tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post4792937446825765224..comments2024-01-02T15:37:04.858-05:00Comments on Caravana de recuerdos: The Temple of the Golden PavilionRichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01746599416342846897noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-6856362957219174602013-02-08T19:52:02.500-05:002013-02-08T19:52:02.500-05:00I am, as usual, cracking up at your post. "Pr...I am, as usual, cracking up at your post. "Probably more dull, heavyhanded, and overly mannered than bad per se" -- yep, that's Mishima! I haven't actually read this one but your descriptions are spot-on for what I usually think of him (though I usually go for him when I'm in that "poetic mood" and end up enjoying it).<br /><br />I do hope you will go back to him someday in a different frame of mind though. I too recommend the Sea of Fertility books.nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17532641082944082516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-86988651428087983012013-01-30T15:04:50.288-05:002013-01-30T15:04:50.288-05:00I kind of liked the sound of "esthetically bo...I kind of liked the sound of "esthetically boring"--works for me!Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01746599416342846897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-59266856488964030542013-01-30T14:38:26.769-05:002013-01-30T14:38:26.769-05:00Stu, how interesting to see that this supposed big...Stu, how interesting to see that this supposed big deal novelist seems to be attracting more detractors than defenders this week--glad I have some company on this!Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01746599416342846897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-58452239242531970052013-01-30T14:35:48.071-05:002013-01-30T14:35:48.071-05:00Caroline, it's not a particularly savory tale,...Caroline, it's not a particularly savory tale, is it? I think Mishima prob. did have a screw loose, but I also felt as if he might have been trying too hard to be "provocative" or something. It wasn't interesting "dysfunction" in any event! Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01746599416342846897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-50159821665751420842013-01-30T11:40:09.687-05:002013-01-30T11:40:09.687-05:00The book I read by him the sailor that fell from g...The book I read by him the sailor that fell from grace frankly put me off his books for time being ,all the best stustujallenhttp://winstonsdad.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-11670781960597189642013-01-29T03:51:55.131-05:002013-01-29T03:51:55.131-05:00oops - I meant esthetical and boring not esthetica...oops - I meant esthetical and boring not esthetically boring. Carolinehttp://beautyisasleepingcat.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-4661791881328490712013-01-29T03:50:53.475-05:002013-01-29T03:50:53.475-05:00I can't remember whether I was bored but I tho...I can't remember whether I was bored but I thought it was a bit disgusting. I read it as a teenager, maybe a bit too early but overall I just think Mishima really had a screw loose. I don't mind that per se but I'm not interested in his esthetically boring type of dysfuntion. Carolinehttp://beautyisasleepingcat.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-70855897277984231332013-01-28T22:18:06.366-05:002013-01-28T22:18:06.366-05:00I hope it doesn't take me 25 years to forget s...I hope it doesn't take me 25 years to forget some of the more forgettable parts of this novel, Tom, so what you say here doesn't faze me at all. Of course, I hope I'll be able to remember some of my favorite books for as long as I can--moths or book mites or excessive drinking in college notwithstanding.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01746599416342846897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-91515758099180463212013-01-28T21:54:51.726-05:002013-01-28T21:54:51.726-05:00Well, I read this book 25 years ago, and Richard&#...Well, I read this book 25 years ago, and Richard's review brings back nothing, nothing at all, so maybe don't count on the security of that mental reading library is what I am saying. Its vulnerable to moths or book mites or something.Amateur Reader (Tom)https://www.blogger.com/profile/13675275555757408496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-35488477840382962162013-01-28T16:14:07.742-05:002013-01-28T16:14:07.742-05:00Bellezza, we agree on yet another book--we're ...Bellezza, we agree on yet another book--we're on a roll! Like I've already said a couple of times above, I <em>am</em> happy that I've read Mishima at last but I do look forward to trying out some of the other highly heralded Japanese writers I'm unfamiliar with except by name and reputation. One of them is sure to be more to my liking, no? P.S. Thanks, by the way, for the two or three recommendations you already provided me elsewhere earlier today.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01746599416342846897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-1306161978973468952013-01-28T16:08:16.198-05:002013-01-28T16:08:16.198-05:00Thanks, Rise, I rather shamelessly admit to being ...Thanks, Rise, I rather shamelessly admit to being a little fond of that "crowd pleasing" quip myself! Moving on to more important matters, though, I have to say that even though I didn't really enjoy my time with Mishima, I'm glad I had the chance to experience him for myself. I think I can now see what others might like about him, but some other things he does (like excessive use of foreshadowing with phoenix symbolism in <em>Temple</em>) make me feel like he and I just aren't well matched as writers and readers. I do like what you say about him being a manifestation of The Other, though, and I hope the madman angle in this book proves more appealing to you than it did to me.