Author:Yukio Mishima,Jonathan Samuel Bett

A haunting novella of fame and disillusionment by a Japanese literary icon
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.
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 as the absurdity of his existence comes sharply into focus. With exquisite, vivid prose, Star begs the question: is there ever any escape from how we are seen by others?
Mishima's novels exude a monstrous and compulsive weirdness, and seem to take place in a kind of purgatory for the depraved
—— Angela CarterMishima was one of literature's great romantics, a tragedian with a heroic sensibility, an intellectual, an esthete, a man steeped in Western letters who toward the end of his life became a militant Japanese nationalist
—— New York TimesMishima is the Japanese Hemingway
—— Life MagazineA writer of immense energy and ability
—— Time Outan engrossing read, seamlessly translated from Iturbe's original Spanish. Iturbe retains the dignity and full horror of Dita's situation, while creating a narrative of hope and bravery in the face of fear.
—— Compass MagazineReading The Librarian Of Auschwitz may make you feel sadness, anger, and disbelief (I had to stop reading at points), but overwhelmingly it’s about hope, courage, and the importance of the written word. This is a story for everyone who loves books.
—— People's FriendA profound tale about male friendship, its consolations and shortcomings, set in the Italian Alps
—— 100 Best Books to Read This Summer, The TimesWith gorgeously understated, unhurried prose, Cognetti crafts the story of an unlikely friendship between a city boy named Pietro and a young cow herder, Bruno, who lives in the Alpine mountains where the members of Pietro’s family spend their vacations. You can feel the cycles of nature as the narrative unfolds
—— New York TimesThe Eight Mountains is... Paolo Cognetti’s enchanting story of a boy who comes of age at altitude
—— Tobias Jones , GuardianA boy bonds with a local while holidaying in Italy’s mountains in a thoughtful...coming-of-age story... A story of relationships – not just between people, but with the mountains... Cognetti captures the elation and melancholy that comes with reaching a spectacular summit, only to realise the minuscule part we play in the panorama of life
—— Ben East , Observer






