Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.

Underground > Books, Criticism & Writing >

David Mitchell

10:48 / 07.09.05

I've noticed there's quite a few people in the 'Currently Reading' thread who've been reading David Mitchell, so thought I'd see if there were enough of us for a thread.

I, in common I think with most of the western world (or at least the people on my train to work) read Cloud Atlas this year. I thought it was excellent, enjoyed the connections between the different stories and thought I'd try some thing else of his -I'd also seen Ghostwritten for sale for a quid, so I bought that and... found it incredibly disappointing. Even more so because the first three stories seemed great; compact, witty, and well written -and after that everything seemed like such a chore to read, and all the connections between the characters seemed to hit that 'DO. YOU. SEE' note that Cloud Atlas managed to avoid so well. Part of the thing that kept me engaged in CA was the knowledge that I'd be returning to the characters, so maybe that was a problem with GW -nothing felt like a proper conclusion, whereas there were six proper conclusions in the former.

Also, the Timothy Cavendish story is one of the funniest things I've read all year.

So, what did you like and dislike about either of these? Also, given that I liked the most recent and not the first, would you recommend Number 9 Dream?

11:08 / 07.09.05

I vainly started a thread on number9dream when I read it - which is probably of more use, regarding that book, than my vague recollections now. Tons to say about Cloud Atlas, though, later.

Mysterious Transfer Student

11:25 / 07.09.05

Not having read the first or third, I can only comment on number9dream; Paleface's remarks in the other thread seem pretty much on the money. I liked the book, but all the crushingly hip business with Tokyo nightlife, Lynchian gangsters, smokin' Japanese babes, Calvino-wannabe literary digressions, etc., did induce a paradoxically squirmy sensation in me, which I can only summarise as: "This is what a first novel written by me would be like. And it would be shit."

Based on interviews with Mitchell, though, he doesn't seem to be the awful English Rough Guide to Japan/Neal Stephenson-without-the-maths-and-breakfast-cereal cyberpunka that some of his writing implies, so I'm actually looking forward to being the last person on the planet to read Cloud Atlas.

11:43 / 07.09.05

I, too, read Cloud Atlas, and really enjoyed it - and yes, as Vincennes said, it made a big difference to know that I'd be going back to each character. I wish I had a film of my confusion when the first chapter stuttered to a halt, mid sentence. See Ariadne turning the page, frowning, turning back, turning the book upside down, frowning, muttering about taking it back .. and then finally 'getting' it and going on to the next chapter. Still a bit disgruntled, I might add.

Mysterious Transfer Student

11:49 / 07.09.05

Wow, that was a bit snarky, wasn't it. Sorry for the name-calling by proxy, Mr Mitchell.

To actually address Vincennes' question, by all means read number9dream if Mitchell's writing style appeals to you. The material is varied enough that you're bound to find something of interest. I was surprised to learn that it was Eiji's reminiscences of boyhood on (the very-appealing sounding) Kagoshima, and his relationship with his sister, that stayed with me the most. Favourite character: Buntaro, the ultimate grumpily-avuncular landlord/employer.

Mysterious Transfer Student

11:50 / 07.09.05

Cross-post, oops. The snark was mine alone, not Ariadne's.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

12:14 / 07.09.05

I really enjoyed number9dream... I'm currently reading Ghostwritten, on and off; a story at a time.
I've got Cloud Atlas but have yet to read it.

12:31 / 07.09.05

I loved Cloud Atlas. A truly inspired and odd and original masterpiece. I had the great advantage that it was only at the tipping point, more than half way through, that I realised with a flood of relief that each tale would be revisited-- I had exerted superhuman self control in order to restrain myself from flicking ahead to check! But one reason for this was that I was told that he had a penchant in other works for leaving stories with cliffhanger endings... Thank God it was not the case in Cloud Atlas.

A friend of mine once organised a literary event in Petersham (I think) (which I sadly missed) which brought together Mitchell and AS Byatt. I would have sorely loved to see the pair of them discussing their and each other's works-- it would be like literary Fantasy Football!

16:03 / 07.09.05

I picked up number9dream totally on spec just after it came out, and thought it was excellent, he instantly hopped onto my ‘authors to buy in hardback list’ (a very short list, made even shorter by China Mieville’s alleged retirement from writing).

"This is what a first novel written by me would be like. And it would be shit."

That is basically exactly how I felt about it too. But it’s just great to see someone make the book you’ve always wanted to write but not known (much like watching Brazil or Miller’s Crossing for the first time). I’ve been impressed by all three of his books really, and whilst I think CA actually has the most ‘issues’, it’s also the most impressed I’ve been by a novel on the booker prize list since reading the frankly brilliant Disgrace

To address the question: Cloud Atlas and Ghostwritten are much more similar novels, and it’s hard to draw a conclusion from your preference. But I’d recommend it anyway. It’s only short.

19:35 / 07.09.05

Cheers -I was just reading the other thread (cheers for the link Paleface) and the words There's a lot of good in it, and there's also a lot of writing that should be a lot better. Overall, it's a thing of shreds and patches; the actual overall narrative didn't grab me basically explained how I felt about Ghostwritten but possibly failed to articulate. Still, we've got the second novel in the house, so I'll give it a go just to see what I think of it!

Ariadne -I'd been warned about the end of the first Ewing section, and it still didn't take away the shock of the words just stopping. But Frobisher was probably my favourite part, which made it seem better somehow.

