"Novelist's Holiday": I peeked into Mishima Yukio's diary

"The Novelist's Holiday" is a collection of essays and reviews that embodies the essence of Japanese writer Mishima Yukio's literary and artistic thoughts. It was born during the heyday of Mishima's creation. This time, Mingshi published this work in simplified Chinese for the first time in mainland China, providing us with a must-read book to understand the real Mishima that cannot be circumvented.

The first article "Novelist's Holiday" records Mishima Yukio's thoughts and feelings from June 24th to August 4th in the form of a diary. It is an easy and easy read. , let me see Mishima himself in that summer without any airs, and he was quite cute. Most of Mishima's daily diaries start with the weather, which makes me feel no sense of distance. Not a single day was missed in this month-long record. The articles on some days were longer, and some were very short. On July 21, there were only two sentences.

"I stayed up all night last night. In the afternoon I went to the Yomiuri Shimbun to look for information on novel writing."

I think Mishima was probably tired on this day. Still no blank space. The days when I was able to keep a good journal probably date back several years ago.

Mishima’s diary contains records of his personal situation and trivial matters in life, as well as his views on literary and artistic works. From the details, we can understand the literary views and artistic expressions behind his people and events. outlook and values.

Mishima recorded some trivial matters in his diary. He wrote that he visited Kanda Ancient Bookstore Street and bought a rare copy of "Genroku Kabuki Collection", or that one day he went to see a gang movie "Black Tuesday". The detailed records of every incident allowed me to restore Mishima's life trajectory in my imagination and get a glimpse of a corner of his life.

He wrote down a story about a strange man, similar to two women fighting for a scheming man, and one of them even married this man. Mishima complains that he doesn't understand any woman's behavior. To be honest, I don’t understand either. What’s so good about this man? This story is weird and interesting, but also a little sad. Don't say that men don't understand women, I don't understand women either, I'm afraid.

Unlike Haruki Murakami, who loves jazz, I realized that Mishima didn’t love music. He said that the so-called music is like teasing and teasing on the edge of the dark abyss of the human heart. He is afraid of being surrounded by music and is in a passive state, just like when I am sad, I don't want to listen to bitter love songs.

Mishima hates Osamu Dazai, saying that he is a patient who does not want to be cured and cannot be called a real patient at all. He also secretly analyzed in his diary from all aspects why he didn't like him. Mishima, who dared to love and hate, actually didn't like his senior, and he was quite individual.

Of course, I can’t write all the trivia in the book, and readers have to dig out it themselves, which is quite interesting.

Mishima’s essays also reflected his three views. He wrote in his diary on June 24:

“In that era, even the deepest sense of Traditional old-school men probably can’t escape from giving up on their bleak future.”

This sentence shows the great impact of World War II on ordinary people. Even after the war is over, the memories or illusions of decadence, corruption and death will still come alive again in the mind. Mishima didn't want to "sleep in the same bed" with that era, but it was not easy to get out of the shadow of that era.

As a post-war generation, Mishima was anti-war. He hated the huge trauma that the war brought to him, which made him lose his desire for life and fear of death. This is also deeply affecting. into his novels.

In "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion", Mizoguchi wants to be blown up with the Golden Pavilion all day long.

In "Confessions of a Mask", the description of the impact of the war is that life is incredibly light, and I don't have much hope for living. "I" hope that I will be forced to join the army and die in the war. , the whole family was killed in an air raid, so there was no need to worry all day long.

"Chao Sao" even describes the beautiful society without war in Mishima's imagination.

Mishima’s memories of the war had a great influence on his creation. We can all find the origin of the ideas in his novels from his diary.

He also wrote in his diary that when he entered adolescence, the thought of death was lingering, and he was convinced that he would die at the age of twenty. For a while, this thought disappeared. , and then just think about the ideal way to die.

Death is a prominent feature of Japanese culture. The Japanese firmly believe that "change is constant" and "life is a dream and death is a permanent event." There is a special kind of mourning in the foundation of this nation, and this tone was basically finalized during World War II.

Mishima also wrote down his views on literature, art and various works in his diary.

He believes that both novels and dramas should be like a small universe, but novels are more open than dramas, and the passage of time is freer. They do not have the rules and regulations of dramas, but they cannot abuse "accidental".

He gave quite high praise to Tanizaki Junichiro's "Snow".

He does not object to young people writing novels, and proposes that novels are an art that essentially explores methodology. He sharply criticizes the excessive number of novels in Japan that either focus only on life or only on art.

He talks about literature. A strong and powerful style is more beautiful than a pale and weak one.

His character of daring to love and hate is also reflected in his approach to literature and art. He has never been stingy in praising his favorite works; he has never concealed many issues such as contemporary literature and art, but pointedly pointed at the ills of the times.

"Novelist's Holiday" also includes Mishima's other works, such as "A Short History of Japanese Literature", a rebellious work that was unfinished during his lifetime and challenged the traditional view of Japanese literary history. The book has not been finished and the article has not been finished. How could Mishima be willing to die? He must want OCD to miss him forever, that must be it.