The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (2010) (edit title/settings)

Pat Jackson edited the description of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet Thursday, March 8, 2012.

• The author of Cloud Atlas 's most ambitious novel yet, for the readers of Ishiguro, Murakami, and, of course, David Mitchell. The year is 1799, the place Dejima in Nagasaki Harbor,Dejima, the “high-walled,"high-walled, fan-shaped artificial island”island" that is the Japanese Empire’sEmpire's single port and sole window onto the world, designedto keepthe West at bay;world. It is also the farthestfarthest-flung outpost of the war-ravagedpowerful Dutch East Indies Company; and a de facto prison for the dozen foreigners permitted to live and work there.Company. To this place of devious merchants, deceitful interpreters, costlysuperstition and swamp fever, crocodiles and courtesans, earthquakes,earthquakes and typhoonstyphoons, comes Jacob de Zoet, aZoet. The young, devout and resourceful youngambitious clerk who hasmust spend five years in the East to earn a fortune of sufficient sizeenough money to windeserve the hand of his wealthy fiancée back in Holland.fiancée. But Jacob’s originalJacob's intentions are eclipsed after a chance encounter withshifted, his character shaken and his soul stirred when he meets Orito Aibagawa, the disfiguredbeautiful and scarred daughter of a samurai doctor andSamurai, midwife to the city’sisland's powerful magistrate. The bordersIn this world where East and West are linked by one bridge, Jacob sees the gaps shrink between propriety, profit,pleasure and pleasure blur until Jacob finds his vision clouded, one rash promise madepiety, propriety and then fatefully broken. The consequences will extend beyond Jacob’s worst imaginings.  As one cynical colleague asks, “Who ain’tprofit. Magnificently written, a gambler in the glorious Orient, with his very life?” A magnificentsuperb mix of luminous writing, prodigious research,historical research and heedless imagination, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet is the most impressive achievement of its eminent author.a big and unforgettable book that will be read for years to come.

BookCrazy - VERY limited time online for the foreseeable future edited the description of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet Monday, January 16, 2012.

• In 2007, Time magazine named him one of the most influential novelists in the world. He has twice been short-listed for the Man Booker Prize. The New York Times Book Review called him simply “a genius.” Now David Mitchell lends fresh credence to The Guardian ’s claim that “each of his books seems entirely different from that which preceded it.” The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet is a stunning departure for this brilliant, restless, and wildly ambitious author, a giant leap forward by even his own high standards. A bold and epic novel of a rarely visited point in history, it is a work as exquisitely rendered as it is irresistibly readable.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?” A magnificent mix of luminous writing, prodigious research, and heedless imagination, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet is the most impressive achievement of its eminent author.

Shelfari edited the description of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet Wednesday, December 22, 2010.

• In 2007, Time magazine named him one of the most influential novelists in the world. He has twice been short-listed for the Man Booker Prize. The New York Times Book Review called him simply “a genius.” Now David Mitchell lends fresh credence to The Guardian ’s claim that “each of his books seems entirely different from that which preceded it.” The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet is a stunning departure for this brilliant, restless, and wildly ambitious author, a giant leap forward by even his own high standards. A bold and epic novel of a rarely visited point in history, it is a work as exquisitely rendered as it is irresistibly readable. 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?” A magnificent mix of luminous writing, prodigious research, and heedless imagination, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet is the most impressive achievement of its eminent author.

Shelfari edited the description of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet Monday, January 11, 2010.

• The author of Cloud Atlas 's most ambitious novel yet, for the readers of Ishiguro, Murakami, and, of course, David Mitchell. The year is 1799, the place Dejima, the "high-walled, fan-shaped artificial island" that is the Japanese Empire's single port and sole window to the world. It is also the farthest-flung outpost of the powerful Dutch East Indies Company. To this place of superstition and swamp fever, crocodiles and courtesans, earthquakes and typhoons, comes Jacob de Zoet. The young, devout and ambitious clerk must spend five years in the East to earn enough money to deserve the hand of his wealthy fiancée. But Jacob's intentions are shifted, his character shaken and his soul stirred when he meets Orito Aibagawa, the beautiful and scarred daughter of a Samurai, midwife to the island's powerful magistrate. In this world where East and West are linked by one bridge, Jacob sees the gaps shrink between pleasure and piety, propriety and profit. Magnificently written, a superb mix of historical research and heedless imagination, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet is a big and unforgettable book that will be read for years to come.