I just finished all the David Mitchell books

Submitted by mankindmatt5 t3_11c7io3 in books

Naturally, just to confirm, that's the novelist, not the star of Peep Show and other UK comedies.

Must say, I thoroughly enjoyed all of them.

Mitchell has a great way of immersing you in his characters world's, and I just love the way the stories connect with side characters and events hopping up in all of the novels.

I'd probably rate his first, Ghostwritten, as my favourite, with Cloud Atlas a close second.

Mitchell has created this huge overarching narrative, with his disembodied/reincarnated beings fighting an ongoing war, and various mentions of an apocalyptic event of some kind, which is mostly teased and still mysterious as to exactly what happens.

I just can't wait to find out what's coming next, but I can't find any info on his upcoming projects or releases.

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ionlydateninjas t1_ja24kmt wrote

Sorry, I did immediately think of the actor. Which is funny he played Shakespeare in Upstart Crow. William Shakespeare was accused of having ghost writers, a few episodes joke about it.

I will check out David Mitchell the authors books. Thank you.

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DayOldTurkeySandwich t1_ja2jtey wrote

The very first chapter of his memoir he tells this long winding story that ends with someone mistaking him for the author lol

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wordyshipmate82 t1_ja2yja5 wrote

Upstart Crow is wonderful, and so too are both the novelist and the actor.

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the_scarlett_ning t1_ja26jsv wrote

I loved Ghostwritten!! I thought it better than Cloud Atlas, but it’s hard to say exactly why. I think because Ghostwritten has a more vague concept at first, and it’s only at the end that you really understand these weren’t all just various tales about mostly unconnected people and places, but they were linked together to culminate in that final tale which is foreboding (to me), but a bit open ended.

By having the common narrator in Cloud Atlas, I felt it gave that “Aha!” moment away. But maybe that’s because I’d already read Ghostwritten and I’d have felt differently if I read CA first.

I also loved The Bone Clocks, and then Slade House. I found Slade House to be more sinister and frightening than Bone Clocks, which is odd since >! The villains in BC could move around while the Slade House had to lure people to come into the house !<

Utopia was entertaining, but felt very different from the others, but I haven’t yet read “The Thousand Summers…”, Black Swan Green, or Number9Dream.

Why would you say Ghostwritten was your favorite? Which was your least?

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mankindmatt5 OP t1_ja2a7b5 wrote

I think Mitchell is a pretty worldly or well travelled guy, so something I really like about Ghostwritten is the sheer number of interesting locations and tidbits about the local culture.

Especially as I'm of an Irish extraction, and have spent a fair whack of time in Japan and Hong Kong.

I'd also say the 'Holy Mountain' chapter is seminal. Feels rather like a very condensed version of 'Wild Swans', beautifully told. Then the Mongolia chapter takes things from interesting, odd, random connections to a whole new level.

I just finished Slade House last night, and it was indeed very very scary. I'm guessing that we will see a bit more from Norah, and Enomoto in future novels.

I also assume Hugo Lamb and Holly Sykes grandkids will show up somewhere down the line.

Least favourite, but only just, probably Utopia Avenue - and I really enjoyed that one anyway. Although I probably should have read it after Bone Clocks.

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the_scarlett_ning t1_ja2bwpp wrote

If you can find a copy, you should check out The Incarnations by Sue Barker. It has a similar feel to Mitchell, especially Ghostwritten and Cloud Atlas. It’s a bit darker, more gruesome though.

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Accomplished_Web1549 t1_ja2ni9j wrote

But not Sue Barker off of Question of Sport and Wimbledon, just to keep the British novelist/celebrity confusion going.

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the_scarlett_ning t1_ja2bq81 wrote

Wait, “Wild Swans” or “Black Swan Green”?

