One of my favourite philosophically orientated novelists is Mishima. I can’t attest to the reliability of this bio-sketch but it’s a start. There is not much scholarly literature on Mishima but here is an appreciation in, of all places, the British Journal of Psychiatry.
Paul Schrader made a superb attempt at expressing Mishima’s thinking (insofar as one can) in a cinematic mode, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, here review by Roger Ebert. According to Schrader, the weak link in the film was the lead actor who was way too matcho. This said, Ken Ogata does a great job and Schrader (aside from Herzog) has pushed the bounds of what philosophically can be articulated on film – namely, Mishima’s thoughts on aesthetics. Bravo to Coppola and Lucas for producing this tricky subject matter and letting it be directed by someone who tends to rub Hollywood (and others) up the wrong way. Amazing that Mishima is still a taboo topic in Japan.
Here is an interview with Mishima:
Here is a full version of Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters:
manwithoutqualities 