the part of the publishers of this book, then, is certainly very strange, unless it was gleaned from the three paragraph synopsis on the back.
That having been said, I was immensley impressed by this book. After the first three stories ("Death in Midsummer", "Three Million Yen", and "Thermos Bottle") I was ready to admit the genius of the author. The title story is abridged, and the translation on all three is awkward -- I don't know a bit of Japanese, but the English itself lacked lucidity and had some confused grammar. Nevertheless, there's a remarkable detail to the deliniation of character, a mesmorizing lyrical style, and a powerful look into the psychology of man when confronted with tragic and absurd circumstances. The stories, also, are brilliantly subtle satires of middle class values. The author clearly intends to show the decline in the Japanese character as a result of Westernization and modernization. At some points it hints at leftist values -- a dislike of the bourgeois, a sympathy for the poor, etc. But Mishima's strange and anachronistic political beliefs show us that his work is best read as insight into the identity crisis facing modern Japan, and not as leftist, or even entirely rightist. (I read, while glancing through a biography of the author, a statement he made after speaking to a group of leftist students. He said something to the effect of "We shared a friendship and an understanding, embracing through a barbed fence...")
As much as I appreciated the first three stories, however, I found the rest of the book to be much better, revealing an incredible diversity of style and theme. "The Priest and His Love" is a beautiful Buddhist fable exploring the paradox and power of beauty and sensuality. The style of writing reminded me a lot of Pär Lagerkvist. "Patriotism" caught me completely off-guard, and undoubtedly represents the greatest work in the book. Its the story of an officer who commits seppuku (ritual suicide) and his wife, who follows. With great fluidity and poetic grace, Mishima describes their final night together, then, in a frustratingly objective prose, describes the morbid end of the two. Violence and sensuality are tied in with finality, duty and beauty. Mishima was an aesthete, but of the rarest kind -- much in the spirit of Poe, perhaps. The story had an enormous impact of me.
"Dojoji," auspiciously set after "Patriotism," is one of Mishima's Noh plays, and shifts entirely to the languid, allegorical style that characterizes the Noh (contrasted by the turbulent, grotesque realism of the previous story). The play is about the auction of a giant wardrobe that has a gruesome past. Mishima's attempt to reinvigorate the tired Noh theatre was a noble effort, and (in my opinion) a successful one. The spiritual quality of the theatre proves a profound vehicle to the pessimism and spiritual despondency that characterizes modern literature and thought. After reading this play, I went out immediately and found a copy of "Five No Plays by Mishima" which I very much look forward to reading. The next story, "Onnagata," deliberately takes us to the other side of Japanese theatre, the kabuki. Its a homoerotic tale of obsession and infatuation, and a love triangle between three men (or rather, two men and an onnagata -- a man who plays, or rather lives, as a woman in kabuki theatre). One man seeks the elusive love of a famed onnagata by joining the kabuki theatre. The onnagata, for Mishima, is "the illicit child born of a marriage between dream and reality." As infatuation drives him further and further into the world of the kabuki, it has the strange effect of driving him further and further away from the onnagata's love, who, in the end, falls in love with a pretentious young guest director who knows nothing of the kabuki.
"The Pearl" completely surprised me. Of all things, its a social comedy, the type I had suspected, from reading the other stories, that the author was incapable of. To my delight, I was proved wrong. Again poking tremendous fun at the middle class, the story is about five middle aged women, and a lost pearl and a silly mischevious act that explodes into a tale of deciet, head games, and irony.
After reading this, I am a confirmed Mishima fan. It has also excited me into exploring contemporary Japanese literature. Very highly recommended!
Great Artist and Nationalist.......2002-10-07
The writer is great, his book is great. But the publisher of this edition is NOT great or even mediocre. W.W. Norton AKA New Directions is a trendy San Francisco based publisher that needs to cut back on their own morbid, introspective, over-edited, leftist interpretations. I'm not interested in the phobias and insecurities of such people. They need to relax and understand that whatever personal choices they make have little impact on the world at large. As opposed to the confined quarters of the coffee house or similar yuppie agora.
Not my chosen car but this guy has the goods........2002-02-07
A lot of this was pretty confusing too understand but he wrote one really great story dealing with Buddhism.He definitely has a gift for details and dialouge.
Books:
- Cipher Garden, The
- Dead Guilty
- Dead Jitterbug
- Death at Daisy's Folly (Robin Paige Victorian Mysteries, No. 3)
- Death by Inferior Design (A Domestic Bliss Mystery)
- Death of a Macho Man
- Death Without Company
- December Heat: An Inspector Espinosa Mystery (Inspector Espinosa Mysteries)
- Diagnosis Murder #2: The Death Merchant (Diagnosis Murder, 2)
- Diagnosis Murder: The Silent Partner
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Metro Boston, Eastern Massachusetts, Street Atlas
- History: Fiction or Science
- Creative Perspective for Artists and Illustrators
- Hellblazer: The Devil You Know
- History: Fiction or Science
- Handbook of Statistics 18: Bioenvironmental and Public Health Statistics
- Intimacy With Christ
- Art and Crusade in the Age of St. Louis
- Flora of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Manual
- Florida Wildflowers in Their Natural Communities
Arms of Nemesis: A Novel of Ancient Rome (Novels of Ancient Rome)
The Venus Throw: A Mystery of Ancient Rome (Novels of Ancient Rome)
A Murder on the Appian Way: A Mystery of Ancient Rome (Novels of Ancient Rome)
The House of the Vestals: The Investigations of Gordianus the Finder (Novels of Ancient Rome)
Roman Blood: A Novel of Ancient Rome (Novels of Ancient Rome)
