Yukio Mishima

All eyes are upon Rikio. And he likes it, mostly. His fans cheer from a roped-off section, screaming and yelling to attract his attention--they would kill for a moment alone with him. Finally the director sets up the shot, the camera begins to roll, someone yells "action"; Rikio, for a moment, transforms into another being, a hardened young yakuza, but as soon as the shot is finished, he slumps back into his own anxieties and obsessions. Being a star, constantly performing, being watched and scrutinized as if under a microscope, is often a drag. But so is life. Written shortly after Yukio Mishima himself had acted in the film "Afraid to Die," this novella is a rich and unflinching psychological portrait of a celebrity coming apart at the seams. With exquisite, vivid prose, Star begs the question: is there any escape from how we are seen by others?

Star

amira

amelo

gülsu

jess

Precariously alluring, narrating the life of a star and how the star self-dissociates within himself, the identity of his blurs out with the persona he self created. Closely reminding of Perfect Blue as a movie. Amazing short read.

Geoffrey Froggatt

“Star” is a short story by Yukio Mishima. It was originally published in the November 1960 issue of Gunzo, a literary magazine published by Kodansha. The story centers on Rikio "Richie" Mizuno, a twenty-three-year-old actor disillusioned with fame and the film industry. He acts in a series of films where he plays a tough and hardened Yakuza gangster. Rikio prides himself for his appearance and physical build, and is adored by crowds of obsessive fans. This story was a brutal dissection of fame, and of the actor's realization that looks can fade. Star is an efficient, economical book in which ordinary life concerns are muted in favor of fashionable appearances. I liked how the story functions as a look behind the curtain of the film industry and celebrity culture, dissecting our ideas of fame and showing the cruel and grim reality of things. This book easily shows the masks and personas of celebrities and the artifice behind celebrities, how the real acting begins when the actors are off set. I think that this was a succinct and precise look at the shallowness and falseness of fame and the world of celebrities, but I also think that this short story didn’t say anything new despite the decent writing and good ideas. The one idea that I wish was focused on and expanded upon more was the idea of growing old and watching your youthful pride and juvenile beauty die. I liked the humbled mortality that the protagonist faced at the end, I just wish it was expanded upon and made more impactful. Overall, bleak and cynical, but had potential. I’d recommend this for readers who enjoy the themes of fame, persona, and celebrity.

雪 xue

Yujio Mishima

Jade Flynn

Read for my Astrology O.W.L 2019 (read a book with 'Star' in the title) - This prompt for the readathon was so specific that I didn't own one book which had the word star in the title in my whole collection. Luckily, I found this one on my wishlist and it was the only one. It was okay. Nothing special, a read that can be completed in one sitting. There's better Mishima novels out there.

Michael Chen

nico

Kirsten Haney

Leafling

ingrid frederica goh yin en

A haunting novella of fame and disillusionment by a Japanese literary icon All eyes are upon Rikio. And he likes it, mostly. His fans cheer from a roped-off section, screaming and yelling to attract his attention. They would kill for a moment alone with him. Finally the director sets up the shot, the camera begins to roll, someone yells "action"; Rikio, for a moment, transforms into another being, a hardened young yakuza, but as soon as the shot is finished, he slumps back into his own anxieties and obsessions. Written shortly after Yukio Mishima himself had acted in the film Afraid to Die, this novella is a rich and unflinching psychological portrait of a celebrity coming apart at the seams as the absurdity of his existence comes sharply into focus. With exquisite, vivid prose, Star begs the question: is there ever any escape from how we are seen by others?

Star

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