ivanhoeark

the book starts slowly, and at first I thought it was going to be merely a thick description of life in the Dutch trading port of Nagasaki circa 1800. Although I can't decide if this is praise or mild criticism, I will admit that Mitchell has a penchant for writing 'beautiful', even quasi-poetic prose. In this he is attempting to evoke the otherness of the Closed Empire and the feelings of his characters through poetic phrasing. Some of this was effective, but I found it wore a bit as the book progressed. But aside from this cavil, I highly recommend the book. Indeed, after a somewhat slow start, things started happening about 150 pages into it and what had seemed to be a placid 'descriptive' novel grew into a complex story about relationships, desire, loss, and contemplations about duty. A love story emerges, juxtaposed with plot elements involving intrigue, cultural difference, and even a little action. I'm very glad I kept at this book, for it turned into one of the best I've read in a while. If I could give 4.5 stars, I would.

2022-09-06 11:03