[.ca] After the Banquet (ISBN 0375705155)

moving portrait of human nature:
i always enjoy a novel that leaves me reflecting upon emotions in relation to the cultural setting. this book is wonderful in the way the characters relate and try to grow within the confines of japanese society of the times.

A great book about love, politics and money in 1960s Japan:
Kazu is a middle-aged woman and the proprietress of a successful restaurant -- the Setsugoan -- in Tokyo. During a banquet for the Kagen Club, she meets and falls in love with Yuken Noguchi, a aristocrat and retired politician. They wed, and soon, Kazu decides to secretly use her wealth to aid her husband in returning to public office, despite protestions and warnings from her friends. "After the Banquet" is a fascinating look at love and politics. Kazu is head-strong, wealthy and not ashamed to use her money to get what she desires. Noguchi, a few years older than her, is idealistic and stubborn, wanting to stick to win the election on his own. Along with that clash, they are also torn between the modern Japanese woman and the traditional role of the Japanese wife. Kazu wants to be out and about, aiding her husband any way she can; Noguchi is determined to keep her out of politics, at one point even forbidding her to leave the house. It's amazing to see how Yukio Mishima sets these two opposties together, how they interact with each other and with the world of politics. A great book.