number9dream by David Mitchell REVIEW

For a counterpoint to my fanboyish argument, here is James Francken's (mostly negative) review of the novel in the London Review of Books:
www.lrb.co.uk/...
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UK & other European readers, buy it on Blackwell's (also an affiliate):
blackwells.co....
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[@rumasingh7983]

I just finished slaughterhouse 5. Can’t thank you enough for recommending such amazing reads!!! There are so many which I recently got acquainted with through your channel, you are doing a great job👍🏻

[@sLePpInG]

This seems exactly what Ive been itching to read, I need a break on my Haruki Murakami binge, but still want to read more books like his. Thanks for the rec, its on the top of my tbr

[@mattjmjmjm4731]

Same, Murakami's books are very easy to binge I need a break from them.

[@somi168]

What a great review! I read seven David Mitchell’s books in a row several years ago and was absolutely carried away! Now that I finally have got his latest Utopia Avenue I’m re-reading all Mitchell’s works (number9dream currently). And you know, I have the very same feeling about his stories and style as you! I mean, this is exactly the way I wish I would have written a book. It’s not that I understand each and every metaphor and stuff but god knows I ENJOY every single bit.

[@DalCecilRuno]

Why is it that whenever I'm looking for a book to read and I see the reviews, your channel comes up first? It's awesome anyway. This book sounds so damn interesting.

[@FallenAdam]

Really liked this review. I've read it twice, and I really struggle to talk about it in any meaningful way. I just get caught in a loop, talking about unreliable narrators, dream sequences and in-world fiction. From now on, when somebody asks for my opinion on n9d, I'll just refer them to this video.

[@buddhabillybob]

You are consistently one of the best reviewers on BookTube. Great work!

[@TheBookchemist]

:D

[@jsh31425]

For me, the main thing I take away from this book, fifteen years after reading it, is how much I care about the characters. I still remember the phone call between the narrator and Ai, where she plays Scarlatti. "I think she likes me." Beautiful. I viewed it as less oneiric and more like each chapter had a different technical devise, a different lens of refraction through which we see glimpses of the narrator. In that sense, it reminded me of the eighteen lenses through which we grow to love Bloom in Ulysses. As others here say, this is Mitchell most influenced by Murakami. Another one to check out is The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, which is pure Mitchell while being a "historic" novel at the same time.

[@Tungui8]

Great vid as always! If you loved this book, maybe you should give Murakami a try if you haven't already (I think you'd love Hardboiled Wonderland and The End of the World in particular). Mitchell himself is quite the Murakami fan and number9dream specifically was inspired by his work. And honestly, I'd just love to hear your thoughts on Murakami :)

[@mattjmjmjm4731]

I loved Hardboiled Wonderland and The End of the World but my favourite has to be Kafka on the Shore, it stands out the most for me in terms of the other Murakami works I have read.

[@TheBookchemist]

I only read Dance Dance Dance, and really loved it! I look forward to reading more soon ;)

[@wave0161]

When I read Borges' Collected Fictions I was most impressed with "Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius," a beautiful and tight story that plays with a host of philosophical issues. The story left such an impression in my mind that I was stunned to find it instantly recognizable and adapted into Number 9 Dream on pgs. 30-36 as the "Panoptican" film sequence. This Panoptican sequence was in turn adapted into the 12-minute short film "The Voorman Problem" (2011), which was nominated for an Oscar and BAFTA award. The integration of Borges' story into Number 9 Dream is much like the Cloud Atlas nested story model. Mitchell is just brilliant.

[@TheBookchemist]

Mitchell's latest novel, Utopia Avenue, also picks that sequence up again ;)

[@lennoncampbell3105]

Hello, I know you wrote this comment 2 years ago, I've just finished Number9dream, and have read Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius before, and I'm curious as to how you made this connection between the two. I read Borges's Labyrinths and had a lot of trouble placing myself and the characters in the story because they feel so dense with information..

[@PelleksBamari]

I love every book from Mitchell I read until now. But Number9Dream and The Clock Bones are my most faverites. Every book of Mitchell is about humanity, as you said, about its best and about its worst.

[@sanchitvarma1282]

What a phenomenal book. Has undoubtedly left an everlasting impression in my mind. Surreal, hypnotic and deeply deeply moving - cementing David Mitchell as one my favourite authors.

[@steve1560]

Thanks for this, I found the book in your 2020 top list and just finished it. Having gotten into pynchon last year this scratched that itch. Appreciate the insight as well.

[@ianp9086]

Read a long time ago and enjoyed, but remember having to keep checking the cover to make sure it wasn’t by Haruki Murakami! Even his trademark cats were in there! Agree with you about New Life too - terrible. One of my favorite dream books is The Unconsoled by Ishiguro - it is very different from his usual books and easily his best I think.

[@runagaterampant]

I read this many years ago when I was still a somewhat beginner in reading. I remember very vividly some parts about the main character's childhood (there was his sister I think?). I was also a bit overwhelmed at some point, there was so much stuff happening. I liked the book though I have a bit hazy memory of it like many other books I read in the beginning of my reading hobby.

[@therasbull]

Always so excited for another book chemist episode!

[@michalhajlasz3835]

Looking forward to reading your new book number9dream. Can't wait too see you publish more!

[@vins1979]

I started to read this book ages ago, then I interrupted it (I was in between moving from one nation to the other) and never catch up. But I like David Mitchell, actually!

[@jonwisniewski]

Your review inspired me to pick it up! I’m 20 pages in and it is strange so far but I like it!

