Sun and Steel
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- Create Date：2021-05-24 11:56:46
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Yukio Mishima
- ISBN：3074009829
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Summary
In this fascinating document， one of Japan's best known-and controversial-writers created what might be termed a new literary form。 It is new because it combines elements of many existing types of writing， yet in the end fits into none of them。
At one level， it may be read as an account of how a puny， bookish boy discovered the importance of his own physical being; the "sun and steel" of the title are themselves symbols respectively of the cult of the open air and the weights used in bodybuilding。 At another level， it is a discussion by a major novelist of the relation between action and art， and his own highly polished art in particular。 More personally， it is an account of one individual's search for identity and self-integration。 Or again， the work could be seen as a demonstration of how an intensely individual preoccupation can be developed into a profound philosophy of life。
All these elements are woven together by Mishima's complex yet polished and supple style。 The confession and the self-analysis， the philosophy and the poetry combine in the end to create something that is in itself perfect and self-sufficient。 It is a piece of literature that is as carefully fashioned as Mishima's novels， and at the same time provides an indispensable key to the understanding of them as art。
The road Mishima took to salvation is a highly personal one。 Yet here， ultimately， one detects the unmistakable tones of a self transcending the particular and attaining to a poetic vision of the universal。 The book is therefore a moving document， and is highly significant as a pointer to the future development of one of the most interesting novelists of modern times。
At one level， it may be read as an account of how a puny， bookish boy discovered the importance of his own physical being; the "sun and steel" of the title are themselves symbols respectively of the cult of the open air and the weights used in bodybuilding。 At another level， it is a discussion by a major novelist of the relation between action and art， and his own highly polished art in particular。 More personally， it is an account of one individual's search for identity and self-integration。 Or again， the work could be seen as a demonstration of how an intensely individual preoccupation can be developed into a profound philosophy of life。
All these elements are woven together by Mishima's complex yet polished and supple style。 The confession and the self-analysis， the philosophy and the poetry combine in the end to create something that is in itself perfect and self-sufficient。 It is a piece of literature that is as carefully fashioned as Mishima's novels， and at the same time provides an indispensable key to the understanding of them as art。
The road Mishima took to salvation is a highly personal one。 Yet here， ultimately， one detects the unmistakable tones of a self transcending the particular and attaining to a poetic vision of the universal。 The book is therefore a moving document， and is highly significant as a pointer to the future development of one of the most interesting novelists of modern times。
Reviews
Nicolás Avendaño
，
Bellísima e inspiradora nota de suicidio
Abdul Raheem
，
Sun and steel collect his vision of his world as a man attracted to pushing his body and mind to the limits， to the point that only he himself can decide his future through pain。A dominant theme being in his book is his pursuit of merging both mind and body into one via art and physical action。 Mishima distinctly believed that the body should and does reflect one's mental standing。 This book is essential reading if you want to understand Mishima and his eventual act of harakiri， as death and be Sun and steel collect his vision of his world as a man attracted to pushing his body and mind to the limits， to the point that only he himself can decide his future through pain。A dominant theme being in his book is his pursuit of merging both mind and body into one via art and physical action。 Mishima distinctly believed that the body should and does reflect one's mental standing。 This book is essential reading if you want to understand Mishima and his eventual act of harakiri， as death and beauty are also often reflected upon throughout Sun Steel。"If my self was my dwelling， then my body resembled an orchard that surrounded it。 I could either cultivate that orchard to its capacity or leave it for the weeds to run riot in。。。 little by little， the orchard began to bear fruit"Written with tremendous lucidity， Mishima's ideas manage to highlight a way of life that answers the existential question that inhabits all of us。 The sun and steel were his tools to survive a world to which he always felt alien。He uses the motif of the sun and steel as metaphors to represent enlightenment and body in a particularly personal way。 This writing， by throwing light into the recesses of his mind and soul， helps us gain a clearer understanding of who Mishima was as a writer， thinker， and man， with a unique vision of himself in the world。 Mishima wanted to affirm life in death; he wanted to affirm existence through its negation; he wanted to affirm the awareness of the body by the blade of a sword。 He was a man of action and purpose。 He came to disdain those intellectuals who indulged in lofty ideas without the courage to act in one way or another。 With the death of Yukio Mishimahas come the end of the long and glorious tradition of "Bushido，" and the last samurai of Japan。--------------------------------------------------------------------------"To continue the metaphor， let us picture a single， healthy apple。 