Ghostwritten
November 22nd, 2004
David Mitchell’s first novel, Ghostwritten, is not as strong as the more recent Cloud Atlas, but it’s still an engaging read.
Both books are comprised of linked stories. Ghostwritten contains 10 sections dictated by 9 narrators. Eight of the narrators write in the first person. Each narrative is connected, sometimes obliquely, and the result paints a refracted picture of a plot centering on international intrigue, the art world, and the underworld.
Particularly strong is the section that investigates the life of a record store clerk in Tokyo who reminds me a little of Murakami’s Watanabe in Norwegian Wood. This story bleeds into the tale of a young international lawyer in Hong Kong who is at a crisis in his life and sees ghosts. This element of an otherworldly presence is apparent throughout the book and is one of Mitchell’s main themes, taking the forefront in a section that is actually narrated by a ghost.
Cameos are made by Denholme Cavendish and Luisa Rey, characters that also appear in Cloud Atlas. Since Mitchell is fascinated by the invisible tethers that connect people across time and space, why should his characters be hermetically sealed inside just one novel?
The one flaw in Ghostwritten is the ghastly final section, written from the point of view of a late-night NYC free form radio host who has a show that reminds me of Vin Scelsa’s “Idiot’s Delight.” This section is dialogue heavy, like David Mamet’s prose, and degenerates into chaos and confusion. Mitchell is extremely talented at matching style to plot, but in this case the result is simply painful, and it’s a sad ending to an otherwise good book.
November 23rd, 2004 at 1:54 am
Excellent review. I’ve recently read Ghostwritten too and I’d largely agree with what you’ve said, except that, well, the last section did mostly work quite well for me although it was a bit all over the place at times. It strikes me that Mitchell belongs to the small group of writers (Jeff Noon is another) who, by standing more or less outside the generic sf space are actually writing books that tackle subjects and push boundaries that sf really ought to be dealing with, but too often fails to. If I can generalise on the basis of Cloud Atlas and Ghostwritten, Mitchell is squarely concerned with the nature and fate of humanity - something which is more central to *my* view of sf, at least, than pure tech extrapolation. But that’s less important than the fact that he writes good books.
November 23rd, 2004 at 9:41 am
I had read this one a few years back and liked it quite a bit. I don’t recall disliking the last section as much as you did but some of the sections were more interesting than the others, of course. “Clear Island” still stands out a few years later.
And it’s funny you should mention Murakami and Norwegian Wood. I just bought that to take on our Thanksgiving trip!
November 23rd, 2004 at 10:48 am
Thanks guys. Maybe I’ll give the final section another chance, though there are other sections (like the Clear Island stuff) that I’d reread first.
Justin, I absolutely love Norwegian Wood. It’s atypical for Murakami, but for some reason it resonates with me more than anything else he has ever written.
November 23rd, 2004 at 5:02 pm
Well, now I’m looking forward to it even more. I’m also bringing along Garrison Keillor’s Love Me, so I should be set. Once I’m back, I plan to start blogging again too.
November 23rd, 2004 at 6:15 pm
No comment about Garrison Keillor. :)
Have a great Thanksgiving.
November 24th, 2004 at 1:16 am
You too!