lol, i forgot about that until you mentioned it. the last thing i remembered was the radio show.
― emotional radiohead whatever (Jordan), Wednesday, 14 July 2010 21:00 (thirteen years ago) link
oh god that damn chapter was endless.
― I'm never gonna do it without the Lex on (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 14 July 2010 21:06 (thirteen years ago) link
he's the neil gaiman of writing
― thomp, Sunday, June 8, 2008 12:29 AM (2 years ago) Bookmark
do you know, i think i might stand by this? enjoying this a great deal though, wish i could remember what happened to the copy of number9dream i bought like five years ago
― thomp, Friday, 23 July 2010 15:03 (thirteen years ago) link
I am going to hear him read tonight. Is the new book worth buying in hardback?
― European Bob (admrl), Friday, 23 July 2010 15:47 (thirteen years ago) link
It's a nice looking thing (at least in its European incarnation), and well, having a book in hardback can increase the pleasurable sense of ceremony reading a new book can bring. It wasn't my favourite of his - plenty to be getting on with tho.
― Hide the prickforks (GamalielRatsey), Friday, 23 July 2010 15:53 (thirteen years ago) link
just finished ghostwritten. i think i liked it more than cloud atlas, even--less of a focus on a specific reincarnative weirdness and more a generalized kind of... butterfly effect? the way things ripple across the sections is pretty amazing, and he does it in this incredibly beautiful way that makes certain themes and objects and ideas actually kind of echo instead of being all DO YOU SEE DO YOU SEE.
i love, too, what he does with the practice of reading--the way you have to give up entirely on your training to expect an ending or a conclusion; you simply read and trust mitchell to make everything interesting. as in cloud atlas i was bummed out every time a section ended and then immediately enthralled by the next one.
the only bit that dragged was the bat segundo radio show. i didnt like bat very much, and i was a little sad that the book climaxed in that bit. although the conversation between the zookeeper and the noncorprum almost sent shivers down my spine!
― max, Friday, 23 July 2010 18:25 (thirteen years ago) link
"Please don't worry, Bat. I traced the caller. He won't interrupt us again."
― max, Friday, 23 July 2010 18:26 (thirteen years ago) link
I loved the Holy Mountain section; that's what hooked me.
― balls and adieu (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 24 July 2010 01:46 (thirteen years ago) link
i think i'm enjoying this (ca) a lot more for how i'd been warned off some stuff by the above posts
tbh the endings of the second halves so far are causing a sort of inner 'haha YESSSS' for the most part
― thomp, Saturday, 24 July 2010 12:16 (thirteen years ago) link
the the people at the top of the thread were weirdly down on cloud atlas, dunno what their problem was
― max, Saturday, 24 July 2010 15:22 (thirteen years ago) link
i liked it even though i criticised it a bit.
the way things ripple across the sections is pretty amazing, and he does it in this incredibly beautiful way that makes certain themes and objects and ideas actually kind of echo instead of being all DO YOU SEE DO YOU SEE.
think this pretty well encapsulates the probs i have with cloud atlas and why i still find ghostwritten a better book.
― jed_, Sunday, 25 July 2010 13:59 (thirteen years ago) link
as in cloud atlas i was bummed out every time a section ended and then immediately enthralled by the next one.
This is basically what I loved most about this. I was particularly super-pissed when the Somni story ended on a cliffhanger, and for 2 pages at least of "Sloosha's Crossin'..." was convinced there was no way it could live up to it. But then of course "Sloosha's Crossin'..." quickly became my favourite.
― Tim F, Friday, 30 July 2010 14:44 (thirteen years ago) link
― max, Friday, July 23, 2010 6:25 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark
What are other people's interpretations of this final chapter? I've never had the opportunity to discuss it with anybody.
― The Bartered Bride (Ówen P.), Tuesday, 10 August 2010 18:43 (thirteen years ago) link
for what its worth im not opposed to the idea of a dialogue (well monologue, almost)-only chapter, and in certain ways i like the "concept," i just found it irrtating because the character is so irritating, and a lot of it felt forced
― max, Tuesday, 10 August 2010 20:36 (thirteen years ago) link
I'm in the middle of Cloud Atlas, and absolutely love it.
They're making it into a movie with a pretty impressive cast , to put it mildly.
It seems almost impossible to make a satisfying 2 1/2 hour movie from this book. Do you think they'll try to do all six stories?
― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 10 August 2010 21:54 (thirteen years ago) link
I just checked it out of the library, a few weeks after reading Ghostwritten and Black Swan Green.
― Gucci Mane hermeneuticist (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 10 August 2010 22:04 (thirteen years ago) link
I wish they would stop making films of popular books.
