Join David Mitchell to talk about THE THOUSAND AUTUMNS OF JACOB DE ZOET, our September Book of the Month, on Wed 28 September, 9-10pm

[TillyBookClub]

September's Author of the Month has been named as one of the most influential novelists in the world. David Mitchell has twice been shortlisted for the Booker and his novels attract vast numbers of readers and glowing reviews alike.

His latest book, THE THOUSAND AUTUMNS OF JACOB DE ZOET, is a masterpiece of historical fiction. Set in 1799, in the Japanese trading port of Dejima (run by the Dutch East India Trading Company, it is Japan's only window to the outside world), the novel follows young Dutchman Jacob de Zoet's struggle to win his fortune, battle with corruption and begin his love affair with the beautiful but scarred Japanese midwife who is dangerously close to the local Samurai lord. Ambitious, poetic, pacy, full of detail and immaculately researched - this is a novel that creates a world so fully realised that you become utterly engulfed in its pages.

We have 100 free copies for Mumsnetters - find out more at our book of the month page.

And get your paperback or Kindle version now.

We're delighted that David will be joining us for the chat on Wednesday 28 September 9-10pm. Look forward to seeing you there.

Just wondering if an hour is going to be long enough as there are so many who have enjoyed all his books..........?

I heart this book.

All 100 copies are now gone...I'm afraid there isn't a notification email to the lucky bunch who got there first, but you should receive the free copy next week. Many apologies to anyone who missed out (and hope you can beg/borrow/nab a copy off a friend).

Great to see so many fans here, hope you can all make 28th. I am feeling almost nauseous with admiration for this author, and I'm desperately trying to whittle my thousand questions down...

isleangel, I hope you get one. I've already passed mine on, but if you need one perhaps other Mumsnet editors might help.

SpeedyGonzalez, doesn't matter if you haven't read the latest one, come and talk about Cloud Atlas instead. The Bookclub chats are always about an author's entire output, you can ask about anything you want...

gailforce, good point about the hour sometimes not being long enough - we're still tinkering around with the slot and the timings etc, so we'll see how this first one at 9pm goes, and perhaps if everyone feels they need longer we'll start to extend?

Does anyone else have preferences about length/timing? Let me know...

isleangel, if i get one you can have mine when i have finished. i am equally broke. will let you know next week if one arrives.

Thanks for letting me know Tillybookclub, and really thanks missorinoco. I'll keep my fingers crossed that I see a book next week and let you know if I need a copy. I really love the book threads on here, even though I've only been on a short time. It's really lovely to meet such lovely people!

Thanks Tilly! I applied for a free book anyway, so fingers crossed!

I applied for but didn't get a free book . Still you can't have everything. I'll see if I can borrow a copy from the library this afternoon.
I love this author's work, I particularly enjoyed cloud atlas.

David Mitchell is absolutely lovely. I work for a Japanese book chain and when we picked up his first book years ago he was living in Hiroshima and used to go in and do signings in our Hiroshima store. He is a pleasure to interview and a dream for a publicist because he doesn't say no to reasonable requests. His wife is lovely too. Of course he's considerably more famous these days!

Love the scope of David Mitchell's writing - could completely relate to Black Swan Green as spent part of my childhood in that area and was very evocative but really impressed with all his books - only wish I could write too as I read enough......

I read this book and was delighted with it. So I hope I can make it on Wednesday 28th! It would be great to add on my book reviews blog that I had heard him,

Is anyone else struggling to get into this? I am just not finding that it is "moving along" but it may be that I am very tired at the moment and trying to read late at night.

Has everyone had their free book now? I haven't received one and am just wondering whether it is time to give up waiting and buy a copy.

I haven't had one but was pretty quick off the mark in sending off email - well before TillyBookClub flagged up that they'd all gone - maybe they haven't been sent out yet...?
Anyone received a copy yet - doesn't give long to read a long book!

I havent had one, thought Id got there in time too

Yes, I thought I'd been liucky enough to get in very early too. Perhaps they havn't sent them out yet. I'm a very slow reader: it would be difficult for me to read it in time now. Ah well.

Haven't received one, either. Oh well.

No book here either - thought I was fairly quick too :(

gailforce, yes I think that you do need to devote a bit of time and brain power to this book it has to be said. I don't think it is a novel that you can just read a couple of pages before you turn out the light as quite complex although yes evenly paced. Well worth it but quite a challenge.

I'm guessing it's not him off Mitchell and Webb then? I did wonder, but then he does come across as intelligent so it's not in the realms of impossibility that he could have written a book.

So what's this book about? Is it funny?

er no not funny and definitely not that other bloke!

Not funny? So what, like a grown up Michael Morpurgo? Where everybody dies including the dog?

I think they eat the dog!

only joking...