9 Lives

A Book Review

Title:
Ghostwritten

Author:
David Mitchell

"Try reading this, and when you're done, let me know what you think," a friend of mine said. And so I did. He lend me the book, and about 3 - 4 months after that (dude sorry for holding your book hostage for so long a time, I promise I'll return it to you when I'm back in Indonesia), I finally finished reading the damn thing.

So, what's the book all about? Basically, there are 9 short stories in this book, but each story is connected, closely or distantly (mostly distantly) to the others in some ways. For example, the character in the second story heard about the character from the first story in a news in TV. The character from the third story saw the character in the second story in a small restaurant (but didn't talk to each other), and so on. It is as if the other characters from other stories are only a 'prop' in a given story. The stories are told from the first person perspective. The settings are also quite varied, ranging from Russia to Japan. The main characters are also colorful in variation, from an artwork thief in St. Petersburg to a delusional cult-slash- terrorist member in Japan. However, there's an underlying common theme among the stories told in this book that will become obvious in the later part of the book.

What is remarkable about this book is the author's skill in writing. I have to agree with my friend that each story is written as if by a different author. In short, each story has its own feel to it, a different atmosphere.

I'd like to think of this book as a collection of short stories, even if there exists a small thread of connection between each of the stories told. Each story is not about the main theme of the book, but mostly about the personalities and the lives of each of the story's main characters. For myself, my favourite story is the last story in this book, but my favourite scene is the sex scene in the third story (very raw, yet sensual).

One of the interesting thing about reading this book is trying to find references to previous stories main characters when reading through a certain story of a certain main character. You really have to pay attention to all the little details mentioned in this books. The references are sometimes obvious, but often times a bit subtle, especially in the later parts of the book. Furthermore, it is interesting to find how each of the main characters affects each other, no matter how subtle the effect is.

So, the book's got varied location settings, colorful characters, and an interesting yet subtle thread between each of the short stories. I must say that this book is a serious read, and to be able to really appreciate it you must dedicate your full attention while reading it. It is also a good learning reference for a certain someone who's trying to publish his own book and studying other authors' style of writing (hint hint...). (note to lender: Hey, dude, I'll bring the book back to ya so you can start learning again and start writing your own damn book. Make sure you have a character who's like me in your damn book. And don't make him die in the early part of the book, alright?)

A very recommended book for those who are into serious books, or who have time to dwell into serious books. Avoid it if you're looking for a light read, because this one demands your full attention. Or else you won't appreciate all the little details and their effects on the book as a whole.