I haven't read this yet (carefully skimming the thread) but enjoying Ghostwritten. Pretty sure Tom Tykwer has never actually made a good film.
― Tolaca Luke (admrl), Tuesday, 10 August 2010 22:08 (thirteen years ago) link
Just finished cloud atlas about an hour ago, <3ed it, and I'm stoked they're making a movie because the same thought occurred to me several times while reading it. tbh they could film the orison of somni and zach'ry sections alone and I'd be a happy camper.
― Z S, Monday, 6 September 2010 19:03 (thirteen years ago) link
'Cloud Atlas' was the first book I read of David Mitchell and it was a tough read. I was impressed and read all the others after, just finished 'The Thousand Autumns...'. The thing with 'Cloud Atlas' was that I didn't know what to expect, with the others it was different. It was also the only DM book I did not read in English but in its Dutch translation. Now, I try to read books in the language in which they are written. For some reason 'Cloud Atlas's compositional structure was a bit too much for its own good, I thought 'Ghostwritten' was a better idea. The part with the dj show was ace, a nice variation on the last chapter of Ulysses (Ali Smith did the same in one of her books, but this for me is a more funny variation, just a talk-sick dj ranting on and on like a real radio dj).
Even though I think 'The Thousand Autumn's...' story progresses slowly, there are so many things going on at the same time I could not stop reading. I'm already waiting for the next book.
― EvR, Monday, 6 September 2010 19:57 (thirteen years ago) link
I thought The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet was decent, but my least favorite of his. Maybe it's just not my type of book, but the first half was an uphill slog through 18th century medicine and trade agreements, and I didn't care for the main character. But, it definitely picks up speed and suspense towards the middle, and ends quite well.
To n/a's question way up thread, the answer is his hair color.
― Cherish, Monday, 4 October 2010 15:01 (thirteen years ago) link
Paris Review interview. Long, not very exciting, but charmed to learn that in youth he wrote poetry under a pseudonym taken from the Stainless Steel Rat.
― portrait of velleity (woof), Thursday, 28 October 2010 10:03 (thirteen years ago) link
I never read any of those, despite them heavily populating the science-fiction section of my local library. Were they any good? (Bearing in mind that I would read anything, bad, good, dull - my critical markers weren't set too high).
― Pork Pius V (GamalielRatsey), Thursday, 28 October 2010 10:21 (thirteen years ago) link
I loved them when I was eleven. May have been my favourite books.
― portrait of velleity (woof), Thursday, 28 October 2010 10:26 (thirteen years ago) link
Is the Paris Review available anywhere in London, does anyone know? Would like to get the current issue for the Norman Rush interview, but ordering a single issue from their site is absurdly expensive...
My abiding memory of the Stainless Steel Rat (wasn't aware there were novels!)http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/35/Stainless_steel_rat_prog171_carlos_ezquerra.jpg/250px-Stainless_steel_rat_prog171_carlos_ezquerra.jpg
― Stevie T, Thursday, 28 October 2010 10:35 (thirteen years ago) link
I was aware of the books, but I never read them, preferring to read about Jim diGriz's exploits in the pages of 2000AD (^^^that prog's cover takes me back!).
― like an ant to a crumb (DavidM), Thursday, 28 October 2010 11:36 (thirteen years ago) link
they were better than 'bill, the galactic hero'
― thomp, Thursday, 28 October 2010 11:45 (thirteen years ago) link
read a lot of shit from 11-15, i did
I began Number9Dream. n/a, any advice?
― sandra lee, gimme your alcohol (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 3 November 2010 19:20 (thirteen years ago) link
ha ha - what do you need advice on? anything in particular?
(note: I read Number9Dream like five years ago and have a terrible memory so I am not going to be able to offer anything useful on it)
― congratulations (n/a), Wednesday, 3 November 2010 23:41 (thirteen years ago) link
oh at the top I say I like Number9Dream more than Cloud Atlas? that's weird, I don't know why I said that. But referring back, I do see my five year estimate was accurate! So good for me!
My current ranking:GhostwrittenCloud AtlasBlack Swan GreenNumber9DreamJacob de Zoet
but I like all of them
― congratulations (n/a), Wednesday, 3 November 2010 23:42 (thirteen years ago) link
Paris Review is available at the LRB shop.
I was blown away by #9dream - maybe even more than I was by all other Mitchell except BSG and (haven't read) the Thousand Autumns.
― the pinefox, Thursday, 4 November 2010 11:16 (thirteen years ago) link
Have you read any Murakami, Pinefox?
I'd currently rank them:
GhostwrittenCloud AtlasBlack Swan GreenJacob De ZoetNumber9Dream
Number9Dream never really gelled for me but it certainly had its moments.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 4 November 2010 11:36 (thirteen years ago) link
I like Number9Dream best, though the center section of Cloud Atlas is probably my favorite thing he's written.
