Luke answers “Should I read David Mitchell's other books...”

Carol asked this question about The Bone Clocks:

Should I read David Mitchell's other books before reading "The Bone Clocks?"

Luke Shobbrook I personally came to Mitchell through 'Ghostwritten' when it first came out and enjoyed it immensely, so i recommend you start at the beginning and wo…moreI personally came to Mitchell through 'Ghostwritten' when it first came out and enjoyed it immensely, so i recommend you start at the beginning and work chronologically. If you're 40 something you will find 'Black Swan Green' an enjoyable nostalgia trip and valuable insight into Mitchell's past, and an 'amuse bouche' before the mindblowing 'Cloud Atlas'. I prsonally found 'Number 9 Dream' poor in comparison, however, and even poorer soon afteerwards when I discovered Murakami. Part of the fun is in finding links not just between Mitchell's works, but between his and those of others. Anyone who has read 'Cloud Atlas' would instantly recognise the prose style in Russel Hoban's 'Riddley Walker', for example, and 'Number 9 Dream' is copycat Murakami. If I were better read I reckon I would probably find bits ot Twain and Swift in there too. I haven't read 'The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet', but after perusing this thread and enjoying 'The Bone Clocks' will give it a go.(less)

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