“Human life is as fragile as the morning dew, yet the Golden Pavilion stands eternal.”
Chapter 1: Introduction to Mizoguchi
The novel opens with Mizoguchi, a young stutterer, reflecting on his obsession with the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) in Kyoto. He recounts his childhood, marked by his father’s deathbed wish for him to become a priest and his mother’s manipulative nature. His stutter isolates him, deepening his fixation on the temple as a symbol of beauty and permanence.
Chapter 2: Life at the Temple
Mizoguchi becomes an acolyte at the Golden Pavilion under Chief Priest Dosen. He struggles with his inferiority complex, worsened by his stutter and the priest’s indifference. He befriends Tsurukawa, a kind but naive fellow student, and Kashiwagi, a cynical, clubfooted student who introduces him to nihilistic philosophies.
Chapter 3: The War and the Pavilion’s Survival
As World War II intensifies, Mizoguchi fears the temple’s destruction. He secretly hopes it will burn, freeing him from its overwhelming beauty. However, the war ends with the Golden Pavilion untouched, leaving him disillusioned. His obsession grows, now intertwined with resentment.
Chapter 4: Kashiwagi’s Influence
Kashiwagi encourages Mizoguchi’s destructive impulses, teaching him to see beauty as something that must be defiled to be truly possessed. Mizoguchi becomes increasingly detached, rejecting Tsurukawa’s friendship and fixating on the idea of annihilating the temple to escape its oppressive perfection.
Chapter 5: The Prostitute and the Temple
Mizoguchi visits a prostitute but is unable to perform, haunted by the image of the Golden Pavilion. This humiliation deepens his self-loathing. He begins to see the temple as an unattainable ideal, mocking his own inadequacy.
Chapter 6: The Final Descent
Mizoguchi’s mental state deteriorates. He fantasizes about burning the temple, merging destruction with beauty. After being expelled from the priesthood for negligence, he resolves to act. In a climactic moment, he sets the Golden Pavilion ablaze, watching it burn from a nearby hill.
Chapter 7: Aftermath
The novel ends with Mizoguchi smoking a cigarette, contemplating his act. He feels neither guilt nor triumph, only a strange emptiness. The destruction of the temple leaves him free, yet still trapped in his own mind.
Key Ideas
- The destructive nature of obsession and beauty
- The conflict between impermanence and eternity
- Psychological alienation and self-loathing
- The futility of perfection
- Nihilism as a response to existential despair
Who should read this book?
- Readers interested in psychological depth and existential themes
- Fans of Japanese literature and post-war narratives
- Those drawn to explorations of beauty, destruction, and obsession