Number9DreamCloud Atlas
GhostwrittenJacob de ZoetBlack Swan Green
― Cherish, Thursday, 4 November 2010 14:47 (thirteen years ago) link
oh at the top I say I like Number9Dream more than Cloud Atlas?
Yeah, so far I think I agree.
― sandra lee, gimme your alcohol (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 4 November 2010 15:28 (thirteen years ago) link
I need to reread all of these, but I'm not much of a rereader.
― congratulations (n/a), Thursday, 4 November 2010 15:31 (thirteen years ago) link
i thought black swan green was great, though a little bit "neat" in the way it ended. but as far as that coming-of-age type of story goes, it was at the top of the genre.
― omar little, Thursday, 4 November 2010 20:34 (thirteen years ago) link
yup.
i guess i would put cloud atlas/ghostwritten/black swan green above jacob de zoet too, but that makes it look like it's not good, and it is. really enjoyed it.
― bows don't kill people, arrows do (Jordan), Thursday, 4 November 2010 20:50 (thirteen years ago) link
Nice lil piece abt what a Kate bush fan he is - http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jan/01/kate-bush-hero-david-mitchell
― just sayin, Monday, 3 January 2011 12:03 (thirteen years ago) link
to answer question above: only read Murakami short stories. found them deeply unconvincing, or deeply shallow, or frustrating, or nugatory, or immature. wonder how far it's a translation problem and he is a much better writer really; was quite bamboozled by how mediocre he seemed in English sentences.
hence, while not doubting that #9dream must derive in part from DM's admiration of Murakami, am pretty certain that as a piece of writing in English #9dream is a million times better than, at least, the limited amount of M. that I have read in English.
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 4 January 2011 11:11 (thirteen years ago) link
I'm not a fan of Murakami at all, at all, but the charm of his writing-- and the thing that Mitchell emulates in number9dream-- at least, in my estimation-- is that episodic, non-sequitur quality that you find in classical Japanese literature. And, I'm told, Chinese lit too, but I haven't read any of that.
Mitchell takes the same idea, and has Eiji's adventure transpire like a stream-of-consciousness. The first time I read it, when the Yakuza section suddenly happened, it felt very much like Murakami, not to mention that Goatwriter chapter.
On another note, I reread De Zoet over Christmas and it's far and away my favourite of his. I was asked to interview him for a magazine, and started making inquiries, but later realized the editor was talking about this guy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Mitchell_(actor)
― ARP 2600 vs. Atari 2600 (Ówen P.), Wednesday, 12 January 2011 11:31 (thirteen years ago) link
sadly, in their home country this guy is a lot more famous
― thomp, Wednesday, 12 January 2011 21:00 (thirteen years ago) link
No disrespect to this guy intended.
― ARP 2600 vs. Atari 2600 (Ówen P.), Thursday, 13 January 2011 04:20 (thirteen years ago) link
On another note, I reread De Zoet over Christmas and it's far and away my favourite of his. I was asked to interview him for a magazine, and started making inquiries, but later realized the editor was talking about this [other] guy
that sux cuz he was by a decent margin the most interested and enjoyable of the handful of authors ive ever interviewed
ive thought about giving de zoet another shot because it took a second reading for me to really 'get' black swan green but i cant muster up the energy.
― Lamp, Thursday, 13 January 2011 07:46 (thirteen years ago) link
I like "...De Zoet" even more after letting it sink in and talking about it with my friends as they've read it.
― bows don't kill people, arrows do (Jordan), Thursday, 13 January 2011 15:41 (thirteen years ago) link
apparently tom hanks is going to star in an adaptation co-written and co-directed by the wachowskis and tom tykwer of run lola run?
― ban drake (the rapper) (max), Wednesday, 13 April 2011 01:51 (thirteen years ago) link
produced by ... michael bay?
― they call him (remy bean), Wednesday, 13 April 2011 01:57 (thirteen years ago) link
i always thought it should be a 12-episode HBO miniseries broadcast in the same order as the book, w/ different directors for each segment doing 2 episodes each
― ban drake (the rapper) (max), Wednesday, 13 April 2011 02:03 (thirteen years ago) link
unfortunately i am not in charge
your idea is better!
― the pinefox, Wednesday, 13 April 2011 08:51 (thirteen years ago) link
Much better, although conversely I don't think there's so much spilling out of Cloud Atlas that it couldn't be served well by a film adaptation. Hopefully they restrict Hanks to just one section rather than having him play several characters.
Luisa Rey section aside, the BBC might make a better fist of a Cloud Atlas series than HBO. Can't quite see an HBO-ised Timothy Cavendish story somehow.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 13 April 2011 09:09 (thirteen years ago) link