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The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet
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The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell (Angus, Bennard, Mae, Monique). Start Date: September 24
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Thanks for the info, Atty. Monique. I was just wondering about fumi-e when I read it.:)Day 06: XVIII - XXI
I can't believe that things just got darker. I thought that the brothel/shrine is just a venue for sexually-depraved men but it seems that they actually practice a more sinister ritual that involves baby cannibalism in order to gain immortality. The very dark plot thickens even further.
It seems that Mitchell is ramping up the intensity. The fact that Uzaemon mentioned it first in passing totally blindsided me. Mitchell is full of surprises. The addition of Shuzai the samurai master in our ragtag group of heroes excites me.:D
On a side note, I knew that we haven't exhausted the array of gross medical procedures that is within the book and the lithotomy proved me right. Gross and funny in all the right places.:D
Am I the only one that thinks that Ogawa Mimasaku and Dr. Marinus are somehow brothers? They are so alike in their sarcasm. :D
BENNARD: Marinus is Dutch, and Ogawa is Japanese... Okay, dapat bang pinatulan ko yung question? Haha! Sorry, antok na ko. :DDo you think Shuzai can be trusted? I can't help but think that Uzaemon might be making a mistake in trusting him with the scroll...
Monique: Natuwa lang kasi ako sa similarities ng mga banat nila.:DI want to trust Shuzai but Mitchell may surprise us once again. This is turning out to be exciting.:D
Parang I do not want to trust anyone in this novel. They all give me bad vibes. :P
Mae wrote: "Parang I do not want to trust anyone in this novel. They all give me bad vibes. :P"True. Except adorable Domburger.:D
Day 06: XVIII - XXIBasta ako, naexcite ako ng sobra sa pagtakas ni Aibagawa. Nakakaloka nung nahawakan niya yung paa ni Master Genmu. Juice ko, cardiac arrest ang aabutin ko kung sakaling ako iyon.
Siyempre nasabi na lahat, pero matanong ko lang: kinakain ba yung mga baby or pinapatay lang? Hay, nakakagalit isipin ang mga nagaganap sa Shiranui Shrine. Kapag naiisip ko si Yayoi, nalulungkot ako. Naiimagine ko siya bilang isang sweet and naive na girl (kung pwede mang maging naive ang isang ex-prostitute).
Kalahati na ako ng Day 7 kaya medyo naghahalu-halo ang mga nasa isip ko (at kaya hindi na ako magrereact sa ibang mga katanungan dahil masasagot nama sila soon). Super saya! Pero teka, naiisip ko rin kung bakit medyo nagfade sa background si Domburger. Ano naman kaya ang malaking pasabog niya?
Sorry Taglish mode ako today. Inaantok pa ako, haha, :D
kinakain ba yung mga baby or pinapatay lang? Parang di ko nakuha yung part na kinakain? Parang pinapatay lang? I already read part of today's reading - the part na nanganak na si Yayoi with twins - and I think....
Later na. :D
I'm past that! Gusto ko ngang magbasa dito sa office, kaso baka sabunutan ako ng boss ko, haha!
At dahil dyan, tatapusin ko na NGAYON dito sa office ang Day 7. Haha!
kinakain ba yung mga baby or pinapatay lang? I just implied that the priests eat the babies or, at the very least, drink their blood because Shuzai has said that the shrine is a "farm" and that the women are "livestock". Tapos parang sinasabi din na ginagamit yung mga babies for the immortality of the priests in the shrine.
So yun. Nag-run amok kasi ang imagination ko.:D
I first imagine the babies being thrown off the gorge. Brrr. Pero mas scary kung kinakain. Yikes!
Day 07: XXII - XXVIBefore anything else, let me just get these two things out of the way:
Y U NO ESCAPE, AIBAGAWA?!! >_<
and
ARGH, SHUZAI! I KNEW IT!!! *shakes fist*
*composes self*
Okay. So this is the last of Part II. I liked this part a whole lot more than the first one. Aside from the story arcs and all the twists and turns, I thought Mitchell wrote the best cliffhangers. There were times when I felt like pulling my hair after finishing a chapter. Of course, he ended it with a major one so I doubt that I'll be getting decent sleep tonight. (I'll probably dream of liquefied babies, hu hu hu...)
