Ghostwritten is a beautiful novel about human beings, their experiences and how we all effect each other. The novel is split up into different stories...moreGhostwritten is a beautiful novel about human beings, their experiences and how we all effect each other. The novel is split up into different stories which each take up a different genre and a different tone and story. The first story of the novel is about a terrorist involved in a strange cult that's goal is to "cleanse" the world. This story sets the scene of the novel and ends up being extremely important as the novel goes on. After reading this one I was wondering where this novel would go and I knew I was in for an amazing joy ride of a book. Which it was. The ending was astonishing and blew me away if I wasn't already going to give it a 5 star rating the last 70 or so pages definitely convinced me to.
Another one of the stories that stood out to me was the story about the tea lady and the story of her life. That story really showed the extent of human suffering. Regimes change and are overthrown and new ones take their place. When people rise up to destroy the current people in power it is usually because they are tired of the hardships and the suffering that they had to undergo. Yet as soon as those people gain power they again make those below them suffer until those rise up and replace them. “Always, it is the poor people who pay. And always, it is the poor people's women who pay the most.” It is a vicious cycle that every nation has and is undergoing.
This book reminds me very much of the show LOST how everyone is important in their own ways and how everything that happens can lead to bigger events. It also reminds the science geek in me of the transfer theory used in forensic science of how things can rub off on another person and have lasting impressions. A simple thing such as a handshake or saying hello to someone, or answering the phone call of a complete stranger can affect the course of people's lives and cause a rippling effect that can be felt around the globe. We all create these ripples which randomly bounce of each other causing bigger ripples the effects even more people until a simple thing can lead to a chain reaction that in some way affects the entire world. Think about that the next time you cut someone off in traffic or really do anything. Could this be the first incident that leads humanity to the end of the world?
Again this makes you think of what actually is the probability of things occurring in your life. Take for example a car crash. What was the chance that the other car was at that spot at that exact moment. What was the chance of YOU being at that exact spot. Was it because you were speeding and running late because of something that happened at home? Probably if you looked at the exact numbers of the probability of the event occurring at that time when taking in all the elements the chance would be pretty small. But that's what it all really is… chance. Everything that we do and everything that happens in our lives boils all down to chance encounters and chance events.
I really love thinking about life like that, as a series of chance. Chance is what brings you to what you are today. Life isn't planned out for us all because anyone/anything that somehow diverges from that plan causes the ripples which effect us all. It is amazing really. Life is made up of these chances that can really be described almost as miracles because the chance of things happening is so small it is basically a miracle that it happened at all.
Fun Fact: Probability of your being born: one in 102,685,000 Chance that is what it all boils down to. “If you’re in your life, chance. Viewed from the outside, like a book you’re reading, it’s fate all the way.”
Sorry I have pretty much diverged from the plot of the book but all that is what this book made me think of even long after I finished.
What I really what I loved most about the story, Mitchell's attention to detail and the subtle ways he connects the stories together bringing an "OMG thats the character from the other story!" moment. I love how Mitchell can craft such unique stories and stitch them together in amazing ways. My favorite stories was the musician and the noncorpum. I loved the musician stories for the way it got me thinking about chance and really showed the whole theme of the novel. The noncorpum was also amazing because of how it showed it going from multiple characters and looking for meaning. At first I couldn't see how this story related to the others but then realized it was all about chance again. I'm mad that I left this book at home cause there was a quote about accidents that I loved that really helped me understand this story. The noncorpum in the story I believe was an accident made by the Irish physicist [spoilers removed]. Also a note on the Irish, they know how to party and stall CIA agents!
This is overall an extremely powerful novel with a mind-blowing ending. I enjoyed Cloud Atlas better but this book was amazing for a first novel better than most author's first novels. Having read Cloud Atlas before this one it made me wonder if Mitchell had all his books planned out because of how he has his characters appear in multiple books and especially the comet-shaped tattoo. This is why I gave it all 5 stars because of how powerful and moving it was and I love when a book keeps me thinking long after I finish it.
My hermano also wrote a review for this book as well which I think is amazing and a lot better than mine :) (less)
“The world isn't just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding something, we bring something to it, no? Doesn't that make life a story?”
Life is a story and the story of Pi Patel is one of the most extraordinary stories that I have read in awhile. The story begins before the fateful shipwreck that makes up most of the novel. Pi is a little boy who lives in India on a zoo that his father owns. Pretty much the greatest place to live as a kid is on a zoo. After watching We Bought a Zoo and reading this book I really want to live on a zoo, even though I would have a very hard time NOT petting the animals. The talk that the father gives Pi and his brother Ravi is one I would also need cause I mean tigers are just so cute!
