204:, and is well-grounded in its time and place, references to current affairs are generally tangential to what is later to become Honda's obsessive quest to understand the workings of individual fate and to save his friend. Richard T. Kelly wrote that the tetralogy reveals "all his gifts – an eye for detail and scene-making, a sensuous regard for the physical, and a cool detachment that could be terrifying in its terseness."
132:. Each of the novels depicts what Honda comes to believe are successive reincarnations of his schoolfriend Kiyoaki Matsugae, and Honda's attempts to save them from the early deaths to which they seem to be condemned by karma. This results in both personal and professional embarrassment for Honda, and eventually destroys him.
195:
as "the most complete vision we have of Japan in the twentieth century". Charles
Solomon wrote in 1990 that "the four novels remain one of the outstanding works of 20th-Century literature and a summary of the author's life and work." Although the first book,
29:
182:
in defiant response. It expresses many of
Mishima's deepest-held convictions about the nature and purposes of human life, and the last book is thought to encapsulate an (extremely negative) personal assessment of himself and his own legacy.
155:
Other characters who appear in more than one book include Satoko
Ayakura (Kiyoaki's lover), Tadeshina (Satoko's maid), Imperial Prince Toin, Shigeyuki Iinuma (Kiyoaki's servant and Isao's father), Keiko Hisamatsu, and Rié (Honda's wife).
634:
960:
96:(1971). The series, which Mishima began writing in 1964 and which was his final work, is usually thought of as his masterpiece. Its title refers to the
911:
525:
965:
878:
586:
124:
The main timeline of the story stretches from 1912 to 1975. The viewpoint of all four books is that of
Shigekuni Honda, a law student in
870:
602:
416:
211:
said that "the first book is by far the best, presenting a vision of Japan that is both alien and relatable to the
Western reader."
458:
862:
734:
935:
950:
854:
955:
518:
545:
945:
109:
741:
626:
434:"Spring Snow Runaway Horses The Temple of Dawn The Decay of the Angel by Yukio Mishima (Vintage: $ 10.95 each)"
365:
172:, Mishima's biographers note that he did not believe in it himself. An earlier work of about the same length,
827:
784:
713:
511:
292:
143:
92:
940:
896:
846:
766:
666:
562:
433:
113:
378:
906:
642:
748:
705:
594:
269:
86:
483:
792:
618:
412:
97:
22:
808:
650:
610:
578:
201:
174:
658:
570:
105:
800:
697:
246:
80:
929:
674:
534:
405:
349:
Final edition-Yukio
Mishima complete works No.42-Biographical sketch and Bibliography
169:
69:
774:
192:
689:
221:
74:
28:
352:
101:
901:
61:
178:, had been spurned by critics; it has been conjectured that he embarked on
323:
65:
27:
21:
This article is about the novels series. For the lunar mare, see
503:
507:
151:
Tōru
Yasunaga, a brilliant yet manipulative and sadistic orphan
459:"Rereading: The Sea of Fertility tetralogy by Yukio Mishima"
148:
Ying Chan, a physically beautiful and indolent Thai princess
142:
Isao Iinuma, a nationalist influenced by the story of the
168:
contains lengthy arguments in favour of the concept of
139:
Kiyoaki
Matsugae, an emotionally turbulent aristocrat
889:
838:
819:
758:
726:
554:
404:
128:who eventually becomes a wealthy retired judge in
304:
281:
258:
233:
200:, is a loving recreation of Japan in the brief
49:
298:
275:
252:
227:
43:
519:
112:featured cover designs by the graphic artist
8:
135:The friend's successive reincarnations are:
635:The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea
104:. The first English translated editions by
526:
512:
504:
368:. Village Yamanaka. Accessed May 22, 2008.
343:Sato, Hideaki; Inoue, Takashi (2005).
335:
879:Persona: A Biography of Yukio Mishima
411:. Boston, Little, Brown and Company.
7:
587:Death in Midsummer and Other Stories
871:11:25 The Day He Chose His Own Fate
14:
961:Novels set in Shizuoka Prefecture
603:The Temple of the Golden Pavilion
18:Series of novels by Yukio Mishima
863:Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
457:Kelly, Richard T. (2011-06-03).
432:Solomon, Charles (1990-05-13).
191:The tetralogy was described by
366:The Yukio Mishima Cyber Museum
1:
966:Novels set in Nara Prefecture
855:Mishima: A Vision of the Void
482:Nasser, Yasser (2014-05-14).
