Star

<p><b>A haunting novella of fame and disillusionment by a Japanese literary icon</b><br><br>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 <i>yakuza</i>, but as soon as the shot is finished, he slumps back into his own anxieties and obsessions.<br><br>Written shortly after Yukio Mishima himself had acted in the film <i>Afraid to Die</i>, 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, <i>Star</i> begs the question: is there ever any escape from how we are seen by others?</p>