
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet
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Narrated by:
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Jonathan Aris
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Paula Wilcox
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By:
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David Mitchell
About this listen
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, LLCCritic reviews
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Amazing (but complex)
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There were not many likable characters in this book. While I felt that Mitchell set up a very scary scenario, it fell flat after that. I was happy and relieved when the British showed up! Names I understood and could keep track of!
At the end, chunks of time passes without plot or narrative. Uh.. What happened? Nothing worthy of mentioning in 11 years? Or more?
I was disappointed, not Mitchell's best effort or the best book to hear either.
Disappointed
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Disappointed
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Couldn't wait for it to end.
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What did you love best about The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet?
It was a grand novel in best sense with heroes, villains, star-crossed lovers, spies, betrayal and love all set in a time in Japan when old empires were dying and new ones were arising. Japan's reaction to Western influence was to isolate itself from the world, except for very limited, and highly controlled trade treaties. Jacob de Zoet finds himself in this netherworld between two cultures.The story starts slowly but Mitchell is carefully laying the groundwork for this marvelous story. I had read and enjoyed Cloud Atlas. It amazes me that Mitchell could masterfully write such very different tales. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
Wonderful story, well read.
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Brilliant historical novel
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Good moments
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This was amazing
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Spend some money
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I wish I could listen all over again!
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