DrNick, I'd be interested to hear why you think CA actually has the most ‘issues’ -I enjoyed the language he used, and the way the characters managed to have different voices and not seem forced, so much I might have glossed over the problems it had.

16:07 / 08.09.05

"DrNick, I'd be interested to hear why you think CA actually has the most ‘issues’ -I enjoyed the language he used, and the way the characters managed to have different voices and not seem forced, so much I might have glossed over the problems it had. "

I suppose by ‘issues’ I mean that – in part anyway – it had some sections that worked better than others. Although I’m sure that the sections I enjoyed most (the near future and the composer ones, btw) won’t be yours! And… I dunno, the ending did underwhelm me slightly, even though I thought it worked. Whereas I loved the ending to Ghostwritten.

The perils of a non-traditional narrative structure! I expect if I read it again these criticisms would disappear completely, as re-reading imposes a very fluid narrative anyway. Or something.

Still a great book anyway.

04:01 / 13.09.05

I recently finished CA and quite loved it - the interaction of the stories satisfied me in a way that the interconnectedness of Tim Winton's The Turning did (thread here), which is to say that I didn't find myself looking for connections in a way that interrupted the story with CA, whereas I did with The Turning.

But I wanted to ask all and sundry - does anyone have any thoughts on WHY Mister Mitchell chose to write the book the way he did? Purely formalist to-see-if-it-could-be-done reasons, or is there something about the overarching narrative of the protagonists' stories that is served by this babushka-doll structure?

I'll take first bat and say that I thought there was a thematic addressing of humanity and progress, and things tied together philosophically in a way between the first narrator and the final narrator that made me think that that was what he was going for.

I know that's a bit vague, sorry.

16:55 / 14.09.05

Well, I caught Mitchell talking at last years Edinburgh Book Festival, and he said that he structured it in this way because he liked to give himself complex puzzles to work his way out of. The form creating the content, if you will.

He also said he really loved If On A Winter's Night A Traveller (which really shows!) and wanted to try a book like it, except in which the strands all get tied up.

11:02 / 19.09.05

If you live in London, the amusingly-named ‘Fopp’ on Shaftesbury Avenue has copies of the hardback edition of Cloud Atlas for a mere three of your earth pounds. I bought one, and look forward to making a more useful contribution to this thread soonish.

16:46 / 28.09.05

I finished Cloud Atlas last week and very much enjoyed it- The only David Mitchell book i've read although i may well seek out others.

I wasn't sure whether to start a new thread for the book- although I think it shouldn't threadrot things too much to share a couple of thoughts on it.

***POSSIBLE SPOILERS***

The Timothy Cavendish story led me to thinking about the structure of the stories and a possible- although certainly not necessary link between them.

Are we supposed to believe the 'Orison of Somni 451' includes the other stories?

I’m only thinking this because 'Half Lives the first Louisa Ray Mystery' includes Letters from Zedelghem- (as we are told in The Ghastley Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish.)

This would then set 'Sloosha's Crossin' as the present and the whole story is told around a camp fire by Zachry...

I also had a conversation with a work collegue who thought it would make a great movie- i however couldn't think of a worse movie made from a novel. The joy of the book is the loose connections and the different writing styles- the abiguity of the links between them- certainly a book lovers book, please don't make it into a movie it'll be horrible. Anybody disagree/ agree?

17:07 / 28.09.05

I wasn't sure whether to start a new thread for the book- although I think it shouldn't threadrot things too much to share a couple of thoughts on it.

I'm happy for this thread to veer off into talking just about CA; I think it's the one most people will have read. Whilst I know you weren't asking me I did start this thread mostly with an eye to talking about it, there can always be a spoilers warning in the title if it's felt necessary...

I can't imagine at all how a film of this would work; can't help but feel that the one visual connection between all the characters necessarily look a bit obvious, and then the story would be back to (what I thought was) the problem with Ghostwritten. Did your colleague say how he'd go about structuring it as a film?

More later, I hope, when I've had a think about which stories included each other again...

17:43 / 28.09.05

Did your colleague say how he'd go about structuring it as a film?

No sadly i think i offended him! He's someone that i rarely work with (a freelancer that works in another department) - i saw the book sitting on his desk and commented on how i'd also just read it and really enjoyed it (partly with the idea of making conversation- he's a bit of a loner). He then says 'i'm sure the film rights have been sold, i'm sure it'll make a super film' - i tell him i disagree as the surely the whole beauty of it is the the changing writing styles and lack of a solid coherent/ linear plot- as much of the links are ambiguous.

He started talking about how all best sellers make good films and something about the Da Vinci Code... the conversation soon trailed off when i realised his social skills weren't great and thats why he's a bit of a loner...

I guess someone will probably option it as it has been very successful (maybe his point although not well made) - maybe it would work better (if at all) as a white teeth style mini series. Although somekind of drastic restructuring may be needed- maybe using one story to introduce another etc- although it could be an epic undertaking and essentially ruin the story.

19:04 / 28.09.05

Yes, I think you'd have to make the links between the characters really explicit; there'd be no more of the ambiguity of whether or not a character is 'real', or whether or not something 'happened'. However, I know what he means because I'd love to see Somni's world visualised well; I think that all the locations in the book are described excellently, and I was left wanting to know more about each of them... So I think it would be quite exciting from that point of view, if only for people who've read the book.