313:, 1970–1971, published 1971
305:
288:, 1968–1970, published 1970
282:
265:, 1967–1968, published 1969
259:
242:, 1965–1967, published 1969
234:
50:
982:
915:(Bahram Beyzai production)
20:
541:
299:
276:
253:
228:
110:Charles E. Tuttle Company
64:of novels written by the
44:
627:The Frolic of the Beasts
379:"The Decay of the Angel"
344:
936:Works by Yukio Mishima
785:Iwashi Uri Koi Hikiami
714:The Decay of the Angel
345:決定版 三島由紀夫全集・第42巻・年譜・書誌
293:The Decay of the Angel
130:The Decay of the Angel
93:The Decay of the Angel
72:. The four novels are
33:
897:Conservatism in Japan
847:The Moon in the Water
767:Five Modern Noh Plays
563:Confessions of a Mask
351:] (in Japanese).
31:
951:Philosophical novels
683:The Sea of Fertility
407:Mishima: A Biography
403:John Nathan (1974).
355:. pp. 304, 550.
180:The Sea of Fertility
38:The Sea of Fertility
32:First edition covers
956:Novels set in Tokyo
907:Yukio Mishima Prize
643:The School of Flesh
144:Shinpūren rebellion
735:Death in Midsummer
706:The Temple of Dawn
595:The Sound of Waves
383:The New York Times
270:The Temple of Dawn
166:The Temple of Dawn
87:The Temple of Dawn
34:
923:
922:
619:After the Banquet
438:Los Angeles Times
207:Yasser Nasser of
114:Joseph del Gaudio
98:Mare Fecunditatis
23:Mare Fecunditatis
973:
946:Shinchosha books
809:My Friend Hitler
651:Silk and Insight
579:Forbidden Colors
528:
521:
514:
505:
498:
497:
495:
494:
479:
473:
472:
470:
469:
454:
448:
447:
445:
444:
429:
423:
422:
410:
400:
394:
393:
391:
389:
375:
369:
363:
357:
356:
340:
312:
311:
308:
302:
301:
287:
285:
283:Akatsuki no Tera
279:
278:
264:
262:
256:
255:
241:
240:
237:
231:
230:
59:
58:
55:
47:
46:
981:
980:
976:
975:
974:
972:
971:
970:
926:
925:
924:
919:
885:
834:
815:
754:
722:
659:Acts of Worship
571:Thirst for Love
550:
537:
532:
502:
501:
492:
490:
481:
480:
476:
467:
465:
456:
455:
451:
442:
440:
431:
430:
426:
419:
402:
401:
397:
387:
385:
377:
376:
372:
364:
360:
346:
342:
341:
337:
332:
320:
309:
296:
273:
250:
238:
225:
217:
189:
162:
122:
106:Alfred A. Knopf
56:
41:
26:
19:
12:
11:
5:
979:
977:
969:
968:
963:
958:
953:
948:
943:
938:
928:
927:
921:
920:
918:
917:
909:
904:
899:
893:
891:
890:Related topics
887:
886:
884:
883:
875:
867:
859:
851:
842:
840:
836:
835:
833:
832:
823:
821:
817:
816:
814:
813:
805:
801:Madame de Sade
797:
789:
781:
780:
779:
762:
760:
756:
755:
753:
752:
745:
738:
730:
728:
724:
723:
721:
720:
719:
718:
710:
702:
698:Runaway Horses
694:
679:
671:
663:
655:
647:
639:
631:
623:
615:
607:
599:
591:
583:
575:
567:
558:
556:
552:
551:
549:
548:
542:
539:
538:
533:
531:
530:
523:
516:
508:
500:
499:
474:
449:
424:
417:
395:
370:
358:
334:
333:
331:
328:
327:
326:
319:
316:
315:
314:
289:
266:
247:Runaway Horses
243:
216:
213:
188:
185:
161:
158:
153:
152:
149:
146:
140:
121:
118:
81:Runaway Horses
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
978:
967:
964:
962:
959:
957:
954:
952:
949:
947:
944:
942:
939:
937:
934:
933:
931:
916:
914:
910:
908:
905:
903:
900:
898:
895:
894:
892:
888:
881:
880:
876:
873:
872:
868:
865:
864:
860:
857:
856:
852:
849:
848:
844:
