A review by queenclio
Ghostwritten by David Mitchell

5.0

David Mitchell's books always leave me stunned, thrilled, and in awe of his creativity. As his first novel, it reminds me of a more raw version of Cloud Atlas or The Bone Clocks. It has the fantastical elements of The Bone Clocks and Slade House, which he manages to weave deftly into an otherwise fairly grounded novel, as well as the dystopic elements of both Cloud Atlas and The Bone Clocks. Each section could stand alone as its own short story, yet each section adds depth and meaning to those that came before it, and I always take such pleasure in the doubletakes I make when I recognize a character or reference from another section - or even another book!

It would be so easy for a lesser writer to let this storytelling style become a shtick, and a predictable one at that. It would be so easy for him to get lazy and make obvious connections and uninspired "filler" stories to move the bigger plot along, but he doesn't. His ego is nowhere in sight, and I always feel in trustworthy hands when I start his books, unsure of where I'll end up but knowing that it will leave me breathless no matter what.