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The Decay of the Angel: The Sea of Fertility, 4
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The Decay of the Angel: The Sea of Fertility, 4 Paperback - 1990

by Yukio Mishima; Edward G. Seidensticker (Translator)

As the dramatic climax of The Sea of Fertility, The Decay of the Angel brings together themes that have branched through the three previous novels--the meaning (and decay) of Japan's courtly tradition, the essence and value of Buddhist philosophy, and Mishima's apocalyptic vision of the modern age.


From the publisher

Yukio Mishima was born in Tokyo in 1925. He graduated from Tokyo Imperial University’s School of Jurisprudence in 1947. His first published book, The Forest in Full Bloom, appeared in 1944 and he established himself as a major author with Confessions of a Mask (1949). From then until his death he continued to publish novels, short stories, and plays each year. His crowning achievement, The Sea of Fertility tetralogy—which contains the novels Spring Snow (1969), Runaway Horses (1969), The Temple of Dawn (1970), and The Decay of the Angel (1971)—is considered one of the definitive works of twentieth century Japanese fiction. In 1970, at the age of 45 and the day after completing the last novel in the Fertility series, Mishima committed seppuku (ritual suicide)—a spectacular death that attracted worldwide attention.

From the jacket flap

The dramatic climax of the SEA OF FERTILITY, bringing together the dominant themes of the three previous novels; the decay of Japan's courtly tradition and samurai ideal, and the essence and value of Buddhist philosophy.

Details

  • Title The Decay of the Angel: The Sea of Fertility, 4
  • Author Yukio Mishima; Edward G. Seidensticker (Translator)
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Reissue
  • Pages 256
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Vintage, New York
  • Date 1990-04-14
  • ISBN 9780679722434 / 0679722432
  • Weight 0.48 lbs (0.22 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.02 x 5.23 x 0.66 in (20.37 x 13.28 x 1.68 cm)
  • Reading level 890
  • Library of Congress subjects Japan
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 89070575
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

“Mesmerizing. . . . A saga of 20th-century Japan: a story of national decline that nonetheless proposes redemption through the endurance of a certain soul, forceful enough to be reborn ad infinitum.”
The Guardian (London)

“The end of [Mishima’s] Sea of Fertility tetralogy. . . is surely one of the best final scenes in the history of the novel.”
—David Mitchell, The New York Times Book Review

About the author

YUKIO MISHIMA was born in Tokyo in 1925. He graduated from Tokyo Imperial University's School of Jurisprudence in 1947. His first published book, The Forest in Full Bloom, appeared in 1944 and he established himself as a major author with Confessions of a Mask (1949). From then until his death he continued to publish novels, short stories, and plays each year. His crowning achievement, The Sea of Fertility tetralogy--which contains the novels Spring Snow (1969), Runaway Horses (1969), The Temple of Dawn (1970), and The Decay of the Angel (1971)--is considered one of the definitive works of twentieth century Japanese fiction. In 1970, at the age of 45 and the day after completing the last novel in the Fertility series, Mishima committed seppuku (ritual suicide)--a spectacular death that attracted worldwide attention.
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The Decay of the Angel (Sea of Fertility, Book 4)
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The Decay of the Angel (Sea of Fertility, Book 4)

by Mishima, Yukio, Seidensticker, Edward G.

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The Decay of the Angel (Sea of Fertility, Book 4)
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The Decay of the Angel (Sea of Fertility, Book 4)

by Yukio Mishima, Edward G. Seidensticker

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The Decay of the Angel (Sea of Fertility, Book 4)
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The Decay of the Angel (Sea of Fertility, Book 4)

by Mishima, Yukio; Seidensticker, Edward G

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The Decay of the Angel (Sea of Fertility, Book 4)
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The Decay of the Angel (Sea of Fertility, Book 4)

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The Decay of the Angel (Sea of Fertility, Book 4)

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The Decay of the Angel (Sea of Fertility, Book 4)

by Mishima, Yukio

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The Decay of the Angel (Sea of Fertility, Book 4)
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The Decay of the Angel (Sea of Fertility, Book 4)

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The Decay of the Angel (Sea of Fertility, Book 4)
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The Decay of the Angel (Sea of Fertility, Book 4)

by Mishima, Yukio

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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