This apple was not called into existence by words， nor is it possible that the core should be completely visible from the outside like Amiel's peculiar fruit。 The inside of the apple is naturally quite invisible。 Thus at the heart of that apple， shut up within the flesh of the fruit， the core lurks in its wan darkness， tremblingly anxious to find some way to reassure itself that it is a perfect apple。 The apple certainly exists， but to the core， this existence as yet seems inadequate; if words cannot endorse it， then the only way to endorse it is with the eyes。 Indeed， for the core， the only sure mode of existence is to exist and to see at the same time。 There is only one method of solving this contradiction。 It is for a knife to be plunged deep into the apple so that it is split open and the core is exposed to the light-to the same light， that is， as the surface skin。 Yet then the existence of the cut apple falls into fragments; the core of the apple sacrifices existence for the sake of seeing。' 。。。more
Jack
，
Google 'Sun and Steel' and the first book review will be titled 'In the Fascist Weight Room'。 Mishima， it seems， is one of those authors surrounded by Discourse， that there are problems concerning the Type of Guy （always men） who like his books。 As a newfound Buddhist， I am eager to explore the extent to which my self doesn't exist， but though the fact that my ego is an illusion is one I've yet to fully accept， it is easier for me to see that this kind of secondhand cultural critique is a waste Google 'Sun and Steel' and the first book review will be titled 'In the Fascist Weight Room'。 Mishima， it seems， is one of those authors surrounded by Discourse， that there are problems concerning the Type of Guy （always men） who like his books。 As a newfound Buddhist， I am eager to explore the extent to which my self doesn't exist， but though the fact that my ego is an illusion is one I've yet to fully accept， it is easier for me to see that this kind of secondhand cultural critique is a waste of the non-printed word。 It's made up。 There's no point to it。 Mishima is an infinitely fascinating figure， and I think， one very easy to admire， in the way we admire glorious failure a little bit more than the model of success。 It's vital to his legacy he died as ineffectually as he did -- not only because his own work supported and established the path toward his crude exit， but because a Mishima who lived and breathed for another thirty or forty years would've ended up the exact kind of irrelevant， enfeebled， contrary old man he hated so much。 He is not （and this is controversial， apparently） a figure easy to emulate or idolise。 He is far too unique for that。 No-one will go into this book because they heard it was an interesting argument for the bookish nerd to stop being a victim of ressentiment and become the kind of guy who used to beat him up -- and from this， become a St。 Sebastian-worshipping neo-nazi。 That a lot of what this book has to say is so interesting， so wonderfully well-written， and inspiring， comes to nothing in the face of the ideological censor。 One is reminded continually of how much puritanism has not gone away， especially inside those who do not realise their coercive intolerance inside themselves。 But this space should be more than just a rant against a book review， one that， though it displayed a viewpoint I find， at best， meaningless， I can at least acknowledge was provocative and competently written。I am a guy who reads more than one hundred books a year， and am， still by my current BMI， overweight， something I've been since I was at least 13。 I am also healthier than ever in my diet and exercise routine。 I live in Japan， the summer sun is coming， and I pump iron， if not steel。 In a bodily sense， I've never been happier， and I enjoy the slow， steady crafting of a physique that Socrates would approve of -- after all， it is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable。 I don't have to crave death in combat to think Mishima is largely right in this essay， that it is a powerful read， and that he is a great author， perhaps almost a genius。 I'm not sure yet because he was so good at being himself and his writing so powerfully evocative of his strange， intense personality， I'm not sure how much his work says of anything outside of that， which must surely be a prerequisite of genius。 I don't have to want to be like him to admire the way he was himself。 。。。more
Roman
，
Pretty good， philosophical reasons for working out
Oscar
，
While being a particularly dense read， this is an enlightening account on how the mind and the body are intertwined。 While some of the concepts may seem particularly grandiose and perhaps even platitudes （the fight against death， honor， etc。。。） this does not rob it from having insightful observations that are applicable to everyday life。 The book is all the more captivating knowing the ultimate fate that Mishima had in life， as what he seems to explore only in words here he eventually put to pra While being a particularly dense read， this is an enlightening account on how the mind and the body are intertwined。 While some of the concepts may seem particularly grandiose and perhaps even platitudes （the fight against death， honor， etc。。。） this does not rob it from having insightful observations that are applicable to everyday life。 The book is all the more captivating knowing the ultimate fate that Mishima had in life， as what he seems to explore only in words here he eventually put to practice。 As misguided as he was the strength of his spirit exudes from every page。 。。。more
Sarvesh
，
Wake Up Samurai。。。 We got fat to burn
William Morgan
，
