Translated into English for the first time, a gripping short novel about
an affair gone wrong, from the acclaimed Japanese author, Yukio Mishima.
Set in rural Japan shortly after World War II, The Frolic of the
Beasts tells the story of a strange and utterly absorbing love triangle
between a former university student, Kōji; his would-be mentor, the
eminent literary critic Ippei Kusakado; and Ippei's beautiful, enigmatic
wife, Yūko. When brought face-to-face with one of Ippei's many marital
indiscretions, Kōji finds his growing desire for Yūko
compels him to action in a way that changes all three of their lives
profoundly. Originally published in 1961 and now available in English
for the first time, The Frolic of the Beasts is a haunting examination
of the various guises we assume throughout our lives, and a tale of
psychological self-entrapment, seduction, and murder.