AUDIOBOOK read by Jonathan Aris & Paula Wilcox

I’m as big of a fan of David Mitchell as one can be after reading two (now three) of his books.  Cloud Atlas is in contention for my favorite book of all time and I thoroughly enjoyed Black Swan Green.  Through the first 5 or 6 disks of Mitchell’s latest novel, I thought the spell had been broken.  I was wrong and by the time the story really got moving, I found myself thinking about the book on a regular basis and actively looking forward to getting back in the car to hear more.  

The main character of the story is a Dutch shipping clerk stationed in Japan at the turn of the 19th Century.  Trying to keep up with all of the Dutch and Japanese names is a challenge as Mitchell incorporates many characters in his tale.  The amount of required set up makes this a slow start and de Zoet is not immediately a likable character.  However, as soon as the narrative splits into multiple story lines, the pacing picks up as did my enjoyment.  

As with other Mitchell books, the story doesn’t necessarily have a happy ending, but that is part of what I like about his books.  The story wraps in a realistic manner and is complicated, much like real life.

The audiobook is well read and produced.  Aris does a wonderful job mixing accents for both the Dutch (read mostly with British accents) and the Japanese.  With the confusing and similar names, the various and consistent voice allow the listener to keep track of who is who.

Overall, I’d recommend this one.  Not as highly as Cloud Atlas or Black Swan Green, but still an enjoyable listen.