The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet - David Mitchell

As I am both a David Mitchell fan and a bit of a 'Japanophile' when I heard about this book I knew that it was next on my 'to read' list. I'm glad that I gave it first priority. This is truly a fascinating book combining history, romance, crime and culture. This historical novel is set in 18th century Japan. At this time no one could leave and no one could enter, for two centuries Japan was a closed country. There was one exception to this rule and that was the small man-made island off the cost of Nagasaki called 'Dejima' (literally translated this means exit island). This is where Mitchell sets his story, having discovered the area himself by accident one day whilst travelling in Japan.This is a complex story with many characters, covering several years over the lives of those involved during the trading seasons of the Dutch East Indies Company on the tiny, and at times, claustrophobic, island. Mitchell's narration follows the main protagonist, Jacob de Zoet, a young ginger
-haired clerk newly arrived to the island, as he navigates the politics and intricacies of the Japanese trading system and the relationships built (and destroyed) between the Japanese and the foreigners on the island.Ultimately this is a delicate love story which features, at its epicentre, a scarred Japanese mid-wife. The young clerk, de Zoet, becomes besotted with her and, as with any tale of romance, the course of love never runs smooth. For Jacob his quest is strewn with cultural differences, bribery, danger, and misfortune. It is hard for the reader of the 21st century to imagine how difficult it was for a foreigner to even contemplate a romantic liaison with a Japanese national (apart from with the women in the 'pleasure districts' used by many of the Dutch traders in the book!).The reader is taken to different parts of Japan, from the unbearable, stinking heat of the island in the summer to the inhospitable snow of the mountains during winter; each chapter brings a de
tailed and evocative insight into the Japan of the late 18th century. The author writes with an enviable depth of knowledge, not only of the Japanese landscape but also of the language and century old traditions. Those who have an interest in Japan will undoubtedly recognise many of the attitudes and linguistic particularities still current today, allowing the reader to connect and empathise with the novel's protagonists.Not only can you enjoy a good read, you can learn about the history of a country, which, for many years, was completely shut off from the outside world. This literary window into a Japanese bygone era is informative yet creative, poetic and romantic at its heart. It is definitely a welcome addition to my book shelf.

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