It is common， that for the average reader， they themselves will find a few books over their lifetime that can redefine and reshape the way they interpret the word around themselves， while also providing a mirror for the reader to contemplate their own inner being。 This one， for me， was one of those books。 I haven't stopped thinking about it since I finished reading it a month ago。 It's a difficult one for sure。 Mishima's writing， while beautiful， is complex and challenging at times。 However， thi It is common， that for the average reader， they themselves will find a few books over their lifetime that can redefine and reshape the way they interpret the word around themselves， while also providing a mirror for the reader to contemplate their own inner being。 This one， for me， was one of those books。 I haven't stopped thinking about it since I finished reading it a month ago。 It's a difficult one for sure。 Mishima's writing， while beautiful， is complex and challenging at times。 However， this book contains some absolutely profound concepts and philosophical ideas which the reader may find inspiring。 Life， Death， Art， Muscles， Sex （the things that make life exciting， at least） are all themes covered in this book。 If any of these themes appeal， I would give this one a go， for sure。 。。。more
Vladivostok
，
Mishima's reflections on his introspective nature as a youth remind me of my own。 In adolescence， my body too was devoured by the white ants of the written word。 I sought refuge through escapism in my search for abstractions。 Only through tremendous effort have I recognized the caustic nature of this incessant and destructive cogitation。 In turn， I've come to appreciate the rigors of physical training and the demands of spirit of the flesh。 Forevermore， my body is to be a temple adorned with mus Mishima's reflections on his introspective nature as a youth remind me of my own。 In adolescence， my body too was devoured by the white ants of the written word。 I sought refuge through escapism in my search for abstractions。 Only through tremendous effort have I recognized the caustic nature of this incessant and destructive cogitation。 In turn， I've come to appreciate the rigors of physical training and the demands of spirit of the flesh。 Forevermore， my body is to be a temple adorned with muscle， sweat， and blood。 。。。more
Vel Veeter
，
There was a dumb reddit or Twitter post a few months back that went viral。 In it， some boy （always a boy） starts spouting off about the waster hours people spend at the gym， unreading poems， unwriting songs， and the like。 People were dunking on him left and right of course， and I kept thinking about how much I listen to audiobooks while I do chores or go for runs。 You can do both buddy。What you can also do is dedicate your life to the complete and total control of turning your muscles into steel There was a dumb reddit or Twitter post a few months back that went viral。 In it， some boy （always a boy） starts spouting off about the waster hours people spend at the gym， unreading poems， unwriting songs， and the like。 People were dunking on him left and right of course， and I kept thinking about how much I listen to audiobooks while I do chores or go for runs。 You can do both buddy。What you can also do is dedicate your life to the complete and total control of turning your muscles into steel， you body into a machine， and your brain into a steel trap through which to face the alienation of the world and the fallen patriarchal empire you’ve carved your identity out of you。 You COULD do that， and plenty of people do versions of this， but it’s as likely to help you as it did Yukio Mishima， which who knows。 。。。more
Anthony O'Connor
，
Pathos or Bathos？This popped up out of nowhere pushed to the surface by the obscure and opaque recommendation algorithms。 I remembered a movie about Yukio Mishima that I watched a long time ago which was interesting enough。 So I decided to give it a quick read。Blood。 Steel。 Eroticism。 Body building pushed to an extreme。 Swords。 Martial arts。 Militarism。 All pushed to an extreme。 The glory and the agony of a beautiful death。 He writes well enough but he actually means what he says！！ Which makes t Pathos or Bathos？This popped up out of nowhere pushed to the surface by the obscure and opaque recommendation algorithms。 I remembered a movie about Yukio Mishima that I watched a long time ago which was interesting enough。 So I decided to give it a quick read。Blood。 Steel。 Eroticism。 Body building pushed to an extreme。 Swords。 Martial arts。 Militarism。 All pushed to an extreme。 The glory and the agony of a beautiful death。 He writes well enough but he actually means what he says！！ Which makes these the all too florid rantings of a raging raving loon。 Long tortured ponderous monologues。Sure enough he eventually committed seppuku after a failed military coup。 Finding the tragedy and the glory he yearned for。 Or not。 The book is a forlorn cry for help from a lost and desperate soul。 And read in that light can be quite revelatory。Why a two rating then for this classic literary work。 The production of this version of the book is shoddy and amateurish。 There are large chunks of repetition。 Buy a proper decently produced version。 Not this one。 。。。more
Kaustubh
，
The word forms and structure used is a bit tough to grasp fully。 But the different emotions portrayed are really beautiful and it gives you a sense of urge and motivation to improve and fight for everything in life。 All in all a different and interesting read。
Teodora Lovin
，
Mishima ne laisse pas trop au lecteur la possibilité de fouiller dans ses moment de révélation corporelle; il se dévoile tout， sans ménagement， dans son mélange de chair et de mots。 Les trois * viennent d'une opinion préférant un autre style， absolu moins dans ses vécus que dans sa réalité。 Tout ce qui est là， c'est d'une sincérité hypocrite - la guerre， l'amour， l'écriture ne sont que des fins ponctuelles。 L'emphase et les grands mots ne peuvent guère remplacer l'authenticité。 Mishima ne laisse pas trop au lecteur la possibilité de fouiller dans ses moment de révélation corporelle; il se dévoile tout， sans ménagement， dans son mélange de chair et de mots。 Les trois * viennent d'une opinion préférant un autre style， absolu moins dans ses vécus que dans sa réalité。 Tout ce qui est là， c'est d'une sincérité hypocrite - la guerre， l'amour， l'écriture ne sont que des fins ponctuelles。 L'emphase et les grands mots ne peuvent guère remplacer l'authenticité。 。。。more