I’d like to plot all his novels from before he had his son and after and see if I can recognize any changes in his writing. Like Utopia seems so different from his other stuff (although maybe it’s more along the ones I haven’t read yet), I wonder if becoming a dad, especially to a special needs boy, made him want to write something more hopeful (? I’m not sure if that’s the right word, but less dark).

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mankindmatt5 OP t1_ja2cb84 wrote

Wild Swans by Jung Chang

It's a biographical account of three generations of Chinese women, going through the shift from feudal China, civil war, and Mao's cultural revolution

In 'Holy Mountain' we get to see the same woman live through all of that.

As for Utopia Ave, maybe just wanted to write something fun? I think darkness will be back on the menu whenever his next one is out.

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the_scarlett_ning t1_ja2ceim wrote

Omg! I have that book! I love it! But I’ve never heard anyone else reference it. That’s awesome!

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mankindmatt5 OP t1_ja2l5yq wrote

>By having the common narrator in Cloud Atlas, I felt it gave that “Aha!” moment away

By the way, sorry, what do you mean by this? The main character in each story is a reincarnation?

I think I read that theory somewhere once before, but it doesn't add up somehow.

Timothy Cavendish and Luisa Rey are alive at the same time, are they not? So they can't be the same soul.

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the_scarlett_ning t1_ja41wb6 wrote

Hmm, I’d have to go back and check again but I definitely got the feeling that there was some kind of reincarnation/rebirth. Maybe it was just kindred spirits.

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wordyshipmate82 t1_ja2yqu3 wrote

Utopia was different, which was nice, it didn't feel like a David Mitchell book like the others, particularly Bone Clocks and Cloud Atlas do. I love the latter books, but I would welcome any work from him, regardless of the presence or lack of the quasi-magical realism of some of his books.

The other book that does not have these elements is probably Black Swan Green; his most traditional novel.

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vibraltu t1_ja2dtoq wrote

My fave was 1000 Autumns and I hated Utopia Ave.

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Any-Profession-5595 t1_ja38uet wrote

Utopia Avenue seemed like Mitchell just wanted to shove in as many references to musicians and characters in his other books as he could

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vibraltu t1_ja3nky7 wrote

I was turned off by the fake-sounding cameos by real rock musicians. They made it read like bad fan-fic.

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AdAccomplished5905 t1_ja311sv wrote

I've read The Bone Clocks by him a few years back - it was a recommendation that my creative writing teacher told me to check out since I have a knack for world-building in my short stories.

I remember it being pretty dense when reading the book, but the more I read it, the more I got invested in it. I, overall, really enjoyed it, and I look forward to reading more of his books later on in the early future.

Edit: typo

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michaelisnotginger t1_ja39jfe wrote

Ghostwritten is amazing equal to cloud atlas imo

Could never get into number9dream

Cloud atlas is obviously exceptional. Black swan green I really like but is very much of his time and place

Never read the autumns of Jacob Zoet, but didn't finish utopia avenue.... dreadful

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Sumtimesagr8notion t1_ja6e99a wrote

I was so excited when Utopia Avenue came out. And then so disappointed immediately after starting it. It felt like a different author, the dialogue and humor was so cheesy. It felt like Mitchell was trying to tap into his inner Andy Weir or something

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imnotthatguyiswear t1_ja2buv2 wrote

I'm afraid no one alive today can ever really say they've finished all of his books.

"From Me Flows What You Call Time" will elude us.

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Mr_BoneClock t1_ja3gaul wrote

A toddler or a new born today can still make it to 2114

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imnotthatguyiswear t1_ja6z39n wrote

Will that baby read books? Will that baby read David Mitchell? Will that baby read all of David Mitchell? Will that baby be healthy or interested enough to read in 2114?

Exceptions can exist. And your exception is certainly possible, sure. Is it probable? Not enough to be of any significance to the conversation.

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CunningFatalist t1_ja2lwf4 wrote

I still haven't read Utopia Avenue and 1000 Autumns but all the other books are just wonderful. I'm looking forward to finishing the remaining two. It feels like Mitchell can tackle just any genre or character and make it something special.

