Helpful Score: 2
WOW!!! What an elegant, surprising book! I never expected to like this book as much as I did. I cannot recommend it strongly enough - for its story, for its characters, for its twists and turns, for its ending. I listened to it on CD but I believe that reading it would have the same impact (and you know how I love a good book on CD lately - even better than on paper).
The book is broken into four parts: The first part is straight-forward historical fiction with a frisson of romance (talk about the ultimate meet-cute; it involves a monkey and a severed limb). And I must admit that this part drags a little. As I listened, I despaired that I had 18 disks left, but by 2/3rds of the way through the Part, I was hooked. The second part comes at you out of left field - you will simply not believe what yuo are reading (hearing). To say it is a mystery/supernatural story is not too far from the truth. The third part switches again to a war story. The fourth part ties up the story very neatly (and you know how I love a book with no loose ends!).
I loved the way the author gave many of the characters intricate and absorbing pasts which he found a reason for them to recount to Jacob. I loved Jacob - prig though he could be. I loved the way the author wove Japanese philosophy into the plot so that you could see how a westerner might expect the plot to turn one way but suddenly you would see how it needed to turn the other due to the setting. I loved the suspense. More than once I sat in my car listening because I could not wait to hear how a situation turned out.
Excellent, excellent book! You will not regret spending time with this one.
The book is broken into four parts: The first part is straight-forward historical fiction with a frisson of romance (talk about the ultimate meet-cute; it involves a monkey and a severed limb). And I must admit that this part drags a little. As I listened, I despaired that I had 18 disks left, but by 2/3rds of the way through the Part, I was hooked. The second part comes at you out of left field - you will simply not believe what yuo are reading (hearing). To say it is a mystery/supernatural story is not too far from the truth. The third part switches again to a war story. The fourth part ties up the story very neatly (and you know how I love a book with no loose ends!).
I loved the way the author gave many of the characters intricate and absorbing pasts which he found a reason for them to recount to Jacob. I loved Jacob - prig though he could be. I loved the way the author wove Japanese philosophy into the plot so that you could see how a westerner might expect the plot to turn one way but suddenly you would see how it needed to turn the other due to the setting. I loved the suspense. More than once I sat in my car listening because I could not wait to hear how a situation turned out.
Excellent, excellent book! You will not regret spending time with this one.
Helpful Score: 1
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet is an engaging historical novel set in Japan on the cusp of the nineteenth century. Jacob de Zoet is a bright, upstanding Dutchman who signed up for a five-year stint with the Dutch East Indies Trading Company, hoping to gather a fortune sufficient to impress his wealthy fiancée Anna's father into giving her hand. He arrives in Dejima, the artificial island outside Nagasaki which is the sole trading post in Japan for two centuries, to find corruption, courtly intrigue, and Japan off-limits except through a guild of interpreters. Nonetheless, he becomes intrigued by Orito Aibagawa, a skilled, disfigured midwife who studies with the Dutch doctor in Dejima.
Here the story becomes interesting but convoluted and far-fetched. Orito is sent away to a shrine run by a mysterious order; an English warship tries to force the trading port to be open to them. These long interludes seem like diversions from Jacob's story, instead of a seamless execution of David Mitchell's intention to write a bicultural novel. Yet I think he did an excellent job bringing this historical moment to life. While I enjoyed the humor, wit, and the italicized thoughts of various characters, I found Mitchell's frequent use of criss-crossing phrases with ellipses slightly gratuitous. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this off-the-beaten-path romance and adventure long-listed for the 2010 Booker Prize.
Helpful Score: 1
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell is a wonderful, wonderful read written by a most talented author. The story begins in 1799 in Dejima on Nagasaki Harbor where the Dutch East Indies Company has located its fartherest outpost. Jacob has been assigned to this location. His intention is to stay five years, earn his fortune and return to his sweetheart at home and marry. However, he becomes entranced by Orito Aibagawa, an intelligent woman studying to become a midwife. Orito was injured as a child when her face was splashed by hot liquid. His occupational task is to examine the accounts of the company to ensure that the company is reaping the profits it should. Unfortunately, almost everyone is corrupted and Jacob's honesty leads to many troubles, including the lengthening of his stay. An intriging story, one gains considerable insight into Japanese culture and the role of women in this era.
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet
One of the things about reading challenges is that they give you a push if not to read outside your usual genre, then to read about little explored area. I dont usually read books set in Asia; my interests lay in Anglo European history. But the challenged called for a book set in Asia and so I picked this book. Of course I knew about the Dutch East India Company, and the trading monopoly they had with Japan. Mitchells prose are nearly breath taking, I found myself going back to read passages several times. His style in this instance was not ponderous nor pretentious, or that the thesaurus was his very best friend, (that is my usual feeling when I read prize winning novels) I learned a great deal about the Dutch East India Company, the love story seemed to be culturally and historically accurate. A solid 4 stars.