Petronius V
，
I think many of the thinking， abstract types such as myself will see in the ruminations of Mishima a reflection of our own development。 The worms of words were there before the wood of the body had properly developed itself， and would lead to a stunted growth of body （and yes， therefore of thought！）， a poor self-image， a subconscious hatred of the hale and hearty。 The third time I have read the work now。 Yukio must have read Nietzsche。 The work reads like a more tender Nietzsche。 One may have da I think many of the thinking， abstract types such as myself will see in the ruminations of Mishima a reflection of our own development。 The worms of words were there before the wood of the body had properly developed itself， and would lead to a stunted growth of body （and yes， therefore of thought！）， a poor self-image， a subconscious hatred of the hale and hearty。 The third time I have read the work now。 Yukio must have read Nietzsche。 The work reads like a more tender Nietzsche。 One may have day-thoughts， thoughts borne from movement and the sun， or one may have night-thoughts， which were borne from dusty attics and yellow skin。 The relation between the circumstances of the body and the resulting quality of thought and soul is a Nietzschean idea。I would summarize the work as a thinking man's coming-to-terms with the body， which， in a sense， is a contradiction， one which Mishima understood: to 'think' the body is in itself， in a way， a silly destructive thing to do - the thought will never encapsulate the essence of the physical。 Stop talking and thinking， start doing。 The body is in itself a style of living and the deepest demonstration of a style of living。 This is what Mishima wishes to express - which cannot really be expressed in words。 He understood what the blue sky was for holy shrine-bearers， why they turned their heads in ecstacy to the heavens: because they saw the sky and they saw it together。 Words deceive us by transfiguring that experience into something it was not。Tender， convoluted， shy， strong: one feels the sweet lamb who wishes to be a lion。 This is not a bad thing and not necessarily a contradiction。Read it if you are pale， are intimidated by the healthy and beautiful， if you are someone who feels superior by talking and thinking behind the backs of others， if you hate your body。 It will help you。 。。。more
Matthew Le
，
mishima's overt hypermasculinity in this is honestly kinda funny （though i imagine that's not his intention） mishima's overt hypermasculinity in this is honestly kinda funny （though i imagine that's not his intention） 。。。more
Akshay Gahlaut
，
Too poetic ， to philosophical
Norbit Hyde
，
Through the course of his life， Mishima transformed himself from a man of words， into a man of action。 This is the story of how he enabled that transformation。 “Perfect purity is possible if you turn your life into a line of poetry written with a splash of blood。”
Ondřej Justin Horák
，
Páni。。。 on je DOSLOVA já！ It often happens that， long before the decisive meeting with a person from whom only death can thereafter part one， there is a brief brush elsewhere with that same person occurring with almost total unawareness on both sides。 So it was with my encounter with the sun。 *** How dearly， indeed， I loved my pit， my dusky room， the area of my desk with its piles of books！ How I enjoyed introspection， shrouded myself in cogitation; with what rapture did I listen for the rus Páni。。。 on je DOSLOVA já！ It often happens that， long before the decisive meeting with a person from whom only death can thereafter part one， there is a brief brush elsewhere with that same person occurring with almost total unawareness on both sides。 So it was with my encounter with the sun。 *** How dearly， indeed， I loved my pit， my dusky room， the area of my desk with its piles of books！ How I enjoyed introspection， shrouded myself in cogitation; with what rapture did I listen for the rustling of frail insects in the thickets of my nerves！ *** The nature of this steel is odd。 I found that as I increased its weight little by little， the effect was like a pair of scales: the bulk of muscles placed， as it were， on the other pan increased proportionately， as though the steel had a duty to maintain a strict balance between the two。 Little by little， moreover， the properties of my muscles came increasingly to resemble those of the steel。 **** The steel faithfully taught me the correspondence between the spirit and the body: thus feeble emotions， it seemed to me， corresponded to flaccid muscles， sentimentality to a sagging stomach， and overimpressionability to an oversensitive， white skin。 Bulging muscles， a taut stomach， and a tough skin， I reasoned， would correspond respectively to an intrepid fighting spirit， the power of dispassionate intellectual judgement， and a robust disposition。 [。。。] For that reason， I told myself， I ought to endow myself with the physical characteristics in question as a kind of educative process。 **** Only through the group， I realized—through sharing the suffering of the group—could the body reach that height of existence that the individual alone could never attain。 And for the body to reach that level at which the divine might be glimpsed， a dissolution of the individuality was necessary。 The tragic quality of the group was also necessary—the quality that constantly raised the group out of the abandon and torpor into which it was prone to lapse， leading it on to ever-mounting shared suffering and so to death， which was the ultimate suffering。 The group must be open to death—which meant， of course， that it must be a community of warriors。。。 。。。more
