Confessions of a Mask
A Novel Translated from the Japanese
Long regarded as one of the most important novels to appear in post-war Japan, Confessions of a Mask is an allegory of a lonely boy’s yearning quest for belonging and his gradual acceptance of his homosexuality. With its overlay of intense sado-masochistic fantasy, the author draws deeply from the well of his own emotion and perhaps subconsciously hints at his own demise. The boy’s quest for a place in the sun mirrors the monumental and sometimes futile efforts of Japan to find equal footing with the great nations of the world, while attempting to remain true to its unique spirit.
'Mishima is the Japanese Hemingway.' – Life Magazine
‘Mishima is lucid in the midst of emotional confusion, funny in the midst of despair. Confessions of a Mask has made me understand how it feels to be Japanese' – Christopher Isherwood
Yukio Mishima (1925-1970) was a significant cultural figure in postwar Japan. A prolific novelist, poet, and dramatist, his work helped establish Japanese literature in the West, particularly The Sea of Fertility tetralogy, and novels such as The Sailor Who Fell From Grace, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, and Confessions of a Mask. During his lifetime, Mishima courted controversy for his political views. In 1970, following a failed coup d'etat, Mishima publicly committed seppuku, ritual suicide by disembowelment.
Meredith Weatherby (1915–1997) was an American publisher and translator. He spent a large part of his life in Japan and is known in particular for his English translations of the literary works by Yukio Mishima.
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