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01746599416342846897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-55270225000206628002013-01-28T15:57:47.138-05:002013-01-28T15:57:47.138-05:00Jill, I'm glad you brought those two language ...Jill, I'm glad you brought those two language points up because I did wonder about them during my reading of the novel (i.e. <em>something</em> about the prose and the prose style felt off to me, but I'm not sure whether that was due to Mishima or to the translation or both). In any event, much of the dialogue felt wooden in a way that didn't gel with me whatever the reasons and I can't say I felt the authorial weirdness to be anything other than a non-compelling distraction. P.S. Interesting to observe the smackdowns of Japanese literature meteed out by you and Obooki. Can't say I've read enough J-lit to fully understand the dismissiveness, but no worries, I'll keep those preferences in mind before I ever offer to co-host a Mishima group read with you!Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01746599416342846897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-8032779759178968462013-01-28T15:44:13.881-05:002013-01-28T15:44:13.881-05:00I didn't find The Temple of the Golden Pavilio...I didn't find <em>The Temple of the Golden Pavilion</em> thematically offputting or anything like that, Tony, but I did find it tedious to deal with on the narrative front. Would that make it polarizing in the way you meant? I guess mostly Mizoguchi often felt completely fake to me, and something about Mishima's style seemed stilted or awkward as well. Anyway, hope you do January in Japan one more time so I can hopefully contribute a review that's a little more positive in the future!Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01746599416342846897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-23679768206257009642013-01-28T15:36:57.759-05:002013-01-28T15:36:57.759-05:00I think I saw hints about what people appreciate a...I think I saw hints about what people appreciate about Mishima, Séamus, but it was a much more "educational" than entertaining reading experience if you catch my drift. In any event, it will be a while before (or if) I ever try anything by him again.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01746599416342846897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-20102419154003447012013-01-28T15:26:59.131-05:002013-01-28T15:26:59.131-05:00Obooki, hopefully the 13th century writers will pr...Obooki, hopefully the 13th century writers will prove more fulfilling for you than Mishima did for me. I could see giving the first volume of M's <em>Sea of Fertility</em> tetralogy a whirl some day, but I'd prob. want to try something by one of those other authors you badmouthed first.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01746599416342846897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-57852295803573293402013-01-28T10:57:45.534-05:002013-01-28T10:57:45.534-05:00Sadly, I too was disappointed and f.....g bored. N...Sadly, I too was disappointed and f.....g bored. Not my favorite work of Japanese literature by any means. Still, I'm glad we've read it, have it in our mental reading library, and now can safely dismiss it.Bellezza https://www.blogger.com/profile/18073864187188953633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-30862724419170040642013-01-28T07:51:48.803-05:002013-01-28T07:51:48.803-05:00such crowd pleasing topics as nihilism and the nat...<i>such crowd pleasing topics as nihilism and the nature of evil</i><br /><br />LOL.<br /><br />This is one I look forward to reading, despite your negative review, Richard. Something about the madman aspect did it for me. And Mishima had yet to disappoint, and I'm eager to be disappointed by him. I sometimes think he was the manifestation of no less than The Other. Of course I disagree with obooki's estimation of 20th century Japanese novelists.<br /><br />Risehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17446964640160585194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-80363661818995374102013-01-28T06:50:35.447-05:002013-01-28T06:50:35.447-05:00I am totally not a fan of Japanese lit (too dark a...I am totally not a fan of Japanese lit (too dark and depressing for me, as you might well imagine), but I feel compelled to defend Mishima just a little bit. First, I think one can't be sure that dialogue weirdness is not a function of translation, and second, I think one also can't be sure that dialogue weirdness isn't a function of different styles of speaking in different cultures. (On the other hand, one can conjecture, as one did in this case, that dialogue weirdness is a function of author weirdness, and one could be correct!)rhapsodyinbookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07041412748239010264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-25982512518420933422013-01-28T05:16:31.105-05:002013-01-28T05:16:31.105-05:00Not a fan then? ;)
This is one I did enjoy, but I...Not a fan then? ;)<br /><br />This is one I did enjoy, but I can see why it's not everyone's cup of tea. Many people enjoy 'The Catcher in the Rye' (which I loathe) - books like this can really polarise...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07546287562521628467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-85743738549505719982013-01-28T04:42:12.900-05:002013-01-28T04:42:12.900-05:00I remember being really unimpressed with something...I remember being really unimpressed with something by Mishima many years back and I may leave my further reading yet more after reading this. Séamus Dugganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00574186409184247059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911087927983597831.post-51463580255031547602013-01-28T03:57:50.624-05:002013-01-28T03:57:50.624-05:00I must admit, aside from his final tetrology, I...I must admit, aside from his final tetrology, I've never found much worth in Mishima - or, come to think of it, Soseki, Tanizaki, Kawabata and the rest of the c20th Japanese literature. Which is no doubt why I've turned to the c13th for my contribution (still forthcoming).obookihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03885121629202810216noreply@blogger.com