Basta, Part II gave me lots of feelings. I had some doubts back in Part I, but now I find that I rather like this new straightforward!Mitchell experience. Brilliant writer is brilliant. Part III na tayo, yay! :D
Day 07: XXII - XXVII KNEW IT. I just knew it.
Shuzai is a double-crossing, untrustworthy SOB. Dun pa lang sa part when Enomoto excused himself from speaking with Aibagawa to attend to a visitor who brought him something daw that was stolen, I had a very strong nagging feeling that it was Shuzai.
And Aibagawa's non-escape, well. She had her reasons, and I guess it's because she cannot live with her conscience if something happens to Yayoi in childbirth.
This is the best part of the book, and I don't know if Book III will steal that title. It's funny that the best parts don't even have De Zoet playing a major role, as the focus is on Aibagawa, Uzaemon and the Shrine. But I'm actually looking forward to the next chapters because of De Zoet and the scroll.
[Okay, stop muna here because my comments might overlap to Book III, which I've started na rin.]
But anyway. Since we're past the halfway mark, I will post about how I still don't have an inkling as to how the title of the novel figures in the plot. A thousand autumns. Hmm.
Oh, and it looks like Bennard's cannibalism idea may prove true, as well. Enomoto mentioned something about "bottling" them and drinking/ingesting them or something, and that he's lived several hundred years because of this? Sorry classmates, I'm too lazy to check the book but as far as my (rusty) memory goes, I think I read something to that effect. Just correct me if I'm wrong. :)
MAE: Brilliant is Mitchell, and Mitchell is brilliance! :D
Monique wrote: "Enomoto mentioned something about "bottling" them and drinking/ingesting them or something, and that he's lived several hundred years because of this?"Yes! That's just about right. BABY JUICE, UGH. >_<
Day 07:XXII - XXVIAww. Shuzai betraying Uzaemon disappointed me greatly. I thought that he was such a badass samurai that he will have a more heroic turn in the book. Sadly, Mitchell's Japan sticks closely to the reality of that era rather than the more heroic imaginings of other fictionists.
The events are escalating in ways that surprises me in a good way. I wonder how will Domburger figure in all this action.
Anyhoo, Enomoto is starting to be a very sinister and memorable villain. Someone who believes that what he does is not evil and is also necessary. I wonder if he is the same Lord Enomoto that helped Shogun Ieyasu in the story of the peddler of amulets that is told to Shuzai since the present Enomoto claims to be 600 years old.
And yikes on them bottling the essence of the babies and killing the mothers after 20 years of servitude. Just yikes.
I look forward to the next chapters.:D
Mae and Atty. Monique: I agree that Mitchell is brilliant.:D
Bennard: Yay! After this you'll read his other novels na din, yes? :D
Mae: Yes, of course! I might start on Cloud Atlas next month.:D
Day 08: XXVII - XXXAnd suddenly the world is big again. Haha. I don't know, I just felt like we zoomed in when we got to Part II, and then we zoomed right back out in Part III.
The first chapter (XXVII) threw me off a bit because it was written in first person. At first I thought it was Jacob but it turned out to be Weh, the servant of van Cleef.
Part III is shaping up quite well. We find out:
> What Jacob does to the scroll (200 nights to translate? O_O That's almost 7 months!)
> Uzaemon's fate (I was hoping he's be able to worm hims way out or something.)
> Enomoto's schemes (Not quite clear just yet, but I bet it's going to be horrible.)
I have to admit that I found that chapter featuring the ship a little hard to read. It must be the all-new bunch of names that threw me off, as well as the odd sailor talk. I didn't get a lot of what was going on, but Snitker is onboard so I'm guessing there's a new level of revenge and treachery at hand. Looks like things are going to be action-packed.
Day 08: XXVII - XXXJust like that, and the excitement is all gone. If the title of this book doesn't contain his name, I would even think Jacob de Zoet is a very minor character. The way he figures in the story is quite insignificant, other than, I should think, the fact that he is involved in a love triangle with the "real" stars in Book II.
But here's a British captain tortured by gout, and look, Snitker is alive! I'd have thought he'd have been banished back to Holland, but it turns out he's still plying the seas on board a different ship.
I actually enjoyed Van Cleef's story of Gloria. On second thought, I think I will always enjoy Mitchell's characters' side stories. :)
The last parts, though, I didn't quite get. So what if there's a merchantman or ship - a Dutch merchantman - entering the bay? What is it to Shiroyama and Enomoto?
