The Frolic of the Beasts by Yukio Mishima
Translated by Andrew Clare
You might recall me getting a teeny bit over-exited on the Ramblings a while back, when I discovered that some newly-translated Mishima was about to make its debut in pretty Penguin editions. He’s an author I have a history with; as I’ve mentioned before, I went through a serious Japanese lit phase pre blog, and Mishima was something of an obsession. So naturally I picked up the Penguin Modern “Star” and the Modern Classic “The Frolic of the Beasts” as soon as they came out; but I’m having to hold back on the former as I’m reading the Moderns sequentially and it seems wrong to jump ahead… However, “Frolic…” has been sitting there on the shelf looking quizzically at me since it arrived, and as I was in Japanese literature mode recently after reading the Red Circle Minis (more of which later), the time was right for frolicking with Yukio… ;D
With a memory as rubbish as mine, and no proper record of what I read when, I’m going to be hard-pressed to say how this compares to the author’s other works. “Frolic…” is from 1961, so later-period Mishima; his first published novel was 1948, although he wrote short works before that; and he died in 1970. So by the time of “Frolic…” Mishima was an established author, and here he’s definitely at the height of his powers.
“The Frolic of the Beasts” concerns, of course, love and human relations. There are three main protagonists: Koji, a young student madly in love with the older Yuko. She, in turn, is married to the even older Ippei, a literary critic and libertine. The triangle created by these three troubled humans is a complex one, and as the book opens we see the three frozen in time, having their photograph taken by a harbour. There are references to past incidents, and hints of those to come, while Mishima nails his characters to this precise point in their history. It is no secret by the end of that opening that some of the characters are now dead; what follows is a masterly piece of storytelling as the author gradually and beautifully reveals the events which led up to that point.
She folded her parasol, asking the question in her typically sensuous voice, which conjured up the image of a small, stifling room filled with fetid flowers.
We find that Koji has recently returned from a spell in prison, and the reason for this makes his acceptance back into the family of Yuko even more unusual. There was in the past infidelity all round – Ippei had regular mistresses and Yuko had Koji; however, that was not enough for Yuko, and the complex powerplay between her and her husband brought about the first act of violence in the book, for which Koji paid the price. His return to Ippei and Yuko, now living by the coast where Yuko manages a plant nursery, brings tensions to the surface once more. The behaviour of this trio is mirrored by three young people in the town, Kimi and two young men who view for her favours. Kimi is the daughter of Teijiro, who tends the nursery, yet avoids him when she visits the town; here, too, there is baggage. The story unfolds with an inevitability, particularly since we have an inkling of what will happen; and, as the quote on the blurb says, we watch “the three of them – three fish caught in a net of sin“, yet unable to escape.
I’ve deliberately kept my description of events vague, because watching Mishima unfold his tale is mesmerising and too many details would spoil that. As I said, by the time he wrote this book, Mishima was an author totally in control of his characters and story, and the book is quite breathtaking. When I read his “Acts of Worship” for the #1965club I was blown away by his portrayal of the complexities of relationships, and his nuanced rendering here is just as striking. He captures Yuko’s fickleness, cause of so many problems; Koji’s immaturity and obsession with Yuko; Ippei’s arrogance and need to control. And he can completely throw you off balance, as when he drops into the narrative unexpectedly a shocking, almost casual revelation by Kimi’s father.
Koji dreamed of the worlds infiltrated by his dispersed flowers and leaves. He imagined a society of dazzling immensity and grotesque pitch-dark complication where these flowers and leaves hung, as if they were little ribbons secured here and there over its body. The flowers were mere caricatures there. These flowers and leaves would scatter and infiltrate shrewdly, like germs, a variety of entirely useless places in society for the purposes of practical sentimentalism, hypocrisy, peace and order, vanity, death, disease…
But above and beyond his narrative skills, what struck me strongly was his incredibly beautiful prose; it’s marvellously evocative of place, so much so that the setting becomes tangible as you read. The small fishing port of Iro, where much of the book takes place, is vivid and alive; and Mishima’s sense of, and sympathy with, the natural world is powerful and intoxicating.

