number9dream

Here's the review I wrote on 'number9dream' by David Mitchell (no, not THAT one) for my Novel writing seminar, thing. and stuff.

In David Mitchell's 'number9dream' we accompany Eiji Miyake on his journey to Tokyo, in the hope of finding the father who abandoned him and his twin sister Anju; they are the result of an illegitimate affair with their alcoholic mother his father would rather forget. On the surface the story seems bored, predictable and potentially riddled with cliché; in practice, Mitchell has turned it into one of the most compelling and emotive stories of the 21st century.
We begin in a run-down café, with a determined Eiji psyching himself up to go and confront a law-firm who he believes hold information that will help him find his father. We then relive this moment three times over; each time an extension of reality with a different result. We realise that the overtly imaginative Eiji is daydreaming as to the possibilities of the day. This blend between reality and the ridiculous is an underlying method used by Mitchell throughout the novel. The first chapter alone creates a concoction of reality and the mystique that flows through the novel; whether it is via Eiji's imagination or that of another mind, the few matter-of-fact occurrences of his life (that could be seen as mundane but are in fact beautiful) are accompanied by ludicrous and spell-binding creation of other worlds, parallels and realities.
The lyrical quality of of Mitchell's words is breath-taking. In amongst reason and fact lie subtle sentences, so full of beauty and contemplation that you cannot help but be stunned by his ability to select the right words at the right time. A discussion on the meaning of life between Eiji and love interest Ai Imajo, whilst he watches his cat lap at water, is a perfect demonstration of Mitchell's ability to find beauty in amongst everyday occurrences. This style can also be found in his descriptions of Tokyo; they bring it to life in a way a photo could dream to, as you create the world so effortlessly in your mind, thanks to his wonderful use of words. Because he has helped you to imagine you truly feel as if you are stood behind the shoulder of Eiji, throughout it all. It is not only his journey- it also becomes yours.
Eiji's narrative provides a lucid foreground for our story to take place; detailed and intricate, Mitchell's ability to write the ridiculous as matter-of-factly as the norm allows us to become lost in Eiji's imagination. This also allows the subtle themes to come through on a level of ethos we only experience because of the strength of Eji's narrative voice; the idea of loss, not only of his parental heritage, becomes stronger and stronger in not only the moments where Eiji is directly speaking of his father, but in the times where events much bigger than his character are taking place. Eiji's tendency to remember echoes of a past life and normality, create an empathy that stings within the reader, making the idea of loss so much more effective.
Mitchell's 'number9dream' is a masterpiece; intricate, detailed, but never tiring.

xXx

PS Sorry i haven't written much. things have been hella crazy up in here. i'll try to come back sooner, i promise (nothing)