Friday Friyay: 'The Frolic of the Beasts' by Yukio Mishima, trans. by Andrew Clare

Happy Friday! I woke up with a sore throat but a test says it isn't Covid, so I'm going to try and have a gently productive day. There are a few things I need to get out of the way, so this rainy, slightly meh day is perfect for that. Something that isn't meh is my current read from my NetGalley backlog! I just started The Frolic of the Beasts by Yukio Mishima, translated from the Japanese by Andrew Clare, and I'm really enjoying it! (I was meant to read this in 2018... sorry Vintage!)

Translated into English for the first time, a gripping short novel about an affair gone wrong, from the author of the Sea of Fertility tetralogy.

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, Koji; his would-be mentor, the eminent literary critic Ippei Kusakudo; and Ippei's beautiful, enigmatic wife, Yuko. When brought face-to-face with one of Ippei's many marital indiscretions, Koji finds his growing desire for Yuko 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 crime.

Book Beginnings is at home on Rose City Reader, hosted by Gilion Dumas, and Friday 56 at Freda's Voice, hosted by Freda. I'll also be joining the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Billy over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.

BB:

'Prologue

It's hard to believe this photo was taken a few days before the final wretched incident. The three of them looked really happy, at ease with one another; as if there was a bond of mutual trust between them.' 1%

I really liked this opening, it gripped me straight away, because there is nothing quite like the anticipation of tragedy to get the heart racing.

F56:

'The forest of Urayasu was located on the tip of the promontory, in an area within the breakwater on the end of which stood a lighthouse. The eastern fringe of the forest gave out onto a quiet inlet of the bay, while the western part of the forest spread immediately beyond the breakwater and connected with the rocky coast of the open sea.' 56%

Technically nothing happens here but I still wanted to share an element of the descriptive writing in this novel. Mishima has such an eye for natural beauty, I feel, and the calmness of nature really contrasts well with the intense hurricane of emotions which rush through the characters.

BBH:

This week's question was suggested by Billy himself:

Are books a must-have in your home?

Oh absolutely, and I also need books in every room. What it turns into is that almost every available surface has at least one book on it. When I grew up we also had one of those book containers in the bathroom with comic books and newspapers for when you got bored on the toilet, so I basically grew up with books being everywhere. Now that I once again live on my own and have enough space, the amount of books I have is increasing. There was already a china display case in the apartment when I moved in and I have filled that with some of my favourite books. Now whenever I don't know what to say to guests, I can just point at one and be like 'Have you read [insert random book title]?'.

I always feel like my home looks empty without books. Books are such a comfort sight, for me, if a lot of the books lying around I haven't actually read yet. But I love knowing there is a chance to escape the normal world into a fictional one at any minute!

That's it for me this week! Are books all over your home too?