One of the things about reading challenges is that they give you a push if not to read outside your usual genre, then to read about little explored area. I dont usually read books set in Asia; my interests lay in Anglo European history. But the challenged called for a book set in Asia and so I picked this book. Of course I knew about the Dutch East India Company, and the trading monopoly they had with Japan. Mitchells prose are nearly breath taking, I found myself going back to read passages several times. His style in this instance was not ponderous nor pretentious, or that the thesaurus was his very best friend, (that is my usual feeling when I read prize winning novels) I learned a great deal about the Dutch East India Company, the love story seemed to be culturally and historically accurate. A solid 4 stars.
I tried to like this book more, but kept feeling bogged down in it and wondering if it was ever going to end. I read it for my book club. It is slow and hard to get into, but does get more interesting in the middle of the story. I'm not sorry I read it, as I learned a lot about Japan and international trade at the turn of the 18th century. There are some interesting stories told, which kept me reading.
I need you to sit down. Are you sitting? Okay, great. I didn't hate this book. In fact, I actually liked quite a bit of it! I've had a somewhat contentious history with his books, but I think the real trick here is that David Mitchell is actually really good at writing historical fiction when he's not trying to jump through literary hoops just to prove he can do it. The historical pieces in Cloud Atlas and Number9Dream were pretty much the only parts of those books I liked, and here we have an entire book of it! GREAT JOB! That's not to say there isn't a weirdly out-of-place magical element, that Mitchell doesn't write as though he's getting paid by the word, or that there's not an entire paragraph randomly written in rhyme for no reason. It's a David Mitchell novel, did you think we would get out completely unscathed? That said, the general plot of the book is interesting, most of the characters are engaging, and the story moves along at a good pace (although I think part 3 definitely suffers in terms of overall quality). Also, one last compliment: the man really knows how to write an emotional and affecting death scene. That's been a constant. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, which makes it EVEN MORE FRUSTRATING when Mitchell gets caught up in wowing us with technical skill instead of just crafting a good story. Clearly he can do it! Try more of this!
Cameron-Ashley H. (BigGreenChair) reviewed The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet on + 461 more book reviews
This book was on my wish list for years; I finally found it at a thrift store and got the chance to read it. I love historical fiction and this one was set in a time period and subject matter I'd not read about before, and I found the whole concept of Dejima and 1799 Japan vs. foreigners of any kind absorbing to read about and felt it added to my body of knowledge. I did like that David Mitchell made some of the uglier characters tell their 'back story' and make them more real and understandable for the time period. It rounded out the overall story. I never really emotionally connected with the main character's personality but overall did like the book and all of the interactions. I think what it was missing for me was the effect of Diana Gabaldon's ability to write with such historical detail that you feel like you're right there with them living in the same time period--in this case I felt like an interested observer watching from my living room reading chair. Even the Horatio Hornblower books left me feeling like the author placed me right on deck and I could feel the wind, perceive what he saw, hear what he heard, even smell the smells he described...but this book did not nail that feeling.
Interesting book about the opening of japan.
Eadie B. (eadieburke) -
The year is 1799, the place Dejima in Nagasaki Harbor, the âhigh-walled, fan-shaped artificial islandâ that is the Japanese Empire's single port and sole window onto the world, designed to keep the West at bay; the farthest outpost of the war-ravaged Dutch East Indies Company; and a de facto prison for the dozen foreigners permitted to live and work there. To this place of devious merchants, deceitful interpreters, costly courtesans, earthquakes, and typhoons comes Jacob de Zoet, a devout and resourceful young clerk who has five years in the East to earn a fortune of sufficient size to win the hand of his wealthy fiancée back in Holland.
But Jacob's original intentions are eclipsed after a chance encounter with Orito Aibagawa, the disfigured daughter of a samurai doctor and midwife to the city's powerful magistrate. The borders between propriety, profit, and pleasure blur until Jacob finds his vision clouded, one rash promise made and then fatefully broken. The consequences will extend beyond Jacob's worst imaginings. As one cynical colleague asks, Who ain't a gambler in the glorious Orient, with his very life?
My Review
This was a very interesting romantic story of forbidden love with different cultures involved which had a great sense of place. Mitchell is a beautiful writer who has done excellent research and his characters are fascinating. It had a good plot with lots of twists which created lots of suspense. I learned a lot about the early 19th century feudal Japan. I would highly recommend this book to those who read Shogun and enjoyed that one.
But Jacob's original intentions are eclipsed after a chance encounter with Orito Aibagawa, the disfigured daughter of a samurai doctor and midwife to the city's powerful magistrate. The borders between propriety, profit, and pleasure blur until Jacob finds his vision clouded, one rash promise made and then fatefully broken. The consequences will extend beyond Jacob's worst imaginings. As one cynical colleague asks, Who ain't a gambler in the glorious Orient, with his very life?
My Review
This was a very interesting romantic story of forbidden love with different cultures involved which had a great sense of place. Mitchell is a beautiful writer who has done excellent research and his characters are fascinating. It had a good plot with lots of twists which created lots of suspense. I learned a lot about the early 19th century feudal Japan. I would highly recommend this book to those who read Shogun and enjoyed that one.
Cheryl (boomerbooklover) -
Interesting story about the adventures of a Dutch clerk in Japan in the late 1700's.
