Gwenn Boardman Petersen

Scholarly yet accessible guide to symbolism in the works of the three authors. Before reading, I'd read two Tanizaki and one each of Mishima and Kawabata. This helped, but it might suit to be better aquainted with their work. It doesn't attempt to elucidate all the themes in their work but rather familiarize the reader with concepts and symbols which the western reader would be unaware of. The author takes you down some rather esoteric paths in analysing very specific aspects of the writers' motifs. There's some overlap noted but generally each has their own stamp and sensibility. It's opened up a new approach for me in tackling these authors, though is also quite intimidating knowing how little you've grasped in something like the tea ceremony of Kawabata's Thousand Cranes. I probably would have preferred a broader discussion of themes, though the author does this with Mishima, where he is most critical of the three writers examined.Would it make me read more of their work based on a reading of this? Definitely, yes. All three seem even more alluring. I've marked down Mishima's Temple of the Golden Pavillion as a soon-to read.… (more)