I am hoping that at the end of the next few chapters, we'll finally figure out how Books I, II and III connect and tie up, and the reason why it's entitled as such will finally be revealed.
BUDDY: How are you holding up? Delay ba muna namin ulit so we can wait for you? :)
Day 08: XXVII - XXXThe start of Part Three has toned down the tension and the excitement but it builds up to something else entirely. A British frigate is planning to occupy Dejima with the the help of Snitker. Does this mean that Chief Vorstenbosch is dead and the Shenandoah is destroyed since Snitker is supposed to be a prisoner of the Shenandoah?
Mitchell is really good at humanizing his characters through back stories. I hated Van Cleef before his back story is presented. I now somehow pity him.
Another thing I noticed is that the reversal of fortunes is a pervading theme in the book. Almost all of the main characters in the book has a reversal of fortunes somewhere in the book or is awaiting a reversal of fortune in order to turn his/her life around. Somehow, this makes me sad for them.
Atty. Monique: I think the last part concerning the supposed Dutch merchantman arriving in Dejima means that Shiroyama will not need to borrow money from Enomoto anymore which will help Shiroyama avoid Enomoto's control or something.:)
I am getting excited for the conclusion and I hope that Mitchell will give us a satisfactory ending that will tie up all the events of the book. And I hope that there will be more of Domburger before the book's end.:D
Day 07: XXII - XXVII have A LOT of feelings for this part. Sympathy, disgust, suspense, outrage, et al. Every time I think of Yayoi and her twins, my heart squeezes a bit. So tama nga si Bennard; it's baby cannibalism. Sort of.
So you really think Uzaemon is dead? No doubt about it? What if Enomoto didn't properly load the gun? And that Shuzai! Bakit ba hindi ako marunong magsuspetsa? Heh.
Re: the title.
Jacob might end up imbibing the baby juice (maybe by accident?) so he'll live to see a thousand autumns? Hehe. Enomoto is 600 years old daw.
Day 9: XXXI - XXX1VWhile I love historical fiction, I must admit na nawindang ako sa parts na ito, not having any working knowledge at all about the Dutch trading business in Japan in the 17th-18th centuries. So after reading the chapters assigned for the day, I conjured up good ole Google to brief me on the necessaries. At least now, the novel and the details somehow make sense.
So the Phoebus is a British frigate, intending to take over Dejima and the Dutch trading posts that have been established there. Its captain, Penhaligon, resorts to stealth in carrying out his plan - by kidnapping van Cleef and Fischer and effectively depriving the Dutchmen of their leaders. The Japanese, under the leadership of Shiroyama, are helpless as well - less than a hundred soldiers manning their outposts, so defending their region is practically futile.
I think Enomoto is still going to get his way over Shiroyama - by sending for more men from Edo, Shiroyama will be inevitably indebted.
The recurring theme of the book, as we near the end of the novel, is betrayal and deceit. Bennard notes the theme of reversal of fortunes, which in a way is intertwined with deceit because one's fortunes may be reversed on account of someone else's deception. And my thought about this is, isn't anyone worth trusting?? It's like everyone has his/her own agenda, and everyone was willing to deceive people and betray trust just to achieve their own selfish ends.
And the book's title can be found in page 417: "The Land of A Thousand Autumns" is one of the "florid" names that the Japanese have given to their country. :)
BUDDY: Read on to find out more about Uzaemon's fate! Haha.
Day 9: XXXI - XXXIVWAR!!! Rakenrol. :P
Ah, yes. The old VOC vs. British East India Company. Er... I don't much about the whole trade thing back then, except that these two were competitors. And lookie, our boy Jacob is now the man-in-charge! And because I do not know anything about rankings and such, I was quite surprised. I'm amazed he was able to keep his cool in the presence of Enomoto, but that just shows that he's smart enough to pick his battles.
These last few chapters feel like the calm before the storm. Events are unfolding but, as interesting as they are, what I really want to know is the fate of Aibagawa. Oh, the suspense!
I agree with Atty. Monique on the recurring themes of the book. Shiroyama hit the nail on the head a few chapters ago: Deception, Greed, Corruption and Lust.
Day 08: XXVII - XXXGdlajf aolfdja lsjdafasl.
