Jacob de Zoet - worth persevering??

[haggis01]

Am reading 2000 Autumns of jacob De Zoet and feeling a bit under the weather. Loved Cloud Atlas, not so keen on Black Swan Green and am struggling with Jacob.Has anyon read it - does it pay off??

I usually read thumpers by Zola, Gissing, Dickens, Eliot,Balzac/ Tolstoy etc so am used to difficult/complex prose - just find I am bored with all the detail about his co workers etc.

thanks

Oh yes, most definitely. I had to press on and it was very much worth it once the story opens up to include characters from the mainland. I was terribly sad when the book ended. Maybe this is a bit of a David Mitchell thing, as I also found the beginning of Cloud Atlas hard going, but kept going and was glad I did.

Do it, do it, do it!

I read it while pregnant, and oh boy, that opening chapter had me in floods of tears!

Oh, and you do sort of have to keep up with the coworkers to get the maximum out of the plot twists (and it's v twisty) - difficult with pregnant brain.

Thanks - I will keep on. Just run out of other things to read and had been so looking forward to it, but I think its just proving a bit much with my inner ear illness - hard to concentrate.

Ziptoes you are right the opening chapter about the birth is stunning.

If you are looking for another book for afterwards, I can really recommend The Reluctant Fundamentalist. One of those great books that isn't difficult or tricksy but incredibly rich and thought provoking - gets better the more you think back on it.

Thanks LaundryFairy will have a look on Amazon

Keep going. Well worth it.

I enjoyed it but not as much as his other stuff (Black Swan Green was totally brilliant and Cloud Atlas totally life changing somehow in an indefinable way).

Worth perservering but not top 3 David Mitchell.

No.

I love Cloud Atlas and his other stuff (slightly less) and loved the opening of Jacob, but found it all went a bit odd once we got to the odd culty thing (won't spoil). Shame because fantastically interesting and yet..I dunno.

yes - definitely - even dh who normally loathes David Mitchell (sometimes I wonder why I married him ) enjoyed it

Thanks all - have kept going, now in the nunnery - things hotting up!

no not his best - and not Cloud Atlas or Black Swan Green either

If you want to see how he can really write, read Ghostwritten (his first)

Thanks for the motivation everyone - have finally finished! Children commented it is the longest they have seen me read the same book (I'm usually superquick). Very impressed by all the little historical detailsand the like but feel just like Hullygully - I dunno, not sure I actually enjoyed it and didn't like the way it jumped forward several years after Ennomto's death and then again to jacob going home.

Agree, though I did enjoy it a lot - preferred Cloud Atlas - but I would read another of his if it came my way.

Still not found anyone to beat Robertson Davies (except perhaps Balzac!).