{"product_id":"the-decay-of-the-angel-isbn-9780679722434","title":"The Decay of the Angel","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe final installment of the masterful tetralogy, \u003ci\u003eThe Sea of Fertility, \u003c\/i\u003efinds Shigekuni Honda an elderly wealthy man in the 1960s, adopting a teenage orphan whom he is convinced is the reincarnation of his childhood friend. • \"One of the best final scenes in the history of the novel.” —David Mitchell, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Honda, now an aged and wealthy man, once more encounters a person he believes to be a reincarnation of his friend, Kiyoaki Matsugae—this time restored to life as a teenage orphan, Tōru. Adopting the boy as his heir, Honda quickly finds that Tōru is a force to be reckoned with. The final novel of this celebrated tetralogy weaves together the dominant themes of the previous three novels in the series: the decay of Japan’s courtly tradition; the essence and value of Buddhist philosophy and aesthetics; and, underlying all, Mishima’s apocalyptic vision of the modern era.“Mesmerizing. . . . A saga of 20th-century Japan: a story of national decline that nonetheless proposes redemption through the endurance of a certain soul, forceful enough to be reborn ad infinitum.” \u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e (London)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “The end of [Mishima’s] \u003ci\u003eSea of Fertility\u003c\/i\u003e tetralogy. . . is surely one of the best final scenes in the history of the novel.” \u003cbr\u003e—David Mitchell, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003eYUKIO MISHIMA was born in Tokyo in 1925. He graduated from Tokyo Imperial University’s School of Jurisprudence in 1947. His first published book, \u003ci\u003eThe Forest in Full Bloom\u003c\/i\u003e, appeared in 1944 and he established himself as a major author with \u003ci\u003eConfessions of a Mask \u003c\/i\u003e(1949). From then until his death he continued to publish novels, short stories, and plays each year. His crowning achievement, \u003ci\u003eThe Sea of Fertility\u003c\/i\u003e tetralogy—which contains the novels \u003ci\u003eSpring Snow\u003c\/i\u003e (1969), \u003ci\u003eRunaway Horses\u003c\/i\u003e (1969), \u003ci\u003eThe Temple of Dawn\u003c\/i\u003e (1970), and \u003ci\u003eThe Decay of the Angel \u003c\/i\u003e(1971)—is considered one of the definitive works of twentieth century Japanese fiction. In 1970, at the age of 45 and the day after completing the last novel in the \u003ci\u003eFertility\u003c\/i\u003e series, Mishima committed \u003ci\u003eseppuku\u003c\/i\u003e (ritual suicide)—a spectacular death that attracted worldwide attention.","brand":"Vintage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46303414714597,"sku":"NP9780679722434","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780679722434.jpg?v=1767738968","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-decay-of-the-angel-isbn-9780679722434","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}