Star

This is a very short book, written by a part time movie actor with a full tome movie actor narrator. The translation is crisp and clean, and the movie actor has some interesting notions about reality and experience. The story-telling technique is slightly unusual, but it's perfectly suited to the story's major themes.

Short, easy to read. A theme is true love that transcends passage of time Kayo demonstrate throughout the story. Well translated, my friend! I met the translator of this book over at a reception in New York earlier this year and we talked about our jobs and he mentioned his book coming up.I was curious because I did not know the title.

A good photographic view of a person both respected and disliked by many people. A person cut too short in his life.

A great gift for my husband.

This one will be nice on my Yukio Mishima collection! I attached a picture to show a reference about the dimensions.

I enjoyed this story.

😀

Very easy read and a little bizarre

Blimey, you wait years for a new Mishima translation, then two turn up at once! Unlike the recently published "Frolic of the Beasts", which was a short novel, "Star" is a 'short story', originally published in Japan as part of a short story collection. As such, it's perhaps unfair to complain about it being sufficiently substantial, as it was never intended to stand alone - however the rest of the collection hasn't been translated, so for now, stand alone "Star" must. The story does strike me as very 'modern' in comparison with much of Mishima's other work - in fact, aspects of it are decidedly postmodern, verging on the Ballardian in places, with its cynical dissection of the movie-making process and how movies artificially manipulate time, and Mishima's psychopathology of his characters is as sharp as ever.... However I can't deny I felt mildy underwhelmed by the story's conclusion - later Mishima had me expecting some shatteringly mordant twist on the last page, but instead we actually get something quite sweet.So, while I'm delighted to read this new Mishima story, I suspect it would work better in its orginal context of a short story collection. Maybe next year!

This is a fine little story about the vanity and narcissism of a young film star, his experience of fanatical adulation and the disorienting effects on him of his fame and job. Mishima's familiar pre-occupations with love and death are present, as are lovely poetic insights and turns of phrase. I had occasional gripes about some of the uses of specifically American slang which I found slightly jarring and unnecessary. They'll date very quickly too. Otherwise, it's a good read and not too taxing at 94 pages. Here's hoping more Mishima short stories make it into print in translation in this handy format.

Well written though the characters were a bit unlikable but written that way unapologetically in a way you don't often see.Talks of the futility of showbusiness and the attitude of those within it, the mechanical nature of filmmaking in contrast to the heavily emotive output, the idea of dying young ... So many ideas covered so succinctly!Rating 3.5 rounded up

It's a (long) short story really. Nothing wrong with this, but it's not a novel - not in length, or narrative development or character description. It is however a weirdly-prescient study of modern-day celebrity, even though it was written some time ago. So worth a read.

Maybe my expectations were too high but the story never got going or I got it wrong. A well written novelet but lacking the fabric of a story, not too sure how this is a modern classic?