robdabear's review against another edition
5.0
Man, I cannot stop reading David Mitchell. Read Cloud Atlas last year, blew my mind. Hadn't even finished Ghostwritten and I ordered the rest of his books that I didn't already have on my unread shelf. They won't stay unread for long.
He's one hell of a storyteller with many voices. I love that he's crafted this universe that expands across his otherwise unconnected novels. I love the themes he explores. The books leave me thinking about them long after I finish. I almost think he's becoming one of my favorite authors. The rest of the books will tell. number9dream is up next.
He's one hell of a storyteller with many voices. I love that he's crafted this universe that expands across his otherwise unconnected novels. I love the themes he explores. The books leave me thinking about them long after I finish. I almost think he's becoming one of my favorite authors. The rest of the books will tell. number9dream is up next.
ssung's review against another edition
5.0
Like a rough draft to his later masterpiece, Cloud Atlas, but warmer because of it, somehow. Sometimes Mitchell's over the top writing style works against him (number9dream suffers from this, I think), but it worked wonderfully for this one. Reread this on a redeye from New York to the Netherlands and it was a strangely surreal and lonely experience.
sfletcher26's review against another edition
4.0
It seems unfair to compare Ghostwritten to his later work Cloud Atlas, but when it shares so many of the same literary features its hard not to. That said I have to say that it isn't quite as subtle and involved as Cloud Atlas.
Still a fantastic read though.
Still a fantastic read though.
sincerelymendacious's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
kellyzen's review against another edition
5.0
Jerome can’t bear the sight of his own reflection, he once confessed after drinking a bottle of cheap sherry, and he’s never owned a mirror. I asked him why. He told me that whenever he looks into one he sees a man inside it, and thinks, “Who in God’s name are you?”
The fact that this is a debut novel is wild. How the fuck is this a debut novel?! The ambition, breadth, and scope is bananas. I am a sucker for intersecting storylines, which is the crux of this novel, as it threads together individuals' experiences throughout history, from a doomsday cult member in Japan, to an Irish genius whose work in quantum physics threatens to engender nuclear war, to an all-night radio host in Manhattan, and so on.
I am certain I missed a great deal and will benefit from researching it a bit. Highly recommend.
The fact that this is a debut novel is wild. How the fuck is this a debut novel?! The ambition, breadth, and scope is bananas. I am a sucker for intersecting storylines, which is the crux of this novel, as it threads together individuals' experiences throughout history, from a doomsday cult member in Japan, to an Irish genius whose work in quantum physics threatens to engender nuclear war, to an all-night radio host in Manhattan, and so on.
I am certain I missed a great deal and will benefit from researching it a bit. Highly recommend.
jenn_stark's review against another edition
5.0
the way david mitchell weaves his stories completely fascinates and amazes me. the book flows from art heists + teenage puppy love to middle of nowhere mongolia + physics to doomsday cults + ghosts.. seamlessly.. i mean, wow. ripple effects, how we're all connected, the questions of fate + destiny, it's just beautifully composed and told. all that to say, i loved this. and you must read it.
docpacey's review against another edition
4.0
David Mitchell begins his long interconnected universe of short stories with Ghostwritten. Characters warp across the weft of time and space around the world clockwise only to end at the beginning.
The Petersburg chapter slowed me down this time round, but the pace never really lets up.
The Petersburg chapter slowed me down this time round, but the pace never really lets up.
sadiereadsagain's review against another edition
4.0
I read [b:Black Swan Green|14316|Black Swan Green|David Mitchell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320562118l/14316._SY75_.jpg|2166883] last year and loved it, so was keen to read more of Mitchell’s work. Though with that also comes the fear of disappointment. I didn’t need to worry – this book is great. Like short stories on performance enhancing drugs, I loved seeing the links between each and how they came together at the end. Standouts for me were the old woman on the mountain and her experiences living through turbulent times of China’s recent history, and the physicists’ story of being torn between the top-secret world of her work and her small island family life. Though all the stories were complex and fully fleshed out, in turns endearing, funny and poignant. Mitchell tells a good story, but with both this and Black Swan Green it is his structuring and approach which really grabs me, elevating what are good stories to something that little bit more special.
lililina123's review against another edition
4.0
I'm surprised by how much I liked this book. The characters were developed beautifully and the stories were completely different but yet there was a thread going through them.