Giovanni's Room
An American in Paris, engaged to one person and in love with another, in Baldwin's shortest novel.
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Confessions of a Mask
by Yukio Mishima
A young man performs the life expected of him and hopes the performance will eventually become real.
- 1949
The story, briefly
Spoiler-freeMishima's narrator learns that his desires do not match what others expect, so he constructs an acceptable self. The split between desire and performance becomes exhausting and impossible to ignore.
What's inside
A young Japanese man attempts to desire women and behave correctly while concealing the self beneath the performance.
Why we recommend it
The exhausting work of pretending
Few books come closer to Baldwin's split between what a man wants and whom he believes he must appear to be.
What this book explores
Book editions
Paperback
- Paperback
Reader reviews
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References
References
The sources below include the primary text, editions, scholarship, archival materials, and other records that informed this page. They document Confessions of a Mask, its publication, and its place in literary history.
1Confessions of a Mask — Open Library ISBN catalogue
Official recordOpen Library, Internet ArchiveUsed forOpen Library ISBN catalogue used to verify the title, ISBN, and publication metadata.
2Confessions of a Mask — Google Books edition record
Official recordGoogle BooksUsed forGoogle Books catalogue record used to cross-check the title and edition metadata.
3Confessions of a Mask — Internet Archive ISBN catalogue
Official recordInternet ArchiveUsed forInternet Archive ISBN catalogue used to cross-check the edition and its availability in library holdings.
4Confessions of a Mask — Library of Congress books catalogue
Official recordLibrary of CongressUsed forLibrary of Congress books catalogue used to cross-check the bibliographic record by ISBN.
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Why these sources are here
The primary text is the baseline reference for every book page. Additional references document publication history, interpretation, and historical context where that evidence is available.
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