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| ISBN: 978-0-241-33314-3 |
I think I read everything that is translated into English by Yukio Mishima. Recently three more works came out, which means the Mishima estate is allowing more translations of his excellent writing. "Life for Sale" is very much a pulp-style story. It reminds me in of parts of the books by Edogawa Rampo. Not in its violence, but its pulp-style of prose writing. And this is very much a page-turner, with some absurdity attached to the narrative. Mishima wrote this book in 1968, almost exactly two years before he committed suicide. There are great lightness and humor, but there are substantial traces of the Mishima aesthetic throughout the novel.
The book takes place during the student riots in Shinjuku, and the 'spring' of the counter-culture in Japan. Mishima was very much the opposite of those students, yet, I suspect he admired them as well. The same with the Hippies taking LSD. Anything going against convention was the sugar in Mishima's tea. In 1968, this was the height of his right-wing stance, as well as having his private army. On the other hand, Shuji Terayama, the great writer, filmmaker, and playwright, was making his mark in Japan as a combination of Artaud and Fellini. Both are important figures of the Shinjuku life in the 1960s.
The story is about a man who tried to commit suicide for no real reason; he survives. He then decides to sell his life to whoever comes to his apartment. Money is not an issue, but a lot comes his way. I will say no more because of the fun of reading this book are the twists and turns. I think some will think of "Life for Sale" as a minor work, but for me, it's my favorite Mishima.
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