The Frolic of the Beasts

by Yukio Mishima

Overview

Translated into English for the first time, a gripping short novel about an affair gone wrong, from the acclaimed Japanese author, Yukio Mishima.

Set in rural Japan shortly after World War II, The Frolic of the Beasts tells the story of a strange and utterly absorbing love triangle between a former university student, Kōji; his would-be mentor, the eminent literary critic Ippei Kusakado; and Ippei's beautiful, enigmatic wife, Yūko. When brought face-to-face with one of Ippei's many marital indiscretions, Kōji finds his growing desire for Yūko compels him to action in a way that changes all three of their lives profoundly. Originally published in 1961 and now available in English for the first time, The Frolic of the Beasts is a haunting examination of the various guises we assume throughout our lives, and a tale of psychological self-entrapment, seduction, and murder.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780525434153
Publisher:	Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/27/2018
Series:	Vintage International Series
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	291,255
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Yukio Mishima was born in Tokyo in 1925. He graduated from Tokyo Imperial University's School of Jurisprudence in 1947. His first published book, The Forest in Full Bloom, appeared in 1944 and he established himself as a major author with Confessions of a Mask (1949). From then until his death he continued to publish novels, short stories, and plays each year. His crowning achievement, the Sea of Fertility tetralogy—which contains the novels Spring Snow (1969), Runaway Horses (1969), The Temple of Dawn (1970), and The Decay of the Angel (1971)—is considered one of the definitive works of twentieth-century Japanese fiction. In 1970, at the age of forty-five and the day after completing the last novel in the Fertility series, Mishima committed seppuku (ritual suicide)—a spectacular death that attracted worldwide attention.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1
(Continues…)

---

Excerpted from "The Frolic of the Beasts"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Yukio Mishima.
Excerpted by permission of Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

---

Editorial Reviews

…two primary things make [The Frolic of Beasts] worthwhile. First, it may be a minor work, but Mishima is a giant, and even the minor works of giants are inherently interesting. Second, the uniquely askew relationships at the center of the story mean that its most riveting scenes are well and truly riveting; unforgettable, even. There is a macabre fascination, tinged with pitch-black humor, in Koji's meeting Ippei again after he is released from prison. And in a shocking moment when Yuko kisses Koji in front of her bewildered husband, there is the unveiling of a profound cruelty.

The New York Times Book Review - John Williams

★ 09/24/2018
Originally published in 1961, this luridly propulsive novel from Mishima (Confessions of a Mask) centers on a depraved love triangle between “a miserable, despairing woman”; “a self-indulgent, heartless husband”; and “a hot-blooded sympathetic young man.” University student Koji takes a job at a shop selling Western ceramics and learns that his new boss, Ippei—a “worthless, boring, well-to-do playboy”—has been cheating on his wife, Yuko. As Koji begins to fall for Yuko, she reveals to him that she has been tracking Ippei’s infidelity. One night, the two barge in on Ippei during a tryst and, in a fit of rage, Koji crushes Ippei’s head with a wrench. The shocking act lands him in prison for nearly two years and leaves Ippei paralyzed on his right side. After Koji is released, Yuko becomes his guarantor and Koji begins to work in the greenhouse she has established in the coastal town of Iro. What follows is an ominous reunion that slowly builds to more violence, with Mishima’s baroque, beautiful prose hinting at depravity on every page: “the light streaming down through that window was divine favor, truly pure; dismembered, like the white body of a slain infant.” This disturbing book is a masterful look into the “very instant when the truth of perverse human nature begins to shine.” (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

One of LitHub's Best Translated Novels of the Decade 

“Mishima is a giant. . . . One of the most acclaimed writers of the 20th century. . . . The uniquely askew relationships at the center of the story mean that its most riveting scenes are well and truly riveting; unforgettable, even.” —The New York Times Book Review

“A compelling tale of love and violence. . . . Mishima is a magnificent and important storyteller. . . Admirers of the enigmatic Japanese master have reason to rejoice. Those still unfamiliar with his work might very well have a new entryway to one of the most vital—and troubling—literary voices of the 20th century. . . . By the time we reach the end, Mishima’s twisty timeline pays huge dividends. A powerful epilogue ties a neat ribbon around the plot.” —The Washington Post
 
“[A] little gem.” —The Wall Street Journal
 
“[A] luridly propulsive novel. . . . This disturbing book is a masterful look into the ‘very instant when the truth of perverse human nature begins to shine.’ . . . With Mishima’s baroque, beautiful prose hinting at depravity on every page.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“[A] psychologically complex novel finally available in a honed translation by Andrew Clare. . . . Mishima, an extraordinary literary talent, was to the last a consummate multifaceted performance artist, profoundly aware of the pressing momentum of time.” —The Times Literary Supplement

“Classic Mishima terrain. . . . A stimulating read and a welcome addition to the canon of Mishima translations.” —The Japan Times

“Masterful. . . . A tale of lust, violence and acceptance, the story stands as another example of [Mishima’s] genius.” —Shelf Awareness

"The kind of book you scribble all over in excitement because every line is so brilliant." —Chicago Review of Books

“The Frolic of the Beasts has finally been published in English, in a decent translation by Andrew Clare. . . . Mishima was prolific and versatile in a manner reminiscent of a writer like John Updike. In addition to hundreds of short stories and eleven volumes of critical essays, he wrote thirty-five novels and thirteen plays . . . including adaptations from the Noh theater repertory.” —The New York Review of Books

"Representative Mishima. . . . [The Frolic of the Beasts shows] the author’s penchant for meticulously peeling the onion." —The Hudson Review

“A tragic, haunting work from a master.” —The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)

From the Publisher

06/15/2018
Originally published in 1961 and translated into English for the first time, this brief but potent novel by Japanese master Mishima features a love story among former university student Koji, literary critic Ippei Kusakado, and Ippei's mysterious wife. The publisher has had great success with its Mishima backlist.

Library Journal

Read More