If only there were 1001 Autumns
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet
By David Mitchell
Today, I wanted to give everyone a first glimpse into my guilty reading pleasures. You’d think with the last 2 posts that all I do in my free time is play video games. While somewhat true, it’s not entirely accurate. One of my favorite things to do in my limited free time is get lost in a good book. Unfortunately, I am very picky when it comes to reading. I often pick up a novel, get 25% of the way through it, and close it – never to open it again.
My copy of The Thousand Autumns. It’s not as tattered as my books normally end up — I read most of this on my Kindle.
It’s because I need to quickly feel immersed in a world unlike my own and need to feel some sort of magic. And I don’t necessarily mean fantasy – although I do enjoy a fantasy or sci-fi novel every now and then. As you’ll see in future reviews, I am obsessed with Japan and Japanese culture. Having spent a few weeks in Tokyo back in 2018, I proudly proclaim the city as my favorite place in the world (sorry, Boston – I do love you though). 1000 Autumns takes place during the late 18th century Sakoku period in Japan. It follows a young Dutch clerk by the name of Jacob de Zoet. Set to spend 5 years in Dejima (Japan’s sole international port and portal to the outside world), and yearning to amass a fortune worthy of his bride-to-be’s father, Jacob’s life takes a sharp turn through a series of events that will change his life and flip everything he knows, upside-down.
That’s it for spoilers. If any of you have seen or read Cloud Atlas, Mitchell’s more well-known work, I have nothing to say to you. Haven’t seen the movie, haven’t read the book. I do know that CA is a bit fantastical. De Zoet is not. It’s a work of historical fiction, set during one of the hermit kingdom’s most unique periods. The novel is beautifully written, the character depth is unparalleled, and the story itself is enthralling – magical even.
David Mitchell. Source: Twitter.
The Thousand Autumns of JDZ also has one of the most profound endings to a novel that I have ever read. I spent 4 hours wrapping up the novel on a random Wednesday in February and found myself at 2am latching onto my wife, in bed, weeping over the fleeting nature of life. Read it. Love it. You won’t regret the experience.
Pros
Beautiful writing
Engaging characters and setting
Deep, meaningful reading experience
Cons
It does get off to a slow start. 1000 Autumns was one of those books I put down at first. But the magic was there, so I had to get back into it.
The first scene of the novel is insane. Consider yourself forewarned.
