Black Swan Green

[lapsedmodernist]

David Mitchell really likes his intertextuality! I am three quarters of the way through "Black Swan Green" and all of a sudden characters from "The Cloud Atlas" show up! From "Letters from Zedelghem," the second/penultimate story about the Belgian composer--the woman who is teaching the protagonist about poetry in this book is actually the daughter of the old composer Ayer, and we find out she is still tortured by guild over Robert Frobisher's suicide--they listen to the Cloud Atlas sextet! I totally love stuff like that, I thought it was neat. I wonder if any other Cloud Atlas persons will pop up between now and the end of the book?

Comments

[angeliska.livejournal.com]

I know! Isn't it just so satisfying? I really love him- hopefully he will be writing more wonderful books soon..

[lapsedmodernist.livejournal.com]

have you read everything he has written already? Black Swan Green is only my second one after The Cloud Atlas.

You and I seem to have quite similar tastes in books :)

[angeliska.livejournal.com]

I have indeed read all he's written so far-
he just gets better and better- though I really loved Ghostwritten.
It's almost time to read them all again.
We do have very similar taste in books!
I think I need a guide to your canon some day! The list!
Are you on Goodreads, perchance? I am, halfheartedly.
Incidentally, I had a very visceral Amsterdam memory sensation
this afternoon apropos of nothing- just the rain, and dour waiters and the little cup of coffee and trying to make it last so I wouldn't have to go out into the rain just yet. The feeling of being too warm inside but dreading the damp outside. Also, of anticipation for wandering around alone in the rain. So, I thought of you.