Temple Of The Golden Pavilion [Hardcover]

Yukio Mishima (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1968

Third Printing.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf (1968)
• ASIN: B000KPCLI4
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,792,642 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent psychological examination, September 28, 2003

By 

T. Hooper "thdizzy" (Osaka, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (Paperback)

The Temple of the Golden Pavillion is an excellent psychological novel. In this book, we can see how a mind can be driven along to evil through obsession.

The main character of this book is Mizoguchi. He is the son of a poor rural priest. He is taken by his dying father to become an acolyte at the Temple of the Golden Pavillion. All throughout his childhood, his father had told him about the spledid beauty of this temple. Mizoguchi builds up an image of ideal beauty in his mind based on this Golden Pavillion. However, this ideal image causes him to feel disappointed in any supposed form of beauty, including women and even the actual physical Golden Pavillion. Nothing can live up to this image of supreme beauty.

As he enters university, he comes under the influence of Kashiwagi, a fellow student with a very bitter view of life. Under this influence, Mizoguchi's dark feelings bubble up inside him. One of my favorite parts is Mizoguchi and Kashiwagi's discussion of knowledge and action. Kashiwagi asserts that an unbearable life can be made bearable by just having the knowledge that it is unchangable. However, Mizoguchi argues that knowledge is a dead thing, and that only action to change to change an unbearable life can make it bearable. This attitude leads him to his final desperate attack.

I think that this book is particularly important in this age of terrorism. Often people ask why do terrorist do what they do, and they ask this because they don't understand the obsession (whether in ideal beauty as in this book, or with fundamentalist religion as in the case with terrorists), the hopelessness, and the desperation that they feel. I think if you read this book, you can understand how a mind is turned to evil acts through these means. Please read this book, if only to understand this point.

A previous reviewer complained that ther isn't much action in this book, and that is true, but that's no reason to give it a low rating. It's a psychological novel about the process of a mind on the road to evil, so naturally the main part of the story takes place in the mind. If you want a novel with exploding cars, you should try a Tom Clancy novel instead.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One reason for 'Kinkakuji', April 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (Paperback)

This novel is a good example of a theme that frequently arises in Mishima's work: the resentment of the object of desire. Mizoguchi, the protagonist, is overwhelmed by the beauty of the golden temple and learns to resent it through the guru-like counsel of a friend. Over and over, Mizoguchi feels overwhelmed and made insignificant by the beautiful things in his new life as a monk: the beautiful temple, sexual possibility, and ultimately, his autonomy, perhaps even his life. This book, arguably Mishima's best, may well have been another one of the author's suicide rehearsals, and the unforgettable psychological impact of the book is that of a legendary storyteller demonstrating his Hamlet-like "north-by-northwest" madness. Technically, this is an amazing book, dripping with evocative, beautiful imagery and reminds me of a movie in its directorial-like descriptive method, its forceful 'mis en scene'. Artistically, I suspect Mishima was trying to compete with his great literary forefather Kawabata by playing with western ideas of the apolonean, further fueling his hopelessness and his rage with his art and with himself, but that is a bit academic and beyond my ability to determine. Ultimately, I cherish this book for its tortured explanation of the harshness love and beauty cruelly impose, a feral scream quietly hidden in the drug-like beauty of a book.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Literature that rightfully make us proud to be Japanese, May 25, 2006

By 

ColdSummers "Kanako" (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (Paperback)

If ever criticized, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima is chided most frequently for some of its seemingly mundane, superfluous and repetitive details and paragraphs. Many give up, or decide not to read it at all, since the text appears heavy and unmanageable from the very first page. However, after analyzing the book and enduring challenges, one should come to realize the book's deeper meanings.

Mishima's writing is filled with archetypes and symbols that reoccur throughout the novel which may seem repetitive, but are utterly paramount and necessary to encourage deeper thought within the reader. After studying a chapter or two, one can make connections using these archetypes as a guide to interpret the book. For example, the seasons and the weather reflect the state of mind of the protagonist, Mizoguchi. Descriptive words such as "brilliant" and "bright" are premonitions of future events. Other distinctly repeated archetypes include colors, water and fire (they are repeated for the sake of emphasis), which help the reader to stay intact with the extraordinary world that Mishima creates.

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion is famous for mind-boggling its readers. A way one can come to terms with the frequent juxtapositions in the book is by researching a little about the author's background. Then, one will realize that Mishima incorporated his own philosophies and experiences in the character of Mizoguchi (which resulted in an active voice in its narrations: almost as if Mishima was talking to you personally). This may explain why the book seems abstract yet realistic, absurd yet understandable. Some characteristics of Mizoguchi we can relate with--others are puzzling and enigmatic.

It is striking to think that the main happenings of the novel actually happened--a stuttering young monk did in fact set fire to the golden temple after becoming obsessed with its beauty, as cited in the introduction of the book. The plot is simple, and its synopsis can be predicted through reading the introduction and the blurb. Mishima focuses acutely on the insight of the distressed monk's mind, even forcing the reader to unexpectedly sympathize with the mentally "different" protagonist. This may be the reason why some readers find Mishima's book hard to understand, or not fruitful. A reader cannot expect to obtain anything productive out of this book simply from the plot alone. Its true value can be attained through reading the book proactively, with care.

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion has become internationally accepted, possibly because of its universal philosophical messages, unique writing style, and also precisely for its absurdness. It is an esoteric piece of writing. It is loved by individuals (intellectuals) who are able to enjoy and appreciate quality writing while carefully deciphering its many conundrums; but it is dismissed by those... seeking a lighter read.

For more in-depth information and analysis, please visit:
http://goldenpavi.exblog.jp