Star

Synopsis

All Eyes Are Upon Rikio. And He Likes It, Mostly. His Fans Cheer From A Roped-off Section, Screaming And Yelling To Attract His Attention--they Would Kill For A Moment Alone With Him. Finally The Director Sets Up The Shot, The Camera Begins To Roll, Someone Yells Action; Rikio, For A Moment, Transforms Into Another Being, A Hardened Young Yakuza, But As Soon As The Shot Is Finished, He Slumps Back Into His Own Anxieties And Obsessions. Being A Star, Constantly Performing, Being Watched And Scrutinized As If Under A Microscope, Is Often A Drag. But So Is Life. Written Shortly After Yukio Mishima Himself Had Acted In The Film Afraid To Die, This Novella Is A Rich And Unflinching Psychological Portrait Of A Celebrity Coming Apart At The Seams. With Exquisite, Vivid Prose, Star Begs The Question: Is There Any Escape From How We Are Seen By Others? By Yukio Mishima ; Translated By Sam Bett.