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Sumtimesagr8notion t1_ja6edcl wrote

1000 Autumns is fantastic in every way. Utopia Avenue might be the worst book I've attempted to read in years

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BuckedMallard t1_ja2tgmg wrote

I’m reading Slade House now and it’s awesome. I like how the short stories function as standalone stories and characters that really stick out. Like he has a way of getting you invested in the characters, even before he ties them to the main plot of the book

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DarthRegoria t1_ja2ccyq wrote

I’m sad to learn it’s not the British comedian who writes these novels

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Shuppilubiuma t1_ja2x500 wrote

If you read them in the voice of the comedian David Mitchell the books are, indeed, funnier. There is no truth to the rumour that they are one and the same person, or that the comedian David Mitchell is in fact a glove puppet moved and voiced by the ventriloquist-author David Mitchell.

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Solar_Kestrel t1_ja32t5o wrote

>Naturally, just to confirm, that's the novelist, not the star of Peep Show and other UK comedies.

Well, that's a shame.

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Linnatic t1_ja38g9q wrote

What do you think of 'Black Swan Green'? I have it on my shelf and hope to get to it soon as my first Mitchell book :)

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bluerose297 t1_ja4qltn wrote

I'm not OP, but Black Swan Green is lovely. The main character has a stutter and as a result the book totally nails what it feels like to grow up with a speech impediment. (Spoiler alert: having a speech impediment in middle school sucks!) It also just nails what it feels like to be a kid in general, where your opinion of the adults around you (not to mention your entire sense of self) starts to evolve in weird, unexpected ways.

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Linnatic t1_ja4zweu wrote

Thanks! Definitely going to prioritize it 😀

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lab_R_inth t1_ja3rwen wrote

I have mixed feelings about David Mitchell's books. I LOVED Ghostwritten, Cloud Atlas, and The Bone Clocks. But I hated Number9dream. It was all over the place and never really came together. I thought 1000 autumns was ok. I can see how Slade House is a good book, but it was too creepy for my tastes. I have a copy of Utopia Avenue and I'm kind of afraid to start it - not sure if it will be a David Mitchell hit or miss for me.

He's an amazing and imaginative writer though. Even Number9dream had beautiful writing even though I didn't like the story overall.

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Practical_Arrival696 t1_ja4apyo wrote

I really enjoy his books and have a few still to read in my backlog. There are very few authors where I’ll finish their novel and think to myself that if I was to write a book, I’d want it to be exactly like that. Bone Clocks, Cloud Atlas and 1000 Summers all gave me this feeling. (Unfortunately I have zero writing talent!). Utopia Avenue was quite hit and miss but good all the same.

I’m also a big fan of the other David Mitchell!

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ToadWearingLoafers t1_ja4mlmc wrote

I have read and loved Cloud Atlas, 1000 Autumns, Bone Clocks, and Slade House. I have also read Utopia Avenue, but it was just ok in my opinion. I’m excited to read the rest. Based on your review I might go with Ghostwritten first!

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142Ironmanagain t1_ja5ac33 wrote

Only read Mitchell’s first 4 books (Ghost, #9, Black Swan & Cloud) and Ghostwritten was by far my favorite as well! Cloud Atlas gets all the buzz, with the movie tie-in too (didn’t see it), but he really nailed with his first novel. About to start Bone Clocks too

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Regular-Year-7441 t1_ja4f02t wrote

He’s been tied up in script writing ever since the very bad adaptation of Cloud Atlas

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mankindmatt5 OP t1_ja66n18 wrote

I believe he worked on Sense8.

Should have been a bigger hit than it was, although Netflix buggered it by cancelling too early.

Cloud Atlas would have worked fantastically as a mini series too. I'd even keep the weird gender/race bending casting, but it needs 10-12 episodes to let the story breathe

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