The Thousand Autumns of Jacob DeZoet
by David Mitchel
Reviewed by Robert May
by David Mitchel
Reviewed by Robert May
This book of historical fiction takes place at the turn of the eighteenth century
in the Dutch walled trading city of Dejima located near Nagasaki, Japan. A Dutch East India Company clerk, Jacob De Zoet has left the Netherlands seeking status and a profitable career so that he will be able to marry the girl that he left behind. Arriving in Dejima, he finds himself in a corporate Dutch society that is right next to and ancient traditional feudal society. DeZoet is basically an honest man who must balance his own life and morals against the corruption of both cultures. The issues of serfdom, gender discrimination and ingrained customs spin throughout this well-plotted, well written tale that capures the reader's attention and holds it to the last page. The author is also known for his novels The Cloud Atlas and the Bone Clock.