[@constancecampbell4610]

I loved it, too, except for one section where the language seemed to me like lazy, bad nursery rhyme talk. But, that said, I am very glad it exists. The language I disliked is also present in parts of Cloud Atlas. ✌️💙

[@sebastianwang670]

dude, you HAVE to read Ghostwritten someday! seriously, within Mitchell's output Ghostwritten is second only to Cloud Atlas imho. i think it'd be exactly your kinda thing!

[@mrl9418]

Oh, I loved this one. It's one of those books that "goes places" and of course partly fails, but it left me wanting to read more. Ghostwritten (the other Mitchell novel I read) is much tighter, but n9 is up my alley. It makes me think of Sandman in a way.

[@Enoch828]

I read number9dream earlier this year. It's my 4th Mitchell novel and my least favorite. I agree with the LRB review more than with yours, Bookchemist. I found the novel frustrating, unsatisfying and at times, just plain stupid (chicken story). The engine of the plot for most of the book is the search for the father which ends disappointingly and anticlimactically. At the end of the book it does seem that Mitchell has lost interest and does not know how conclude his dream/story. The novel is at times brilliant and haunting, other times tiresome and nonsensical. I ended the book not knowing if I had somehow failed to "get" it and so was left unsatisfied, or if the novel itself had failed. Perhaps it would benefit from a reread, but I did not enjoy the novel enough to give it another try, at least not soon. David Mitchell remains one of my very favorite novelists writing today.

[@justinlevy274]

Recommend Ghostwritten as well by Mitchell

[@ariansun4879]

Great review and I really should pick it up soon. I read the first 4 pages in the store and knew I had to buy this to learn from.

[@k.e.1760]

You should really read Haruki Murakami!

[@TheBookchemist]

I only read Dance Dance Dance, and really loved it! I look forward to reading more of his works eventually ;)

[@irena7777777]

Where is your video for 'Largesse Of The Sea Maiden'? I wanted to watch before I started reading it

[@lionelmory5620]

@bookchemist Have you ever read Mitchell's first book "Ghostwritten"? If so, what do you think of it ?

[@TheBookchemist]

Not yet!

[@granthang7133]

may I know how do you do the literature research? I know the literary theory, but how to use it in literature research?

[@jakobjohnson984]

I haven't read this book, but it seems really interesting. Do you think that Mitchell's choice of title or style may have been influenced by the song "Revolution Number 9" from The Beatles' White Album? Based on your description of the book, it sounds like that could be a possibility, and I'd be curious to investigate further.

[@kacaubalau2531]

Or #9 Dream by Lennon?

[@TheBookchemist]

It was explicitly inspired by "#9 Dream" by Lennon (Lennon in general plays a big role in the book ;) )

[@kacaubalau2531]

@@TheBookchemist Then I’ll have to read it now. Thanks for getting me excited about reading!

[@esnaydermartinez6650]

Recently discovered this channel and all your reviews are awesome :) would really love to see some T.C Boyle on here though! Maybe Drop City or Water Music?

[@TheBookchemist]

I've always wanted to read some Boyle, I'll get round to it eventually! And thank you for your comment :)

[@zan8152]

'David mitchell is the megadeth of authors' ... is it bad I knew *exactly* what you meant by that as soon as you said it

[@TheBookchemist]

We understand each other ;)

[@Abhishek-fe3zs]

Hey man, hope you're doing well. I watch all your reviews but I won't be watching this one because I really want to read this totally blind. I have a question tho maybe you can help. Do you need to read Cloud atlas first? Does it enhance the experience? I hope you respond. I'm really interested in this novel because I've heard it's set in Tokyo

[@TheBookchemist]

It is set in Tokyo, and has a lot to say about the city! I don't think you need to have read Cloud Atlas first at all ;)

[@Abhishek-fe3zs]

@@TheBookchemist Thank you!

[@benjaminshore680]

You said Pynchon I'm buying it lol

[@edpedraza-robles7584]

Can you review 'A Memory Called Empire next?'

[@SpringboardThought]

Great review!

[@Bob2IzIcon]

Great review; I'll be sure to read your stuff if it does get published lol

[@TheBookchemist]

:D

[@mrtimezone8658]

Forget drugs, go to bed now and start dreaming! Last night I dreamed I was wearing off white robes and a large cone hat (like a dog neck cone) as if I was ready to catch rain as I walked around an Asian American college of which I could find my way out, just driving and driving - so real.

[@simonjager9259]

I would compare David Mitchell in this novel more with Chuck Palahniuk than Haruki Murakami to be honest.

[@mrtimezone8658]

Time for a roast beef sandwich! With Eggnog

[@tsvetelinmonchev624]

Scrivi in italiano? Semplice curiosità :)

[@TheBookchemist]

No, in inglese ;)

[@dhritimangiri4092]

Can you please review some saul bellow and doris lessing? By the loving your channel , going through it like mad. After your video i read gun, with occasional music. Loved it absolutely , but it's also a little bit depressing.

[@TheBookchemist]

It is very depressing indeed - combines the creepy anxiety of dystopian fiction with the traumatic personal loss typical of hardboiled! Thank you for your comment - and I plan to review some Bellow in the not too distant future! (Lessing too, eventually ;) )

[@ProjectEnglishII]

I read the book years ago and am now listening to the audiobook. Do not get the audiobook -- the story is great, but the reading is problematic. Why would a narrator who couldn't pronounce Japanese words be selected to read a book set in Japan about Japanese people? Yes, I know not everyone lives in Japan (as I do), but it would be better NOT to have words mispronounced.