That leads to this remarkable story of how a boy manages to survive not only a shipwreck but also being in a lifeboat with a huge Bengal Tiger and several other animals. But before that all happens I found the beginning of the book quite interesting. I didn’t realize that this book dealt mainly with the theme of faith and belief. While Pi is growing up he explores different forms of faith and instead of picking one decides to be Catholic, Islamic, and Hindu all at the same time. Being Catholic I found the scene of him first talking to the priest really mind opening in a way. Pi questions a lot about the religion at first having a hard time imagining and having grown up Catholic I never asked those questions myself but when he asked them I found myself thinking, “you know now that I think about it some of this doesn’t make sense.” But that’s the point of faith I guess it doesn’t all have to make sense.
With all the changes occurring in India Pi and his family choose to move to Canada and take most of the animals from the zoo with them to sell to zoos mostly in America. On the way the boat sinks and Pi is left alone in a lifeboat with a tiger, hyena, zebra, and orangutan.
If it wasn’t for Pi’s internal conflict especially with how to deal with Richard Parker this book could have easily gotten very dry and boring as he just continues to float and going through a very repetitive day. Yet never once did this book get boring or even repetitive. While on the boat Pi has to come to face his fate, death by water or death by tiger, and also his faith. But even when things seemed the grimmest Pi never stopped fighting for his life.
“You might think I lost all hope at that point. I did. And as a result I perked up and felt much better.”
This book was very beautifully written and moving. You really connect with Pi and hurt with him and love with him. You love the tiger that at any moment could kill Pi but I really believe what Pi says that without the tiger he would have died. Richard Parker gave him a reason to live, without him Richard would die, and if Richard died he would forever be alone. The parting of Pi and Richard was pretty much heart wrenching even though it was probably for the best.
“Dare I say I miss him? I do. I miss him. I still see him in my dreams. They are nightmares mostly, but nightmares tinged with love. Such is the strangeness of the human heart.”
My favorite line of the entire book for many reasons.
Ultimately this book is about faith and at the end about taking a leap of faith. After reading the whole book the last few chapters almost tore me apart. I don’t want to give away what happens but it just makes your heart fall. It ends with a big question mark and it is up for you to decide. Think one-way and the story changes for you and it isn’t at all what you thought it was. I decided to take a leap of faith and believe even when it seems impossible and I think that is truly what this book is about and what you take out of it is for you yourself to decide. Just like faith it can’t decide for you. Will you question and leave faith behind or let it lead you when all seems to change?
“If you stumble about believability, what are you living for? Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe?”
I really loved this book even though the end proved to be a challenge. I would recommend it to everyone. It really is a quick read and will soon be a movie that I am very excited to see. (less)
How do I even begin to review a book like this? This book is one of the most incredible books that I have had the pleasure of reading. David Mitchell...moreHow do I even begin to review a book like this? This book is one of the most incredible books that I have had the pleasure of reading. David Mitchell not only managed to write 6 unique and fantastic stories that I would love to read on there own, but he managed to connected them almost seamlessly making one mind-blowing story.
Like I said I would love to read each story as an individual for each one is so dynamic in itself. It is almost hard to believe that the same author wrote each story since each has its own unique writing style. You go from a sailing journal, to comedy, to mystery, to science fiction, and even a post apocalyptic world. He threw in all of my favorite genres and the best elements of each.
When I started reading this book I instantly enjoyed it and liked each story and then loved when I started to realize all the parallels between the stories and characters, and how all the themes came together I was even more in love with the story and flew through the second half.
It is hard for me to pick which story I loved the most but if I had to choose it would be between the mystery story featuring Luisa Rey and the science fiction story featuring Somni. The Luisa Rey story was an intricate mystery filled with all the best elements, the heartless assassin who enjoys killing, the investigative journalist trying to prove herself, and all in all the conspiracy of the mystery that goes higher up than believed. The Somni story was brilliant science fiction where there are clones and the world has become dependent on technology and Big Brother is watching you.
One of the very interesting elements of the book was the language throughout the novel. Once the story about Somni started there was an extreme difference in the use of language. Words were forgotten and things such as movies were all clumped together and called Disneys and all cars Fords. In the last story the language we know was gone. The story itself was hard to read because of how the people talked. Even though this element was on of my favorite themes throughout the book it also was a reason why the last story was my least favorite.
This book will keep you guessing up until the end and even then you will still sit there afterwards just observing everything. The end of each of the stories is amazing and mind-blowing. As soon as you start reading this book you will not be able to put it down and you will be a better person for it. This book will give you a different outlook on the people around you and wonder how everyone’s actions actually effected your own, because one thing this book taught me is that everyone is connected and even the smallest things can impact someone in the future.
Well there is my review I would give this books as many stars as possible. But if you would like to read a fantastic review of this book I would like to send you here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... My brother and his review are the reason I read this book in the first place. ☺ (less)
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