The Life And Death Of Yukio Mishima

The Life And Death Of Yukio Mishima by Henry Scott Stokes is a good companion to John Nathan's biography, which focuses more on Mishima's early life. Stokes spends a lot of time on Mishima's politics and last years. Furthermore, there is more analysis on Mishima's work and how it reflected his life and views.  In Paul Schrader's commentary for his film Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, he mentions Stokes accuses them of using his book for the film at a press conference. Schrader publicly states that he has used Nathan's book as the source material for his film. Suspiciously several elements from Stokes book appeared in the film, but this might be due to the fact that both authors relied heavily on Mishima's two most revelatory books: Confessions Of A Mask and Sun And Steel. The other books are also open to interpretation of his mood and character. In the commentary Schrader states that he had wanted to use After The Banquet to reflect Mishima's homosexual side but was blocked by his widow-so he chose to use Kyoko's House, a book that hasn't been translated into English. It's suspicious that Stokes discusses this book at length in his book-the title of Schrader's film and a section from Stokes' book, "The Four Rivers" are also similar. I would guess that Schrader used all the sources that were available to present his vision of Mishima. I think Stokes' book does have something to offer on its own. I found the focus of last section on Mishima's last days a tiresome, but appreciated Stokes's analysis of several of his works. It is a useful supplement in trying to understand a complex artist.