This feels like popping in the next disc of the TV series you are watching and then wondering if you have the right disc playing.
I don't know what Go is, except that it's a Japanese game that looks like a cross between chess and checkers. So I was expecting Go players, but look, we have a different point of view. Weh is narrating (I can hardly remember him) and he is telling us a short history of his life as a slave. His musings on the ownership of memory unnerved. Refer to my After the Birthday Party (hehe). *Shivers.
I also didn't get much of the happenings at the ship, but there seems to be some conspiracy going on. Not a mutiny, because a mutiny is a revolution against the ship's captain, right? Or wrong? @_@
And then there's Jacob. In a brothel. Dreaming that he made love with Orito. And he comes back to earth beside a shy prostitute. And some back/side story on Van Cleef. I was wondering why they seem to be buddies again (after The Incident which caused Jacob to remain in his post as a clerk).
Okay, I'm just mostly reading on the surface level without really taking a keen notice of the inner workings (sorry, my work is a b*tch). But yes, please don't mind me, carry on. It's the weekend anyway, so hopefully I can finish it off. Wooh!
Day 09: XXXI-XXXIVI didn't know that van Cleef has some semblance of honor left. I somehow admire him for not yielding to the British.
And the war between the bankrupt remnants of VOC and the British East India Company is making Domburger an admirable man. Define grace under pressure and the way he talked to the Japanese council, especially Enomoto, is tense but wise.
I just hope that Domburger will not be blindsided by Enomoto's devious machinations. Or else it would be another reversal of fortune for our dear Domburger.
I agree with you, Atty. Monique. Betrayal and deceit is indeed a major theme. You can note that when the characters are saying one thing to another character but actually planning the opposite.
I wonder how this thing will conclude and if Aibagawa will resurface again or if she is just a lost cause. Lapit na tayong matapos.:)
Day 10: XXXV-XXXVIIAnother back story is introduced, this time for Twomey who, we find out, has a real name that is more ridiculous (Fiacre Muntervary). He is supposedly a convict who escaped from a prison colony that is headed by Phoebus' own Major Cutlip. Long story short, if the Englishmen are allowed to land in Dejima, Twomey (or Muntervary) will suffer greatly. I like how Mitchell creates back stories that explains the nature of its characters and their behavior in the present rather than just an exploration of the past.
Another thing worth noting is how Fischer's attitude became more annoying exponentially at the end. And Arie Grote becoming an ally in the end is surprising as I would think that he would ally himself with Fischer. And Domburger showing some strategic skill is just plain awesome. I would have liked to see Fischer's face aboard Phoebus when he realizes that Domburger and Shiroyama has duped him.
Speaking of the Phoebus, how cruel is Captain Penhaligon when he decided to bombard Dejima just because he can't get it? And how brave is Domburger and Dr. Marinus? I can't help but admire them. And it's a really good thing that Domburger has red hair and that Captain Penhaligon is suffering from delusions due to gout.
The last few chapters is really becoming exciting and interesting. I think I'll finish this tonight and then post my thoughts on the final chapters tomorrow. Happy reading on our last leg, buddies.:D
Yay, classmates! We're done and we've all given the book five stars! Congratulations to Mae and Buddy, fellow Mitchell completists! :DHindi ba kayo nalungkot na hindi pala nagkatuluyan sina Domburger at Aibagawa? :(
And what do you think made Penhaligon pull out the carronades and further attacking Dejima? The memory of his son Tristram? :)
And Bennard, go for the Cloud Atlas next. We demand it! :D
Yay! Cheers to us, Atty. Monique and Angus! And also to Bennard for his first Mitchell. *highfives*Marinus' death and funeral was bittersweet. I'm glad he passed away peacefully, but I was sad that he was gone. He was one of my favorite characters in this book. Also, the meeting of Domburger and Aibagawa was sad din. I was hoping they'd finally get the chance to be together, but... No happy endings here after all. :(
It was also sad that Domburger had to leave Dejima when he had already considered the place his home. And to leave his son behind knowing he they would never see each other again was just painful.
Atty. Monique: Yes, I think that's it. The red hair reminded him of his son and that made him cease his attack. That was quite a powerful scene for me.
