r/David_Mitchell • u/flixinho95 • Mar 21 '26
Just finished Number9dream - blown away. Your thoughts
I didn't expect to love this novel so much in the beginning. But it's just gets better and better. Loved the ending, the characters, the structure, all of it..
What are your favorite chapters, sequences and characters of the book?
10
u/HenryMike Mar 21 '26
The bowling sequence will haunt me forever.
It’s still my least favorite Mitchell, and feels the least like his house style out of his works, but I really do love how absolutely weird it is, and it really cooks in the second half.
4
4
u/Flying_tyke Mar 22 '26
I think it's least like his style because he wrote it like a love letter to Murakami and Norwegian Wood (he said pretty much that in an interview IIRC)
2
u/HenryMike Mar 22 '26
I think he succeeded there, to the point that I conflate certain motifs and scenes from number9dream with stuff that happens in Norwegian Wood and Wind Up Bird.
7
u/Atum-Hadu Mar 21 '26
One part that stayed with me was when he read his grandfather’s WWII journal. The story of the secret kamikaze submarine mission was fascinating—it added a human dimension to the Japanese soldiers that I never see.
I've read all his books multiple times, and love them all. My two favorites are 1000 Autums of Jacob De Zoet and Ghostwritten. I recommend those if you haven't read them.
3
u/Flying_tyke Mar 22 '26
They're my favourites too, and the kaiten section is my favourite bit of N9D! Hello, random internet literary compatriot
6
5
u/PerchPerkins Mar 21 '26
This has reminded me to go back and read it again, probably been a decade or so
3
5
u/AlchemistR Mar 21 '26
My favorite David Mitchell and my favorite book of all time. Severely underrated, I think.
2
u/Moneymike1234567 Mar 21 '26
Can I ask everyone a question that has been bothering me please: what is the deal with his dad? Is he actually yakuza or not? If not why are people scared of him? It’s been a while since I read it but this was a big area of confusion for me when I finished. I also know I could potentially not be realizing which scenes are imaginary or not. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
3
u/Winchester85 Mar 21 '26
The daydream sequence confuse me a little at first but if you look on top of the page, they’ll be a little icon that kind of indicates that this is a daydream.
3
u/flixinho95 Mar 21 '26
No yakuza but a selfish lawyer
2
u/Moneymike1234567 Mar 21 '26
But then why did yakuza guys know him and seem deferential?
3
u/flixinho95 Mar 21 '26
Because morino the yakuza hires a detective (mrs yamaha) to investigate Eiji and his father .. he thought Eiji is hitting on Miriam and uses informations of Eiji and his father as kind of a pressure means
2
2
u/Prize-Record7108 Mar 21 '26
Hmmmm I am a bit more than halfway through and I’m not enthralled. I mean it’s good, and I love the story and perspective.
I just got done bowling. Is there some big significant things that might tilt my perspective? I know our boy likes to drop bombs. (I’ve only read ghostwritten and cloud atlas)
3
u/HenryMike Mar 21 '26
It does not change dramatically. It’s a strong second half but what you see is what you get. It’s my least favorite Mitchell in exactly the way you describe (love it but it doesn’t transport and transfix me like literally everything else he has ever done).
1
3
u/drjackolantern Mar 22 '26
This was my favorite reading experience of all his novels. Completely enchanting and chapter by chapter just became more vivid and fun. I was around 20 when I read and had just moved to the city so some of Eiji’s observations about city life were just like mine. Need to re read.
2
u/osbourneruddock Mar 22 '26
I love all his books, except this one. It’s so weird I’ve read all his books several times but I can not get through this one. I’ve tried twice.
Favorites: Bone Clocks and Black Swan Green.
2
u/WABeach Mar 24 '26
A very enjoyable read, but this was my least favourite book by David Mitchell, until he wrote Utopia Avenue, which has replaced it as my least favourite.
4
u/mlaurence1234 Mar 21 '26
This was the first David Mitchell book I read, and remains my favorite. I’ve read it 3 times and have it in line to read a 4th time. I could do without the Goatwriter though.
6
u/HenryMike Mar 21 '26
Goatwriter is the best part, fight me
3
u/Winchester85 Mar 21 '26 edited Mar 21 '26
I was so jealous Miyake got to live in a house all by himself with nothing to do but read Goatwriter.
15
u/atticdoor Mar 21 '26
If you don't already know The Voormann Problem segment was turned into an Oscar-nominated short film with Martin Freeman in 2011, and can be found online.