Via Wikimedia Commons – see here for attribution: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yukio_Mishima_01.jpg
Mishima’s characters are not necessarily particularly *nice* people; they’re flawed and damaged, and yet I felt sympathy for them as I read. The author seems to basically see humanity as being controlled by animal passions; hence, presumably, the title of the book. The narrative is laden with imagery: of death and decay, of beauty and corruption; and the moral corruption of Mishima’s characters is mirrored in much of the natural world which juxtaposes that beauty with squalor.
I’ve left it a little while before writing about this book, because it was a powerful read and I wanted to let it settle a bit before marshalling my thoughts. “Frolic…” is most definitely a book which stays with you; not only for its compelling and ultimately tragic storyline, but also because of the stunning writing and the images left in the mind after finishing it. I’ve no idea why this book hasn’t been translated into English before, because I thought it was outstanding. Maybe it’s regarded as minor Mishima compared with his more famous works; but for the writing alone it deserves its place in his canon, and frankly if there are any more untranslated Mishimas out there to come my way in the near future, I shall be a very happy woman!
Jul 08, 2019 @ 07:27:29
This sounds truly excellent, the work of an assured writer in complete command of their material. Spring Snow has been sitting on an old wishlist of mine for the longest time. Would that be a good place to start with Mishima? I really ought to get around to trying him at some point.
Jul 08, 2019 @ 11:36:53
Spring Snow probably *would* be as good a place as any to start, as his Sea of Fertility sequence is very highly regarded. I read it so long ago that I can recall nothing apart from the fact I loved it. But on the strength of my recent reads of his work, I highly recommend him! 😀
Jul 08, 2019 @ 08:14:35
Like Jacqui, I’ve not read Mishima. Not sure if or when I’ll get the time and energy to ‘frolic with Yukio’!
Jul 08, 2019 @ 11:34:51
LOL! He’s definitely worth spending time with, IMO. His writing is just beautiful.
Jul 08, 2019 @ 10:27:18
The sense of place in that sounds amazing and so evocative!
Jul 08, 2019 @ 11:34:23
It really is. Mishima really nailed his setting, and in sucj beautiful language!
Jul 08, 2019 @ 12:52:16
This author I have never read and this review are beyond tempting. I do have to add this and look at it seriously in Christmas (or before). For some inexplicable reason, I do want to read a Japanese author soon.
Jul 08, 2019 @ 14:27:16
He’s an excellent author – one of my favourite, and I do recommend him. This would probably be a good one to start with, actually, as it’s short but kind of encapsulates what his work’s about.
Jul 08, 2019 @ 14:29:20
I take your recommendations seriously, and I am writing this one down. I may get to it earlier than I anticipated, since it’s short and down my alley
Thanks, my friend.
Jul 08, 2019 @ 14:39:00
Very welcome Silvia – I do hope you enjoy it! 😀
Jul 08, 2019 @ 16:22:33
My fellow Mishima lover – thank you for confirming to me that I need to get hold of this one and read it. I always recommend people start with The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, but that might just be my personal preference. I think that is one of my top books of all time!
Jul 08, 2019 @ 19:20:30
I loved it, and Aspects of Love. I could easily be persuaded to go on a Mishima binge… And you may be rights about Temple – it’s years since I read many of his books and perhaps embarking on a sequence might not necessarily be the best way to begin!
Jul 08, 2019 @ 18:51:54
Those quotes you’ve pulled out really show the quality of the writing. The sense of place does sound excellent too, a powerfully evocative novel by an author I hadn’t heard of. Lovely review.
Jul 08, 2019 @ 19:21:37
Thanks Ali! I’ve no idea how well known he is nowadays, particularly as his politics were problematic, but I love his writing.
Jul 12, 2019 @ 10:41:16
Wonderful review Kaggsy. I really must read Mishima. The imagery in that first quote is precise and startling.
Jul 12, 2019 @ 13:30:50
I’d forgotten quite how beautiful his writing is, and I must admit this and Aspects of Love have made me so keen to read (and re-read!) more!
Jul 14, 2019 @ 13:23:49
“Flawed and damaged” always beats “nice” 🙂
Jul 14, 2019 @ 18:02:59
Any day! So much more interesting… 🤣
Jan 29, 2021 @ 06:23:56
Jan 19, 2022 @ 07:01:09
Apr 28, 2022 @ 07:00:29