When thinking about novelist Yukio Mishima, what first comes to mind may be seppuku, the samurai death rite that involves ritual disembowelment. The more generous of us will perhaps think of a romantic despair over beauty, a theme that filled Mishima’s oeuvre.
The writer’s 1962 novel “Beautiful Star” features neither of those. Translated for the first time by Stephen Dodd and released by Penguin Press, it contains UFOs, extraterrestrials and missives on the absurdity of humankind.
Unable to view this article?
This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software.
Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites.
If this does not resolve the issue or you are unable to add the domains to your allowlist, please see out this support page.
We humbly apologize for the inconvenience.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.