Parasuram Venkatesh
，
I don’t need pre-workout when I have Mishima。The unity of spirit and flesh is something I myself have struggled with all my life。 Especially over the past few years， it’s like I lost some vital part of my physical body while intoxicated by the allure of words and abstractions。 But there is no substitute for this physicality; more precisely the spirit and flesh are unified only in death。But now， being able to run over 6 kilometres at a time， I feel the inimitable joy of translating thought into a I don’t need pre-workout when I have Mishima。The unity of spirit and flesh is something I myself have struggled with all my life。 Especially over the past few years， it’s like I lost some vital part of my physical body while intoxicated by the allure of words and abstractions。 But there is no substitute for this physicality; more precisely the spirit and flesh are unified only in death。But now， being able to run over 6 kilometres at a time， I feel the inimitable joy of translating thought into action。 This work speaks to me at a gut level and impels me to push myself to pursue this impossible unity of spirit and flesh， and I love the chase。 。。。more
Abdallah Arafah
，
Great premise and I agree with his philosophy to certain parts， but overall I feel the book has went longer than it should especially since it contradicts his own view of how the words are corruptible and lose all their meaning when read by different people and conditions。 But to be fair it was short enough so fair game。
Rodrigo Domínguez
，
Part memoir， part philosophy， Yukio Mishima takes us on a difficult but exhilarating ride through his journey from feeble intellectual to sturdy man of action， and the dialectic it ensued。 This book is a must read for whoever （like me） has erroneously associated the cultivation of the body with neoliberal values like health， productivity， and vanity。What's so fantastic about Sun and Steel is that the author engages in his own original phenomenology of the body， connecting physical effort to word Part memoir， part philosophy， Yukio Mishima takes us on a difficult but exhilarating ride through his journey from feeble intellectual to sturdy man of action， and the dialectic it ensued。 This book is a must read for whoever （like me） has erroneously associated the cultivation of the body with neoliberal values like health， productivity， and vanity。What's so fantastic about Sun and Steel is that the author engages in his own original phenomenology of the body， connecting physical effort to words and to death without relying on ideological frameworks beyond his own experience。The value Mishima places on tradition， strength， manliness， and aesthetic perfection make up a political worldview we would consider reactionary。 However， with individuals so singular as him， it becomes hard to place them on the traditional political spectrum， let alone label them as "good" or "bad"。 In that sense， I think it's erroneous to read Sun and Steel through political lens even if its politics are latent。 Rather， the book contains the author's truth which is there for us to make whatever we want of it。 。。。more
Justin Myk
，
（disclaimer: please forgive any errors in this review， i was quite restless when i wrote it）sun and steel was a book written near the end of Mishima's life in which he laid out his philosophy of body building and the world of action and strength。 as someone who is currently on their own journey of strength and action something within this book struck a deep cord。 Mishima perfectly captures the ideals of strength and fitness through the eyes of an eager intellectual。 this book is not for those wh （disclaimer: please forgive any errors in this review， i was quite restless when i wrote it）sun and steel was a book written near the end of Mishima's life in which he laid out his philosophy of body building and the world of action and strength。 as someone who is currently on their own journey of strength and action something within this book struck a deep cord。 Mishima perfectly captures the ideals of strength and fitness through the eyes of an eager intellectual。 this book is not for those who are light readers of mishima but rather those who wish to know him in his entirety （well as much as can possibly be known）。 this book encapsulates the core message of Mishima's life and art: the world where the physical and intellectual meet。 even in this book one can find traces of what was to come in his life and how it was going to end。 it is a shame that this book is so hard to get ahold of because it captures many important aspects of what mishima was trying to achieve with his life。 。。。more
Alexei
，
First half 2/5。 Second half 4/5。
Ian D
，
Ήλιος κι ατσάλι。 Η φύση κι η πειθαρχεία， η ανθρώπινη υπόσταση που αποζητά την ευδαιμονία σε αντιπαράθεση με τον πόνο που χαρίζει βαθιά γνώση。 Η υπαρξιακή αναζήτηση， το τραγικό και το απόλυτο。Πρώτη μου επαφή με τον αμφιλεγόμενο Ιάπωνα συγγραφέα， ένα εγχειρίδιο της προσωπικής του διαδρομής και ωρίμανσης με έκδηλα αρκετά από τα στοιχεία που θα τον οδηγήσουν μερικά χρόνια αργότερα στον τελετουργικό θάνατο από το ίδιο του το χέρι。 Δεν ξέρω αν ήταν το κατάλληλο βιβλίο για τη γνωριμία μου με το έργο τ Ήλιος κι ατσάλι。 Η φύση κι η πειθαρχεία， η ανθρώπινη υπόσταση που αποζητά την ευδαιμονία σε αντιπαράθεση με τον πόνο που χαρίζει βαθιά γνώση。 Η υπαρξιακή αναζήτηση， το τραγικό και το απόλυτο。Πρώτη μου επαφή με τον αμφιλεγόμενο Ιάπωνα συγγραφέα， ένα εγχειρίδιο της προσωπικής του διαδρομής και ωρίμανσης με έκδηλα αρκετά από τα στοιχεία που θα τον οδηγήσουν μερικά χρόνια αργότερα στον τελετουργικό θάνατο από το ίδιο του το χέρι。 Δεν ξέρω αν ήταν το κατάλληλο βιβλίο για τη γνωριμία μου με το έργο του· ενώ αναγνωρίζω την ποιότητα της γραφής， έχω ένα όριο στις φορές που μπορώ να αντέξω την επανάληψη της λέξης "muscles"。 