I became a fan of Mitchell after I read his wildly inventive Cloud Atlas, so I was expecting literary pyrotechnics from his latest.  In The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, he does make some unusual choices (for example, starting with a very graphic scene of a difficult birth which includes a reproduction of the Dutch anatomical diagram the Japanese midwife studied), but for Mitchell, this novel felt quite straightforward.  Although the narrative progresses clearly and linearly, this is not a simple book:  the sweeping story of the Dutch East Indies Company in Japan at the turn of the 19th century reads like a combination of Patrick O'Brien's nautical historical fiction, the exoticism and passion of Shogun, and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" because of a creepy part of the plot. Wow!  

The main character is Jacob de Zoet, a morally-upright clerk who arrives at the West's gateway to Japan in 1799.  He hopes to make his fortune so he can win over and impress the father of Anna, his beloved back home.  He expects to do his job, make a tidy profit, then return to a calm and happy life.  

Japan is a closed empire, not allowing outside trade except through the Dutch East Indies Company outpost on the island of Dejima in Nagasaki harbor.  Jacob is part of a group sent by the Company to crack down on smuggling and corruption, but he soon becomes ensnared in power plays, politics, and greed. Negotiations are done through translators, so communication and miscommunication, as well as the power of language and the written word, play an important role.

Alongside the dynamics of capitalism and imperialism, a tender love story unfolds.  Jacob's fascination with Orito, the Japanese midwife training in Western medicine, leads to unexpected consequences. Tradition, faith, honor, and love are all challenged.  I don't want to give too much away, but samurai battles, tense go matches, midnight escapes, and cannon fire kept my heart pounding.  This gripping, atmospheric novel enthralled me. ~Tegan