Author: David Mitchell
Genre: Modern Fiction
Pages (words): 496 (N/A)
Readability: N/A
Rating (out of 5 stars): *****
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: In 1799, Jacob de Zoet leaves his native Holland to make his fortune working as a clerk for the Dutch East India Company in Japan. In Japan, he struggles to deal with the clash of Dutch and Japanese cultures, corruption within the company, homesickness, and feelings he has for a Japanese woman who is completely off-limits.
Thoughts: I didn't know anything about this book before I read it except that most people who read it liked it, so I had no idea what to expect. It's odd subject matter for a novel written in 2010: a Dutchman living in Japan in 1799. But I seriously enjoyed this book. The plot was interesting, unpredictable, and had plenty of action (more than I expected). I thought the book was well-researched and interesting just because of that aspect. But on top of that, it was very well-written; it was pleasant to read. And best of all, it was just one of those books that made me want to be a better person and live a full life, but not in a preachy sort of way. All in all, this was a really solid book and I'm super glad that I gave it a try.
Disclaimer: Overall, this was quite clean. There were a few parts that were PG-13 for intimate situations, but it was never overly descriptive. There was also some swearing, and a bit of violence.