Κοιτάζοντας τις διαφορετικές εκδόσεις， δυσκολεύτηκα να βρω εξώφυλλο χωρίς φωτογραφία μ' όλη τη νεφραμιά όξω αλλά φαίνεται να είναι απαραίτητη στο κεντρικό κόνσεπτ。 Στις 115 αυτές σελίδες του βιβλίου του， μού δόθηκε η εντύπωση πως αν ζούσε σήμερα ο Mishima θα ήταν social influencer με το instagram γεμάτο φώτο κάτω απ'τον ήλιο （sun）， βίντεο με ασκήσεις στο γυμναστήριο （steel）， τσιτσίδι εννοείται， κι από κάτω τα βαθιά και τα περισπούδαστα。 Ας είναι。Από την άλλη， μου εξήψε το αναγνωστικό ενδιαφέρον με φράσεις όπως η παρακάτω που με κάνει περίεργο να ασχοληθώ μαζί του στο μέλλον。“For me， beauty is always retreating from one's grasp: the only thing I consider important is what existed once， or ought to have existed。 By its subtle， infinitely varied operation， the steel restored the classical balance that the body had begun to lose， reinstating it in its natural form， the form that it should have had all along。”3/5 （2。5 κανονικά αλλά του δίνω το ελαφρυντικό της αμφιβολίας） 。。。more
Purenobody
，
Excellent quotes about the nature of heroism， but ultimately self absorbed
Jonathan Hinckley
，
。。。more
Andy
，
This is the first non-fiction novella I've read from Mishima and I'm impressed。 His excellent prose carries over from his fiction。 This novel is essentially a philosophical biography on working out and his mentality of the body。 A short read packed with thought and lyrical prose。 This is the first non-fiction novella I've read from Mishima and I'm impressed。 His excellent prose carries over from his fiction。 This novel is essentially a philosophical biography on working out and his mentality of the body。 A short read packed with thought and lyrical prose。 。。。more
Edgar
，
In einem längeren Essay legt der bekannte japanische Author Yukio Mishima seine Philosphie vor， die zu seiner ungewöhnlichen Biographie führte。 Wort- und bildreich schreibt er unendlich lang über Fleisch und Geist， die korrosive Wirkung von Worten， den Himmel， die Sonne und den Stahl。 Ich verstand freilich nicht allzu viel von dem， was er eigentlich sagen wollte。 Zu verworren sind seine Darstellungen und Auslassungen。Aus seiner Biographie entnehme ich eine Betonung der Körperlichkeit， das Traini In einem längeren Essay legt der bekannte japanische Author Yukio Mishima seine Philosphie vor， die zu seiner ungewöhnlichen Biographie führte。 Wort- und bildreich schreibt er unendlich lang über Fleisch und Geist， die korrosive Wirkung von Worten， den Himmel， die Sonne und den Stahl。 Ich verstand freilich nicht allzu viel von dem， was er eigentlich sagen wollte。 Zu verworren sind seine Darstellungen und Auslassungen。Aus seiner Biographie entnehme ich eine Betonung der Körperlichkeit， das Training seines Körpers mit dem Stahl， die Abhärtung und Ausbildung von vorhandenen Muskelgruppen， die beim Alltagsmann jedoch nicht mehr gebraucht und scheinbar sinnlos sind， so wie Griechisch und klassische Ausbildung scheinbar sinnlos für den Geist sind。 Er postuliert seine Version von 'mens sana in corpere sano'， dass erst in einem gesunden und starken Körper ein gesunder Geist entstehen könne， alles wohlgemerkt bezogen auf den Mann。In einem von der Sonne gebräunten， gestählten Körper wohne der Geist also in dem angemessenen Körper。 Nun ja， das hätte man sicherlich auch deutlich prägnanter und kürzer sagen können。 Und neu ist dieser Gedanke ja nun auch nicht gerade， sondern etwa 2000 Jahre alt。 Mishima lässt autobiographische und historische Aspekte und Beobachtungen in dieses Thema einfließen。 Und ich kann mir analog zur Nachkriegszeit im zerstörten Deutschland ganz gut vorstellen， wie die Niederlage und die Atombombe sich auf die Psyche des "asiatischen Herrenmenschen" ausgewirkt haben， sodass bei Mishima， der bei Kriegsende 20 Jahre alt war， sich das Gefühl des "alles geht hier den Bach runter" breit machte。Er war dazu jedoch nicht bereit， plante deutlich später einen Staatsstreich und beging， als dieser scheiterte， am Tage der Fertigstellung seiner Tetralogie， seines literarischen Hauptwerkes， Seppuku， mithin einen rituellen Selbstmord， der international Aufsehen erregte， aber letztlich auch im Grundrauschen unterging。Den Teil mit dem dramaturgischen Aufbau von Romanen habe ich mir dann nicht mehr angetan， sondern das Buch bei etwa der Hälfte abgebrochen und habe somit länger ausgehalten als ich es für möglich gehalten hätte。 。。。more
Kyle
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roommate picked it up from the library， and i peeped at it while sipping my coffee this morning。 didnt put it down til i finished it。 mishima is a badass
Kyle Qian
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Do I， then， belong to the heavens？。。。Or do I thenBelong， after all， to the earth？" It's easy to read Sun and Steel as ostensibly about the contradiction and reconciliation between words and the flesh， art and action—a forceful and serious reflection on prose， in prose， by a controversial man of letters， remembered as much for his works as he is for his failed coup and subsequent death by seppuku。 Much like its subject， this autobiographical work defies straightforward categorization。 Mishima bend Do I， then， belong to the heavens？。。。Or do I thenBelong， after all， to the earth？" It's easy to read Sun and Steel as ostensibly about the contradiction and reconciliation between words and the flesh， art and action—a forceful and serious reflection on prose， in prose， by a controversial man of letters， remembered as much for his works as he is for his failed coup and subsequent death by seppuku。 Much like its subject， this autobiographical work defies straightforward categorization。 Mishima bends words to his will with a skillful annealing of metaphors and imagery， forging an incisive blade of critique， confession， and memoir。