The Decay of the Angel
Mishima, Yukio. Alfred A. Knopf, 1974 (1st US Ed.). Hardbound. First published as Tennin Gosui in Tokyo in 1971 by Shinchosha. Translated by Edward G. Seidensticker. Jacket design by Joseph del Gaudio. According to Buddhist scriptures, there are five qualities that mark the degeneration of the devas (mortal angels) referenced in the title of this novel: a withered crown, sweaty armpits, soiled robes, loss of self-awareness, and a dulling of the lightbody. The fourth and final book in Mishima's The Sea of Fertility series, it was published just three months after the author committed seppuku, a ceremonial suicide involving disembowelment, following a failed coup attempt to restore direct rule by the Japanese emperor.
Tight, square spine. Clean, unmarked interior. Metallic stamping to spine and front board remains bright. There are a few very small areas of subtle soiling to the board exteriors and the front board is moderately bowed. Jacket has some areas of edge-wear and creasing. 236 pp. Featured Rare & Collectible.
