David Mitchell

I loved Cloud Atlas. The different styles were terrific and I throught that the disparate stories formed a perfect whole due to recurring themes used throughout the novel. Prior to that I had looked at Page 1 of Number9dream and given up straight away. I haven't read Ghostwritten. Should I? Should I give Number9dream another go?

I didn't get very far into Number9dream either, but yes, DO read Ghostwritten. It's one of my very favorite books.

I think Ghostwritten is a much better book than Cloud Atlas, although the conceit and structure is essentially the same. I don't quite know why I've never been attracted to number9dream; perhaps because of Norweigan Wood where a similar Beatles reference is used by an author, Murakami, who I don't like (not logical argument at all, I know).

You've got to go back ! trust him not to let you down ! i'm almost done ,and like you, I thought I would just skip this one,but now I'm glad I didn't I see it as sort of a futuristic Black Swan Green mixed with a little Cloud Atlas. Just choose a time to allow yourself to get about fifty to one hundred pages deep... Good luck

I'm almost done with Number9, and I'm glad I gave it a shot... I told another poster that it's like a mashup
of Black swan Green and Cloud Atlas...
Just allow yourself enough time to get through fifty to one hundred pages, and you should be in the clear... you'll definitely have a lot to reflect on when it's all over. Good Luck

Thanks guys.

Make sure you check out The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. It's because of that book that I'm willing to give Cloud Atlas a try.