I picked up this work mostly expecting an extended reflection on the twin virtues of physical and intellectual vitality—a view that at some point in history seemed obvious—and I did at least get that:If my self was my dwelling， then my body resembled an orchard that surrounded it。 I could either cultivate that orchard to its capacity or leave it for the weeds to run riot in。 Who pays any attention to a physical education theorist grown decrepit？ One might accept the pallid scholar’s toying with nocturnal thoughts in the privacy of his study， but what could seem more meager， more chilly than his lips were they to speak， whether in praise or in blame， of the body？ So well acquainted was I with poverty of that type that one day， quite suddenly， it occurred to me to acquire ample muscles of my own。 Makes sense。 Same to his reflections on his personal experience of the primacy of words and his childhood alienation from the flesh:When I examine closely my early childhood， I realise that my memory of words reaches back far farther than my memory of the flesh。 In the average person， I imagine， the body precedes language。 In my case， words came first of all; then—belatedly， with every appearance of extreme reluctance， and already clothed in concepts—came the flesh。 As well as his contempt toward the vicious:I had always felt that such signs of physical individuality as a bulging belly （sign of spiritual sloth） or a flat chest with protruding ribs （sign of an unduly nervous sensibility） were excessively ugly， and I could not contain my surprise when I discovered that there were people who loved such signs。 To me， these could only seem acts of shameless indecency， as though the owner were exposing his spiritual pudenda on the outside of his body。 His obsession with a glorious and dignified death， however， made no sense to me at first:A powerful， tragic frame and sculpturesque muscles were indispensable in a romantically noble death。 Any confrontation between weak， flabby flesh and death seemed to me absurdly inappropriate。 Longing at eighteen for an early demise， I felt myself unfitted for it。 I lacked， in short， the muscles suitable for a dramatic death。 It's perhaps tempting to dismiss this as mere morbid reverie， a fanaticism born of some twisted combination of neurotic idealism and childhood trauma。 While that might not literally be wrong per se， I have to assume that a man as militantly meticulous with his self-fashioning as Mishima included these parts with a purpose。Mishima speaks rather freely on the topic of death itself and what a worthy death requires and ent[r]ails， but he is rather oblique about the bigger picture。 A few hints exist， however:When I was small， I would watch the young men parade the portable shrine through the streets at the local shrine festival。 They were intoxicated with their task， and their expressions were of an indescribable abandon， their faces averted; some of them even rested the backs of their necks against the shafts of the shrine they shouldered， so that their eyes gazed up at the heavens。 And my mind was much troubled by the riddle of what it was that those eyes reflected。 In an uncommonly tender moment， Mishima reflects on this childhood sight of the shrine-bearers， a memory that continues to surface throughout the work as an ideal of simultaneously lofty yet utterly ordinary importance。 Mishima recalls trying to apprehend the scene with his word-addled adolescent mind， yet ultimately failing at the time to grasp the obvious:They were simply looking at the sky。 In their eyes there was no vision: only the reflection of the blue and absolute skies of early autumn。 Later， several passages more explicitly expound on his desire to be among the shrine-bearers:At the moment when I first realized that the use of strength and the ensuing fatigue， the sweat and the blood， could reveal to my eyes that sacred， ever-swaying blue sky that the shrine bearers gazed on together， and could confer the glorious sense of being the same as others， I already had a foresight， perhaps， of that as yet distant day when I should step beyond the realm of individuality into which I had been driven by words and awaken to the meaning of the group。 Mishima even makes a clear connection between the desire to be among a group and his apparent feeling of individual unworthiness。 We start to see a little more:From the outset words had worked to drive me farther and farther from the group。 Moreover， feeling as I did that I lacked the physical ability to blend with the group， and that I was therefore constantly rejected by it， I desired somehow to justify myself。 It was this desire that led me to polish words so assiduously。 Seeing all this， it's no wonder Mishima possessed his distinctly militaristic orientation。 One can certainly achieve a degree of physical group identification through cultivating an orchard of bulging muscles and wearing a military uniform。 This is uniformity in a sense—in the sun and armed with steel， we are equals。But what of the soul？ Mishima offers a simple metaphor:Let us picture a single， healthy apple。。。 The inside of the apple is naturally quite invisible。 Thus at the heart of that apple， shut up within the flesh of the fruit， the core lurks in its wan darkness， tremblingly anxious to find some way to reassure itself that it is a perfect apple。 The apple certainly exists， but to the core this existence as yet seems inadequate; if words cannot endorse it， then the only way to endorse it is with the eyes。。。 There is only one method of solving this contradiction。 It is for a knife to be plunged deep into the apple so that it is split open and the core is exposed to the light。。。 Yet then the existence of the cut apple falls into fragments; the core of the apple sacrifices existence for the sake of seeing。 And in case the conclusion weren't clear enough:The self-awareness that I staked on muscles could not be satisfied with the darkness of the pallid flesh pressing about it as an endorsement of its existence， but， like the blind core of the apple， was driven to crave certain proof of its existence so fiercely that it was bound， sooner or later， to destroy that existence。 