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Brakob Arthur
I really don't think you need to. All of Mitchell's novels have characters that show up in other books of his. This one is no exception. The story is very self-contained. You won't miss out by not having read Bone Clocks. If you wanted to get every reference and in-joke, you'd really have to read All of DMs earlier novels. But I think they all stand on their own quite nicely.
Meredith
I highly recommend it. You don't need to read Bone Clocks to understand the Mitchellian universe, but there's a fabulous easter egg in Slade House's last chapter that makes it very worthwhile. It's good to be in on the joke.
Ariel
Do you need to read The Bone Clocks in order to fully understand Slade House? No
Yes, each book helps you understand the other more fully. The Bone Clocks explains Horology and the process of soul eating, but Mitchell has made it so that you don’t need that information to enjoy Slade House. Think of these two novels be the cherry on top for each other. The Bone Clocks allows you dive deeper into the plot of Slade House and Slade House allows you to carry on the legacy of The Bone Clocks.
Yes, each book helps you understand the other more fully. The Bone Clocks explains Horology and the process of soul eating, but Mitchell has made it so that you don’t need that information to enjoy Slade House. Think of these two novels be the cherry on top for each other. The Bone Clocks allows you dive deeper into the plot of Slade House and Slade House allows you to carry on the legacy of The Bone Clocks.
Jane Maxfield
I haven't, this is my first David Mitchell book, and I think it is brilliant. It is well written and most importantly has the Un-put-downable factor. I will definitely be looking out for his previous works now.
Chris Comerford
I'm nearly halfway through, and you don't *need* to read it. But I have found a number of little easter eggs if you've checked out Bone Clocks first. Plus, y'know, Bone Clocks is an amazing book.
Drew Macrae
I would say yes to appreciate a lot of the esoteric references and humour but I would also read all the other six books because well they all connected...
Dennis Weeks
Yes. The Bone Clocks establishes the narrative underpinnings of Slade House. I would suggest reading Bone Clocks twice and putting Slade House back on the shelf.
Boy Blue
This is a piece of the larger puzzle. While it's interesting and can stand alone, you won't see the whole picture from this one piece. What's more, this isn't his best work and if it's your first Mitchell book you would be better to start somewhere else. The supernatural stuff makes less sense if you haven't read the other stuff. Mitchell has definitely started to really shape his world in the last few stories. If you want explanation behind this story you would need to read The Bone Clocks. In saying that, this book is short and approachable and can stand alone. If you then read the Bone Clocks it would be like a penny dropping. I always think people should start with Ghostwritten. It's typical of his style and has plenty of things that will pop up in later stories but you're not missing any hidden meanings. It's also a really good introduction to his style and his ideas and is the first one he wrote.
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