5 stars! Early on, I was afraid I'd have to give this less than 5 because the first part was just a bit too much exposition for my taste, but the rest of the novel was awesome so it all balanced out in the end. So, yes! 5 stars! :D
And to leave his son behind knowing he they would never see each other again was just painful.Dito ako nalungkot ng sobra. I can't imagine leaving my child like that... with the full knowledge that we'll never see each other again. Feeling ko dinudurog ang puso ko, and I think Domburger was very, very brave to do what he did.
Reading the concluding chapter was what did it for me. I was also thinking about giving this only 4 stars, but when I read the last part... I know you guys know what I'm talking about so di ko na explain further. Hehe.
Last Saturday, in the Cloud Atlas discussion (we missed you Mae!) the idea of Mitchell exploring religion in his books was tackled. After reading this book, I think I have a definite answer to that. Haha. :)
I am collecting my thoughts on the book and will try to post my notes within the day. Baka makalimutan ko pa, hahaha! :)
Wait, I have a lot of feelings, will try to post them tonight. Long meeting ahead (here at the office)! @_@
Oh! I almost forgot! Did you guys (Atty. Monique and Angus) catch what appears to be a crossover/connection to another Mitchell novel? I thought wala na kasi medyo ibang period na ito masyado pero meron pa din yata. Placing this under a spoiler cut in case Bennard is spoiler sensitive, hehe. (view spoiler)
This was a very good read for me. The last two chapters, the one that skips years ahead of the death of Enomoto, is what made this very memorable. The meeting of Domburger and Aibagawa; the death of Marinus; Domburger's departure; and subsequent life in his homeland created a well of feelings inside me. :')It's not a happy ending and yet it isn't a sad ending either. Parang warm ang feeling ko nung end especially nung death ni Domburger when what he imagined to be the person greeting him in the afterlife is Aibagawa (or am I misreading the end?).
I'm glad that I decided to read this with you guys.:)
Mae: Does the name Boerhaave ring a bell? :D
Hey Buddies, this was fun despite the delays. Medyo busy lang. Will do my proper posts tonight. :D
Only Boerhaave rang a bell. I forget the name of Adam's ship eh, hehehe. :)Mae, you should have attended the Cloud Atlas discussion! Aldrin said something about Mitchell's penchant for picking characters and names from an old novel when he's writing a new one. :)
Day 09: XXXI - XXXIVDay 10: XXXV - XXXVII
Day 11: XXXVIII - XLI and Appendices
I thought the last parts were tragic. I mean, I've been rooting for Domburger and Aibagawa, and then we find out that Yuan's mother is the woman Domburger slept with at the House of Wistaria.
But Domburger should have asked! Hay. Parang The Perks of Being a Wallflower iyan. You cannot always depend on people's being happy despite your unhappiness. Who knows Domburger and Aibagawa could have been happier? But that would have been a different story. It's probably not Mitchell's intention.
And then there's Marinus's death. Not your regular likable character, but I like him anyway.
And then there's the father and son separation. Hay. And then Yuan dies before his father does? Hay. And the last scene? Hay.
It was a lifetime of solitude for Domburger. But I hope he'll be happy in the afterlife (yes Bennard, we imagine the same things).
Going back, I really enjoyed the game of go between Shiroyama and Enomoto. I enjoy the poisoning thing. It's a very classic move.
As to the captain's retreat, well, we could never really know why, but I guess it must be the memory of his son that was invoked upon seeing Domburger that stopped him from firing the carronades.
Sorry, my thoughts are so incoherent. I'm a scatterbrain.
Bennard: Feeling ko lang parang relate na relate ka kay pareng Domburger. Hehe. But yeah, I thought the same thing re: the ending. :)Atty. Monique: I'm sad that I wasn't able to go. Sayang talaga, I would have loved to hear what The Mitchell Mafia had to say about Cloud Atlas and the author. ;)
Angus: I enjoyed the Shiroyama/Enomoto chapter, too! I found it very cinematic. Actually, I find the whole book cinematic. Ang ganda lang talaga. Haha.
Mae: Oo nga. Di ko lang alam kung bakit relate na relate ako kay Domburger.:DAnd I agree that the whole book is cinematic. I nominate Ken Watanabe as Enomoto.:D
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Ay, agree! Makapigil-hininga! Was she able to escape? Abangan ang susunod na kabanata...
You're welcome! I just got curious kase, when the Ogawas were queueing for it. :)