Oh， the fierce longing simply to see， without words！ Mishima's essential tragedy thus reveals itself。 Here is a man who so desperately craved proof of his own humanity that he fixated on the one unescapable shared reality he could imagine—unity in death， as if to say， 'I am not worthy， yet all worthy men die。 Therefore， in death I too shall become worthy。 I too shall be beautiful。'The tragedy， then， lies in Mishima's utter inability to perceive any other meaningful shared reality between him and his fellow man—one to live for， anyway。 He was a man whose outward eye could see the ordinary transcendent， but whose inward "I" was blind to its own transcendent nature。 "Oh， the fierce longing simply to see， without words！"Sun and Steel presents as "a twilight genre between the night of confession and the daylight of criticism，" and after the critical first half gives way to the more confessional final pages， we're treated finally to an uncharacteristically wistful bit of poetry， copied below in its entirety。 It's as if， by then， he's purposefully worn himself out by the force of prose that came before it。By then， the ironclad critical exterior is pierced like skin and the fleshy confession is torn aside; as tissue and prose alike evaporate into the air like radiant trails of sweat， we see the exposed core of this apple at last。 Was it the same core that he witnessed after he disemboweled himself on the deck of Camp Ichigaya？ Did he see himself clearly at last， by way of the proverbial blade he's spent his whole life forging for that moment？What did he feel in that moment？ Mishima， the insurgent。 The proud nationalist。 The absurd aesthete。 The spurned idealist。 The modern samurai。 The late bloomer。 The writer， the lover， the man。 The boy。Did he feel his core "overflow with the infinite joy of being one with the world？" Did he feel the "euphoric sense of pure being？" Or perhaps， at the final moments of his absurd annihilation， steel in flesh beneath the muscled husk， those waxen wings hid the weight of longing sadness after all？ ICARUSDo I， then， belong to the heavens？Why， if not so， should the heavensFix me thus with their ceaseless blue stare，Luring me on， and my mind， higherEver higher， up into the sky，Drawing me ceaselessly upTo heights far， far above the human？Why， when balance has been strictly studiedAnd flight calculated with the best of reasonTill no aberrant element should， by rights， remain—Why， still， should the lust for ascensionSeem， in itself， so close to madness？Nothing is that can satisfy me;Earthly novelty is too soon dulled;I am drawn higher and higher， more unstable，Closer and closer to the sun’s effulgence。Why do they burn me， these rays of reason，Why do these rays of reason destroy me？Villages below and meandering streamsGrow tolerable as our distance grows。Why do they plead， approve， lure meWith promise that I may love the humanIf only it is seen， thus， from afar—Although the goal could never have been love，Nor， had it been， could I ever haveBelonged to the heavens？I have not envied the bird its freedomNor have I longed for the ease of Nature，Driven by naught save this strange yearningFor the higher， and the closer， to plunge myselfInto the deep sky’s blue， so contraryTo all organic joys， so farFrom pleasures of superiorityBut higher， and higher，Dazzled， perhaps， by the dizzy incandescenceOf waxen wings。Or do I thenBelong， after all， to the earth？Why， if not so， should the earthShow such swiftness to encompass my fall？Granting no space to think or feel，Why did the soft， indolent earth thusGreet me with the shock of steel plate？Did the soft earth thus turn to steelOnly to show me my own softness？That Nature might bring home to meThat to fall， not to fly， is in the order of things，More natural by far than that imponderable passion？Is the blue of the sky then a dream？Was it devised by the earth， to which I belonged，On account of the fleeting， white-hot intoxicationAchieved for a moment by waxen wings？And did the heavens abet the plan to punish me？To punish me for not believing in myselfOr for believing too much;Too eager to know where lay my allegianceOr vainly assuming that already I knew all;For wanting to fly offTo the unknownOr the known:Both of them a single， blue speck of an idea？ 。。。more
Spenser
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Thoroughly engaging and intriguing， even when Mishima goes off the deep end you can’t help but fallow him to see where he goes。 This has given me a knew way to view physical fitness and how it relates to the rest of life outside of the trypical health benifits。 His idea of viewing the mind and the body as two completely separate entities that are in a constant back in forth rather than part of a cohesive whole working as one is interesting to say the least。There were definitely a few moments tha Thoroughly engaging and intriguing， even when Mishima goes off the deep end you can’t help but fallow him to see where he goes。 This has given me a knew way to view physical fitness and how it relates to the rest of life outside of the trypical health benifits。 His idea of viewing the mind and the body as two completely separate entities that are in a constant back in forth rather than part of a cohesive whole working as one is interesting to say the least。There were definitely a few moments that I feel went over my head but I feel that might not be a problem upon repeated reading which I look forward to down the road。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Sun and Steel
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Sun and Steel&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Sun and Steel&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0