David Mitchell Appreciation discussion

Anything about this book: thoughts, discussions, ideas, frustrations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1GtJf...

A concise summary.

Any thoughts on the upcoming film adaption?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1371111/
I just ran through the cast list, not too bad. Ben Whishaw as Frobisher, my personal favorite of the characters, is a pretty good choice and I feel he will do it justice. Plus Tom Hanks as Goose. But I'm not sure how I feel about the Wachowski's doing this, and how they can fit this in as one film.

Fingers crossed.

Tommy Tykwer's involved as a director as well.

It's a pity he couldn't have found a role for Clive Owen.

I wonder if they will direct the different stories separately.

Yeah, i read something about them filming each scene side by side or whatever. Which is a good idea to keep the directing styles changing seeing as the book was about changing delivery and form. But I saw Speedracer....and the 3rd Matrix...

I must watch #3 again. I didn't think it was that bad when I saw it. It was a world I didn't want to leave.

They got to keep Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith).

Yeah I saw that, I'm pretty excited for him, although I don't know who he will play.

He can play anything. He's one of these hard-working versatile Aussies.

Stephen M wrote: "Anything about this book: thoughts, discussions, ideas, frustrations."

I absolutely loved this book. I'm not sure where to start a discussion but the Sixsmith character as discovered in Frobisher's portion and continued in Luisa Rey's portion is fascinating. Who is Sixsmith really?

Hmm glad you brought that up, I've been thinking about Sixsmith ever since I read your post this morning. It is interesting how he is such a pivotal character, being a major part of two stories, yet gets such little 'face time' for lack of a better word. We know he is Frobisher's lover, and a genius scientist and that he is very caring and fatherly, but that is about it. He is always looking out for Frobisher, going out of his way to help him in any way and even trying to track him down when his thoughts turn to death, and then is gentle and kind towards Luisa Rey.

I didn't notice this until just now, but I feel it is fitting that both he and Frobisher die of a gunshot to the head. Mitchell does a good job of keeping this novel balanced and 'mirroring' events, so it works well that he has Sixsmith take a bullet in the first half, and Frobisher in the second half years before.

That is an interesting connection. I shouldn't have been surprised when Sixsmith was murdered but I was. It was so sudden and brutal. That whole story was near misses, double crosses, and violence.

I'm reading Black Swan Green right now and there's a cool connection with Frobisher and the composer.

Casey wrote: That is an interesting connection. I shouldn't have been surprised when Sixsmith was murdered but I was......

I hear you, I think I held my breath that whole page. He was such a nice guy and Smoke just does him cold. I bet the film version of this section will be intense.

Good to hear there more links to Frobisher in other novels. I'm planning on reading all of Mitchell this year and Frobisher was my favorite so I will be looking forward to Black Swan Green (I originally typed it as an acronym, then realized it looked like I was all excited for more Battlestar Galactica, but those days are gone). Which of Mitchell's novels is your favorite?

s.penkevich wrote: "I bet the film version of this section will be intense."

While I totally agree with you, I'm imagining every few seconds of this thing to be so intense. I'd like to make some bets on what is or is not gonna land in the movie. (subject to ponder while I eat dinner)

Good subject to ponder, I've been doing so ever since I heard they were making the film. I read somewhere it will be over 3 hours in length, but even then it seems too short for the size of this novel. As long as the tooth flies into the beer glass across the room.... I pray they keep that.

s.penkevich wrote: "As long as the tooth flies into the beer glass across the room.... I pray they keep that."

Yes! For some reason, I really want to the opening scene to be filmed as written. I really love the image, at least what I get from it, as a camera quickly passing over a beaten path and then lifting up to find Dr. Goose crouched over. We pan in and get a close up as he opens up his palm revealing a handful of teeth.

See, there I go. My expectations boil down to specific shots. I am going to be let down no matter how good this movie is.

s.penkevich wrote: "Casey wrote: That is an interesting connection. I shouldn't have been surprised when Sixsmith was murdered but I was......

I hear you, I think I held my breath that whole page. He was such a nice ..."

"Thousand Autumns" was my favorite. It is such an all encompassing story. It's magnificent.

Casey: Sounds good, it seems like each time I hear about another of his books I want to jump right to that, but I'm going to try and hold to reading the rest in order they were written. Thousand Autumns was the book that brought Mitchell to my attention though.

Stephen: I agree, I think I'll have to see it alone so I'm not the guy saying 'well in the book...' every 10 seconds. I have high hopes though, there are quite a few respectable names attached to the project. Tom Hanks as Dr. Goose is interesting choice, I have always liked him. I just know that no matter how pretty or spot on it can get, it will never match the books lyrical beauty.

This is a flashback, but I was reminded of it when The Morning News Tournament of Books announced this year's contenders. This is a great award since there's total transparency into what all the judges are thinking as the books go head-to-head. Anyway, this knock-out competition goes back to 2005. Care to guess who the first winner was? Check yourself here.

I thought it was going to be a Celebrity Death Match Tournament for a second there.

Cloud Atlas seems very polarizing. Either it works for you, or people pass is off as gimmicky, as many of the reviewers put in in the article. I'm glad you shared that, it reminded me I have an unread copy of Plot sitting on my shelf. There was enough positive about it in there to make me excited to read it.

s.penkevich wrote: "Cloud Atlas seems very polarizing."

It's the first Mitchell I will have to re-read to decide whether I like it.

Ian wrote: "s.penkevich wrote: "Cloud Atlas seems very polarizing."

It's the first Mitchell I will have to re-read to decide whether I like it."

Oh yeah, I forgot you weren't a big fan of it the first go-round. I hope it improves for you, it definitely sold me on Mitchell.

I didn't try very hard.

These things happen.

I was originally very sceptical of the prospect of a movie for _Cloud Altas_, and I am still not really sure that the things that make the book so great would translate into a movie, but I guess I hold (most) of my judgements for now.

It might be a good movie, I just don't know if it'll be _Cloud Atlas_.

I read that Halley Barry will be in multiple scenes, including the Frobisher section as well as playing Luisa Rey. I had always thought Luisa Rey was a reincarnation of Frobisher and that whole string of people, so why would she be in a scene with Frobisher and NOT be playing him? Maybe my interpretation of who is who is all wrong.

s.penkevich wrote: "Any thoughts on the upcoming film adaption?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1371111/
I just ran through the cast list, not too bad. Ben Whishaw as Frobisher, my personal favorite of the characters, is ..."

I was just watching "The Time Bandits" on Netflix and I think Terry Gilliam would have made an excellent director. The documentary about his attempt at Don Quixote is wonderful.

Right on man. Next week is a little soon for me, but otherwise I'd love to participate. I know Ian has wanted to reread this as well. Same with Jsou, you say?

I want to re-read this before the film. I want to re-read The Master and Margarita first though. Late August, early September?

Sounds good to me. I want to finish Number9dream beforehand.

Hi there, David Mitchell fans. I'm currently hosting a readalong of Cloud Atlas on my book review blog. I wanted to re-read it before the movie adaptation premiere and hope that others will join me in looking at this complex work. The readalong is eleven weeks of discussion, one section a week, culminating the week the movie comes out (on October 26th).

I would love for some more discussion! Want to read (or re-read) Cloud Atlas and help untangle its many themes, references, styles, and everything else? Take a look! Updates every Tuesday at EditorialEyes Book Reviews.

The Cloud Atlas Readalong