The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet

By: David Mitchell

Narrated by: Jonathan Aris, Paula Wilcox

Length: 18 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

A Booker finalist and Mail on Sunday/John Llewellyn Rhys Prize winner, David Mitchell was called “prodigiously daring and imaginative” by Time and “a genius” by the New York Times Book Review.

The year is 1799, the place Dejima in Nagasaki Harbor, the “high-walled, fan-shaped artificial island” that is the Japanese Empire’s single port and sole window onto the world, designed to keep the West at bay; the farthest outpost of the war-ravaged Dutch East Indies Company; and a de facto prison for the dozen foreigners permitted to live and work there. To this place of devious merchants, deceitful interpreters, costly courtesans, earthquakes, and typhoons comes Jacob de Zoet, a devout and resourceful young clerk who has five years in the East to earn a fortune of sufficient size to win the hand of his wealthy fiancée back in Holland.

But Jacob’s original intentions are eclipsed after a chance encounter with Orito Aibagawa, the disfigured daughter of a samurai doctor and midwife to the city’s powerful magistrate. The borders between propriety, profit, and pleasure blur, until Jacob finds his vision clouded, one rash promise made and then fatefully broken. The consequences will extend beyond Jacob’s worst imaginings. As one cynical colleague asks, “Who ain’t a gambler in the glorious Orient, with his very life?”

©2010 David Mitchell (P)2010 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"It’s as difficult to put this novel down as it is to overestimate Mitchell’s virtually unparalleled mastery of dramatic construction, illuminating characterizations and insight into historical conflict and change. Comparisons to Tolstoy are inevitable, and right on the money." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"Despite the audacious scope, the focus remains intimate; each fascinating character has the opportunity to share his or her story. Everything is patched together seamlessly and interwoven with clever wordplay and enlightening historical details on feudal Japan. First-rate literary fiction and a rousing good yarn, too." ( Booklist)

“An achingly romantic story of forbidden love . . . [David] Mitchell’s incredible prose is on stunning display. . . . A novel of ideas, of longing, of good and evil and those who fall somewhere in between [that] confirms Mitchell as one of the more fascinating and fearless writers alive.” (Dave Eggers, The New York Times Book Review)

Dazzling proze

What a scrumptious novel! The reader becomes totally immersed in the sights, smells, and sounds of eighteenth century Japan. Nothing in this author's style is mundane and the web of stories within stories creates the sensation of becoming a fly on the wall in every scene. Full of adventure, suspense, heroism, and of course, love, this book is the best read of the summer by far.

Flawless

This book is amazing, timeless, and deep. The story is rich and full of surprises.

This is the chronological intro to the David Mitchel über novel that comprises basically all of his major novels, especially including Cloud Atlas, Utopia Avenue, the Bone Clocks, Slade House, and even Ghostwritten.

This novel is not fast paced, but it does have suspense. This novel is not full of intense action sequences, but it’s dramatic arc is precise and elegant.

Overall, a true gem of a book. 10/10, the whole thing is good, cover to cover, without a single wasted word.

Bewitching and enchanting

The depth of this book is amazing. Gripping and superbly crafted. The historical detail is impressive. This is a must - I couldn't stop listening.

Amazing Narration

Rather than review the story, which was interesting enough, I want only to applaud the absolutely fabulous, nuanced narration provided by both Jonathan Aris and Paula Wilcox. Congratulations on a job really well done.

Excellent story - couldn't put it down.

For history buffs, many elements of the story are factual and the fictional narrative makes use of them but names are altered and the story itself is more a part of Mitchell's imagination about what might have happened given the skeleton of known events like the management of the VOC on Dejima and its relationship with the Japanese, the Dutch shelling of Christian rebels at Shimabara at the request of the Shogunate, the appearance of the HMS Phaeton at Dejima after the VOC's demise, and the magistrates' suicide, etc. But read it for the brilliant writing and story that places you full square in late 18th and early 19th century Nagasaki.

My only irritation is with an otherwise excellent narration. The Japanese do not sound like a Western caricature of the Chinese attempting to speak English. I cringed every time they attempted to reflect a Japanese accented English. Surely the editorial staff should have caught this flaw. As I said, otherwise the narration was excellent...

One of the best books I have ever read/listened.

loved the book from the first page and wished it never ends. Mitchell is an amazing novelist.

A compelling story set in Japan starting in 1799

I think this book is was very a very good listen and can easily rate it 5 stars, but could see how this book might not be for everyone. The narrator is excellent in my view - I thought his accents were great - I have to assume that he is pronouncing the names correctly. It's a mystery to me why a listener would not like him. The story is very well told - for an apt review - read the B&N review which I think hits the mark, except I didn't think the title character was a pring. The story seemed very authentic to me and doesn't follow a predictable tract - it's more like what actual humans would do. For some reason, I can have a hard time getting into stories set it Asia, but once I did get into this book, I was hooked. Not my all time favorite, but am very glad I took a chance on it.

One of My Favorite Books

I enjoyed this book immensely and look forward to reading all this author's works. This story is written like an onion in that it peels slowly away and is enjoyed deeply at its many layers.

Top Notch!

This book is incredibly beautiful and complicated. The place settings are vivid. The characters real. The author is genius.

Beautiful

I loved the story and the characters very much. The narrative was really impressive! Both narrators really brought the story to life in a way that I couldn’t by reading it myself. The decision to have a female narrator for chapters with more female characters was excellent!