Confessions of a Mask by Yukio Mishima [Book Review]

Confessions of a Mask by Yukio Mishima is a 1950s novel which has been assumed to be something close to an autobiography of the author, with themes of dealing with his sexuality, violence and conflicts of modernism and traditionalism at its core. Despite the fictional settings, academics along with friends of Yukio believe this to be a reflection of his thoughts, and to quote the title, it was him revealing the face behind his mask.

Set during and post-World War II and putting the novel in the context of Yukio’s traditional and right-wing political beliefs, this book reflects Japan’s ‘coming of age’ through a male adolescent who is going through the same. After Japan’s defeat, there was mass social change in their society, with a very prominent gay and trans scene emerging, huge waves of commercialisation and westernization, as well as the freedom that came from being liberated from its oppressive imperialism. This setting somewhat juxtaposes Kochan’s experiences of attempting to accept his sexuality, mainly because of the direct link to possession, violence and suicide that comes with his attraction to men.

Having read a couple of Yukio’s novels, such as The Sound of Waves and The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea, I really wasn’t prepared for the sheer violence and graphicness in the novel – you can really tell this book is very important to the author and there’s a new layer of emotion that I hadn’t yet read from him. It was often a little jarring, especially when paired with more old-fashioned styles of writing, which one might see as dated, and the lack of dialogue. Because of the nature of the book, the entire novels feel like a soliloquy, which is brilliant masterpiece, but definitely not for everyone.

The reason for calling this book a masterpiece is because I think it brilliantly depicts Yukio’s thoughts in a succinct manner, he’s being truly intentional with his words and is keenly aware of how bizarre they may sound to someone else. The isolation Kochan feels in his discovery of his sexuality as well as attempting to navigate a normal persona and plan his normal life with wife and children is heartbreakingly painful but speaks truth for many queer people during this period.

Overall, while this book is most certainly very odd and different, with strong-handed sexism throughout, I think it is worth ignoring those subtleties for the wider picture and exploring the thoughts of the author through this character.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5