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Thank you, sulcus
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dancingsue
 03 Oct 2011, 11:39 #131412 Reply To Post
for recommending Ghostwritten by David Mitchell. I'm so excited by the writing. The vitality of it.
This post was last edited by dancingsue, 03 Oct 2011, 11:40
the long and the short of it

sulcus
 03 Oct 2011, 14:50 #131426 Reply To Post
Quote: dancingsue, Monday, 3 Oct 2011 11:39
for recommending Ghostwritten by David Mitchell. I'm so excited by the writing. The vitality of it.


Pleasure. Funnily enough I am currently reading his latest book, "1000 Autumns of Jacob de Zoet" and despite my preudice against HF, am prepared to make an exception in this case...
"A,B&E", "Not In My Name" and "52FF" (flash fiction anthology) all available on Amazon Kindle

"How a psychopath makes sweet love. I can get you ringside. Royal box even."
dancingsue
 03 Oct 2011, 14:55 #131427 Reply To Post
It's a bit of a mystery how he managed to go on and write something as turgid as Cloud Atlas. For me it felt like wading through treacle, although I admit I didn't read past the first 60 pages. Life's too short.
the long and the short of it

sulcus
 03 Oct 2011, 16:42 #131435 Reply To Post
Quote: dancingsue, Monday, 3 Oct 2011 14:55
It's a bit of a mystery how he managed to go on and write something as turgid as Cloud Atlas. For me it felt like wading through treacle, although I admit I didn't read past the first 60 pages. Life's too short.


I think Cloud Atlas was a case of awarding an Oscar for the body of work, rather than the film/book in question. Even though at that stage of his career, the book was only the 3rd one and hardly constituted a body of work... (hell even I've got 3 books out now...) Cloud Atlas certainly garnered a lot of good press. Meh, what ya gonna do?
"A,B&E", "Not In My Name" and "52FF" (flash fiction anthology) all available on Amazon Kindle

"How a psychopath makes sweet love. I can get you ringside. Royal box even."
1290937
 04 Oct 2011, 20:54 #131530 Reply To Post
Hi Sulcus,

I'll consider that a recommendation to buy the latest of David Mitchell's work. I would be interested to hear what you think of it, once you have finished reading it.

I liked Cloud Atlas and confessed that on another MB here. I was impressed by his versatility and I enjoyed hearing him talk about the creative side of how he went about that book. I also enjoyed his contribution in The Book of Other People edited by Zadie Smith, again it showed that whatever else he is, he is versatile and has something to say/teach folk like me.

All the best,

L

Quote: sulcus, Monday, 3 Oct 2011 16:42
Quote: dancingsue, Monday, 3 Oct 2011 14:55
It's a bit of a mystery how he managed to go on and write something as turgid as Cloud Atlas. For me it felt like wading through treacle, although I admit I didn't read past the first 60 pages. Life's too short.


I think Cloud Atlas was a case of awarding an Oscar for the body of work, rather than the film/book in question. Even though at that stage of his career, the book was only the 3rd one and hardly constituted a body of work... (hell even I've got 3 books out now...) Cloud Atlas certainly garnered a lot of good press. Meh, what ya gonna do?


sulcus
 04 Oct 2011, 21:12 #131533 Reply To Post
Quote: 1290937, Tuesday, 4 Oct 2011 20:54
Hi Sulcus,

I'll consider that a recommendation to buy the latest of David Mitchell's work. I would be interested to hear what you think of it, once you have finished reading it.

I liked Cloud Atlas and confessed that on another MB here. I was impressed by his versatility and I enjoyed hearing him talk about the creative side of how he went about that book. I also enjoyed his contribution in The Book of Other People edited by Zadie Smith, again it showed that whatever else he is, he is versatile and has something to say/teach folk like me.

All the best,

L

Quote: sulcus, Monday, 3 Oct 2011 16:42
Quote: dancingsue, Monday, 3 Oct 2011 14:55
It's a bit of a mystery how he managed to go on and write something as turgid as Cloud Atlas. For me it felt like wading through treacle, although I admit I didn't read past the first 60 pages. Life's too short.


I think Cloud Atlas was a case of awarding an Oscar for the body of work, rather than the film/book in question. Even though at that stage of his career, the book was only the 3rd one and hardly constituted a body of work... (hell even I've got 3 books out now...) Cloud Atlas certainly garnered a lot of good press. Meh, what ya gonna do?




versatility indeed. "Cloud Atlas" and "Ghostwritten" are multi genre hopping from one to another within the same book. In "The Thousand Autumns Of Jacob de Zoet" he tackles a new genre for him, historical fiction and does it beautifully. Don't forget, he's lived in Japan and seems well versed in its strange (to us) etiquette and this book lays out all the notions of honour & deference and the like in its historical context and then contrasts it with similar but less spiritually based power games & deferences of colonoalism, mercantilism and slavery.

It is a superb read. And interestingly in the paperback edition, there's a short 6 page essay by the author on 'why historical fiction'. The essay didn't convince me, but the novel did. A stunning and snooth read of an era most of us probably know very little about.
"A,B&E", "Not In My Name" and "52FF" (flash fiction anthology) all available on Amazon Kindle

"How a psychopath makes sweet love. I can get you ringside. Royal box even."
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