Forbidden colours
E-book, Czech
Forbidden colours
A cruel novel about love, hate and homosexual desires in post-war Japan
An ageing, embittered writer, Shunsuke, decides to take revenge on the women who have betrayed, humiliated or rejected him. He finds the perfect tool for his revenge in Yuichi, a handsome young man who is irresistible to women but is also beginning to discover his own suppressed homosexual tendencies. Shunsuke persuades his protégé to marry a young girl without love for a large sum of money and make her miserable. At the same time, Yuichi begins to acquaint himself with the gay community of post-war Japan, where he is as defenceless as any of the women Shunsuke chooses as objects of his revenge.
An intellectually provocative novel in which passion, desire, jealousy, hatred and chilling eroticism can be found. It also features the traditional themes of Mishima's novels – beauty and ugliness, youth and old age, life and death, misogyny and homosexuality. In a book full of autobiographical elements, Japan in the first post-war years is impressively depicted.
What they wrote about the book:
One of the most distinguished writers in the world.
- New York Times
An outstanding writer not only of Japan, but of the entire world.
- The Atlantic
Yukio Mishima
Yukio Mishima (1925–1970) gained a reputation as a cult but controversial author with his work tending towards hedonism, physical beauty and eroticism, as well as his political views. His best-known works include the novels Confessions of a Mask, Forbidden Colours, Secret Pleasures and The Golden Pavilion. He devoted himself to martial arts, took part in military exercises of the Japan Self-Defense Forces and even founded a private "army" to defend traditional Japanese values. On 25 November 1970, he broke into the main office of the Japan Self-Defense Forces and, after a passionate speech in support of his nationalist views and demands, which was met with ridicule by most of those present, he committed ritual suicide. Mishima's personality and work can be considered a unique phenomenon in the context of post-war Japanese culture, which contributed significantly to the fact that modern Japanese literature began to be perceived by the West not only as equal, but also as inspiring.
Samples to download:
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