Ghostwritten (by David Mitchell)
I continue to love David Mitchell. If you want to give Cloud Atlas a try, but are a little put off by it, try Ghostwritten instead. It's like a more accessible Cloud Atlas. It's a series of interlocking stories told all over the world, and it's just incredibly well done. There are lots of motifs and lots of tiny connectons that you have to puzzle out. I know I haven't puzzled them all out yet!
Not only are the connections among all the stories, one of the characters is in Black Swan Green, and two are in Cloud Atlas. (The recurring comet is also in Cloud Atlas, also.)
As for the stories, I think my favorites were the lady in the Tea Shack and the ghostwriter (whose name, I think, was Marco). I also loved to hate the art gallery woman. But all the stories are fascinating in their own ways. And Mitchell is incredibly talented. If you want a less intimidating introduction to Mitchell, I completely recommend Ghostwritten.
Not only are the connections among all the stories, one of the characters is in Black Swan Green, and two are in Cloud Atlas. (The recurring comet is also in Cloud Atlas, also.)
As for the stories, I think my favorites were the lady in the Tea Shack and the ghostwriter (whose name, I think, was Marco). I also loved to hate the art gallery woman. But all the stories are fascinating in their own ways. And Mitchell is incredibly talented. If you want a less intimidating introduction to Mitchell, I completely recommend Ghostwritten.
posted by mo pie at 5:53 PM
2 Comments:
The story that always gets me, and I don't know exactly why, is Hong Kong/Neal Brose. I love that chapter. The protagonist is pretty much an asshole (even if you haven't read Black Swan Green you get that idea) and not a great guy moralitywise, but his narrative climbing the mountain is so exhiliratingly expansive and crazed, it makes me teary. You end up being sympathetic a little bit for him, since he's going crazy, and I love that Mitchell manages that.
I did hate Neal, but then you're right, he's a very interesting character to read about, and in the end, climbing the mountain, that's quite a moment. And it really echoes throughout all of the remaining stories, so it kind of needs to be a "moment" to have that effect. And I loved the ghost in that chapter, too. And the housekeeper. A really good chapter, especially in context.
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