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)

Travel to a faraway land

If you could sum up The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet in three words, what would they be?

Exotic, complex, colorful

What other book might you compare The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet to and why?

River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh

What does Jonathan Aris and Paula Wilcox bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I appreciated having a female narrator for the parts of the book focused on the one female character. While Jonathan Aris did a good job with all the voices, making it easy to tell them apart, it wouldn't have been the same if he had told Orito's story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

After putting this one down months ago to start the next book club selection even though I was only halfway through, I finally finished it on audio. With all the character names, the lapse I'm sure took away from the story, but I'm excited to have finished it. I really enjoyed some parts of this book, while I thought others dragged, but overall Mitchell is a great writer of historical fiction who takes you to another place and time with a colorful array of characters. I'm not usually fond of books where babies are killed, but somehow in this strange but interesting book it works!

Beautiful, but dull

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This book is super long, and if you just want something to do to pass the time, pick it up. It's gorgeous and it will engage you, but I didn't particularly have an issue leaving its world when it was time to turn it off.

Would you recommend The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet to your friends? Why or why not?

If you liked Mitchell's other work, pick it up to see what he is capable of. Don't start with it though, as I'm afraid you won't discover his amazingness.

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Aris and Paula Wilcox ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

NA.

Could you see The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I actually think this would be much more exciting as a movie. However, I think, as with most books made into movies, you would miss out on a lot of the introversion.

Any additional comments?

Goodreads review: I picked this up because I loved Cloud Atlas and wanted to see what else Mitchell could do. I did not love this quite the same. It was a good story, and told in Mitchell's standard way of attention to detail and bringing a world to life for the reader. The prose was gorgeous and there were some one-liners that jumped out of their surroundings. It didn't really grab me though. I didn't transport to this world and never want to leave. I was happy to turn it off each morning when I returned from my walk, where with some books, I keep circling the block or keep it going through the morning. Final verdict, beautiful, but a little dull.

Meg C.

Best narrator, best story... I only have one hour and 45 minutes to go, and I am so sad that this wonderful book is almost over. The narrator, Jonathan Aris, is the new Frank Muller. I would listen to him read the phone book!

Absolutely phenomenal

I know it seems like it should be a given that narrators know how to read and pronounce words properly, but I e listened to enough audiobooks to know this is no guarantee. This book, and these narrators, are superlative.

I shoulda bought the book -- a difficult "listen"

Is there anything you would change about this book?

So, I guess I am a visual learner. Within the first 30 minutes I knew I should have bought the book. With every single name and location foreign (and I mean, for me, extremely foreign), I never knew where I was nor whom I was with. I spent 19 hours with my thumb on rewind.

What did you like best about this story?

The beauty of the written word has never been more present, nor more expertly read.

Was The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet worth the listening time?

For me, it was a slog and took forever to finish. In saying that, there were so many times that the writing took my breath away that I really, really wish I had read and not listened.

Any additional comments?

STORY - 3 ½ STARS. Too many of the l o n g and incredibly detailed plot points and subplots ended abruptly or maybe not at all. With such careful and artful wrapping, a bow, now and then, would have been nice.

Long and complex

Exceptionally well-written historic fiction given first-rate narration. I had read the book before I listened to the audio; the performances effectively augment and clarify Mitchell's prose. Comic, romantic and epic.

A well written, beautiful story

I wanted to "read" more by the author of "Cloud Atlas" so I picked this at random. It's a splendid display of craftsmanship. David Mitchell's grasp of japanese culture is on display as is his artistic touch with words on paper.

Here he stirs beautiful words into complex sentences into well wrought phrases into beautifully descriptive paragraphs, into this wonderful book.

I just discovered a new favorite writer.

The third book to make me cry.

What made the experience of listening to The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet the most enjoyable?

Fantastic narration of a terrific novel.

What did you like best about this story?

The satisfying plot lines and the individual back stories of many of the characters. Also, the history of Dejima. I loved the fun poked at the Dutch. Loved the dialogue. Loved the humor and the humanity and the history.

Which scene was your favorite?

The opening chapter is unforgettable. The last pages made me cry. Jacob de Zoet, Owen Meany and Penelope Keeling are the only three fictional characters to have moved me to tears.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The last pages.

Any additional comments?

I am going to order this in the Dutch translation, in print, and give it as Christmas gifts to my Dutch family and friends who live on Walcheren, in the province of Zeeland, in the Netherlands.

A Masterpiece !

Is David Mitchell not the Shakespeare of our day? This is a brilliant novel. A work of art. This historical fiction story follows the life of a Dutch clerk named Jacob de Zoet during his time on an artificial island in the bay of Nagasaki starting in 1799. The very small island is occupied by the Dutch East Indies Company and serves as Japan's only European trading port due to the country's isolationist policies. The novel has nasty people, nice people, fantastic dialogue, a love story, and military action. My favorite parts of Mitchell's writing are his depth of research and detail to take you back in time, and his humor. Here are some examples (not the best passages, just funny):

p.52
Captain Lacy's smile is soapy. "Does the law of Japan permit polygamy?"
"What is po-ri-ga-mi?" Hori stuffs a pipe. "Why need permit?"
"You explain, Mr. de Zoet," Van Cleef is saying. "Words are your forte."

p.422
The pain, as he hobbles into the next-door privy, is violent...
...in the black nook, he unbuttons himself and flops on the seat. My foot - the torture ebbs and flows - is becoming a calcified potato. The agonizing ten-pace journey, however, has quelled his bowels. Master of a frigate, he ponders, but not of his own intestines.

Narration: Jonathan Aris is now on my list of all-time best narrators. A master of voices. Paula Wilcox's role was not as long or demanding, but she also did very well.

Just the best.

Performance was amazing, story amazing, I will have difficulty finding another to follow this one up.