843:
841:
837:
830:
829:
825:
824:
822:
818:
811:
810:
806:
803:
802:
798:
795:
794:
790:
787:
786:
782:
777:
776:
772:
771:
769:
768:
764:
763:
761:
757:
750:
746:
743:
739:
736:
732:
731:
729:
727:Short stories
725:
716:
715:
711:
708:
707:
703:
700:
699:
695:
692:
691:
687:
686:
685:
684:
680:
677:
676:
675:Life for Sale
672:
669:
668:
667:Sun and Steel
664:
661:
660:
656:
653:
652:
648:
645:
644:
640:
637:
636:
632:
629:
628:
624:
621:
620:
616:
613:
612:
611:Kyoko's House
608:
605:
604:
600:
597:
596:
592:
589:
588:
584:
581:
580:
576:
573:
572:
568:
565:
564:
560:
559:
557:
553:
547:
544:
543:
540:
536:
535:Yukio Mishima
529:
524:
522:
517:
515:
510:
509:
506:
489:
485:
484:"Spring Snow"
478:
475:
464:
460:
453:
450:
439:
435:
428:
425:
420:
418:0-316-59844-5
414:
409:
408:
399:
396:
384:
380:
374:
371:
367:
362:
359:
354:
350:
339:
336:
329:
325:
322:
321:
317:
307:
295:
294:
290:
284:
272:
271:
267:
261:
249:
248:
244:
236:
224:
223:
219:
218:
214:
212:
210:
205:
203:
202:Taishō period
199:
194:
186:
184:
181:
177:
176:
175:Kyoko's House
171:
170:reincarnation
167:
159:
157:
150:
147:
145:
141:
138:
137:
136:
133:
131:
127:
119:
117:
115:
111:
107:
103:
99:
95:
94:
89:
88:
83:
82:
77:
76:
71:
70:Yukio Mishima
67:
63:
54:
53:
40:
39:
30:
24:
16:
941:Novel series
913:The Lady Aoi
912:
877:
869:
861:
853:
845:
826:
807:
799:
791:
783:
775:The Lady Aoi
773:
770:(1950–1955)
765:
712:
704:
696:
688:
682:
681:
673:
665:
657:
649:
641:
633:
625:
617:
609:
601:
593:
585:
582:(1951, 1953)
577:
569:
561:
546:Bibliography
491:. Retrieved
487:
477:
466:. Retrieved
463:The Guardian
462:
452:
441:. Retrieved
437:
427:
406:
398:
386:. Retrieved
382:
373:
361:
348:
338:
306:Tennin Gosui
291:
268:
245:
235:Haru no Yuki
220:
208:
206:
197:
193:Paul Theroux
190:
179:
173:
165:
163:
154:
134:
129:
125:
123:
91:
90:(1970), and
85:
79:
73:
51:
37:
36:
35:
15:
839:Works about
690:Spring Snow
555:Prose books
222:Spring Snow
198:Spring Snow
126:Spring Snow
75:Spring Snow
52:Hōjō no Umi
930:Categories
828:Patriotism
793:Rokumeikan
742:Patriotism
493:2020-10-07
488:The Bubble
468:2020-10-07
443:2020-10-07
353:Shinchosha
330:References
209:The Bubble
160:Background
102:lunar mare
902:Tatenokai
388:March 10,
164:Although
62:tetralogy
751:" (1960)
744:" (1960)
737:" (1952)
318:See also
187:Response
108:and the
84:(1969),
78:(1969),
66:Japanese
215:Volumes
68:author
882:(2012)
874:(2012)
866:(1985)
858:(1981)
850:(1979)
831:(1966)
812:(1968)
804:(1965)
796:(1956)
788:(1954)
778:(1954)
717:(1971)
709:(1970)
701:(1969)
693:(1969)
678:(1968)
670:(1968)
662:(1965)
654:(1964)
646:(1964)
638:(1963)
630:(1961)
622:(1960)
614:(1959)
606:(1956)
598:(1954)
590:(1952)
574:(1950)
566:(1949)
415:
324:Mitama
759:Drama
347:[
260:Honba
60:is a
820:Film
749:Star
413:ISBN
390:2012
300:天人五衰
120:Plot
100:, a
45:豊饒の海
277:暁の寺
229:春の雪
932::
486:.
461:.
436:.
381:.
303:,
280:,
257:,
254:奔馬
232:,
116:.
48:,
747:"
740:"
733:"
527:e
520:t
513:v
496:.
471:.
446:.
421:.
392:.
310:)
297:(
286:)
274:(
263:)
251:(
239:)
226:(
57:)
42:(
25:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.