I just started reading Mitchell this year and I’m honestly blown away by his craft of writing and storytelling. Here’s my ranking of all the books I’ve read so far! 1) Utopia Avenue. Picked it up randomly at the library and haven’t been the same since. This is becoming my favorite book of all time tbh. I’ve never read characters, especially Jasper, who feel so real. It’s very clear Mitchell has a lot of love for this time period, but it doesn’t feel derivative of real people and events. 2) The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. Such a fascinating dive into a historical period I knew nothing about. 3) Black Swan Green. Poignant and true to life depiction of adolescence. 4) Cloud Atlas. Don’t shoot me, but I think he’s done everything in this book better in his later work. I still recognize this is a fantastic book, but it feel flat for me at times.
Holy shit lmao, I'm the one that made this tier list!! I made it cuz I wanted to tweet out rankings of all of my favorite author's books after I finished Utopia Avenue. It's so funny to see someone using it for a RUclips video, this is great. Anyway, my rankings go: 8- Slade House 7- Cloud Atlas 6- The Bone Clocks 5- Black Swan Green 4- Ghostwritten 3- Utopia Avenue 2- The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet 1- number9dream (actually my favorite book of all time lmao) I absolutely love every single one of these books except Slade House, which I only like. I love the Mitchellverse, but I prefer when it's a bit subtler in execution. Horology is super cool, but I didn't like how Slade House felt like you had to read the Bone Clocks to know what was going on. And Cloud Atlas, while I love it, has always felt a bit more style-over-substance to me. It's a fantastic book, but until Slade House I definitely thought it was the weakest of his books. But then again, it's the book that turned me onto Mitchell in the first place, so I gotta give it some credit for that. As for number9dream being my absolute favorite, it's been several years since I actually read it so I'm a bit hazy on the details, but what I'm not hazy on is the impact that book left on me. Something about it just felt so different and profound to me. I really really loved it, and nothing I've read before or since (except maybe one thing, but it's not technically a book per se) has made me feel the same way. But, David Mitchell is David Mitchell, and everything he pumps out is fantastic! I can't fault anyone for having a different ranking from mine (unless Slade House cracks the top half of the list lmao), cuz all of these books are just so damn good.
Great Video. David Mitchell is such a terrific author. My ranking would be: 1) The Bone Clocks 2) Number9Dream 3) Cloud Atlas 4) Slade House 5) Ghostwritten Have to read Utopia Avenue, Thousand Autumns and BSG.
I looooove Mitchell and just finished Utopia Avenue, which I loved a lot. I think I also chose a great reading order which I feel like is important for his books! Cloud Atlas, Bone Clocks, BSG, Slade House, Thousand Autumns, then UA. I'm putting off the last 2 which are ironically his first two published. Should I read number9dream or ghostwritten first? Which to end on? AHHH I love this author and will be sad for my first round of reading his novels to end!
@@WriteConscious Didn't he write something that wouldn't be read for a hundred years as part of the Future Literary Project? Am I alone in ranking his first novels, as well as "Swan" as his best,, and Cloud Atlas possibly failing because the second half doesn't really work?
Just found your video after rereading ghostwritten. Shame u have it ranked so low. And judging by the comments I am WAY off what the general consensus is 🤣 ghostwritten is absolutely the top for me. It’s pure and without polish and it feels like I’m reading something my best friend wrote. Or something I wrote and then forgot. Cloud atlas is number 2 for me, and I would put no.9 dream as my number three.
Ok so I probably shouldn't even be commenting because 1) I haven't read Thousand Autumns or Black Swan Green yet and 2) because my memory of Cloud Atlas, No 9 Dream and Ghostwritten is hazy at best. I read them years ago but! Agree about Bone Clocks. It really stuck with me. I absolutely loved it. Agree about Utopia Avenue as no 3. It's one of my faves. Not sure Slade House should be bottom. I really enjoyed, it's just a little short. I think No 9 Dream is probably my least fave so far, then Ghostwritten, then Slade House, then Utopia Avenue, then Cloud Atlas. And Bone Clocks is up top. I really need to finish them all and re-read the 3 I don't remember them so well though.
Black Swan Green is a super fast read and Thousand Autumns won't take you any time at all! I agree that Number 9,, Ghostwritten and Slade House are at the bottom and are interchangeable! Thanks for the comment David! Come back when you finish the other two!
“You know what’s really funny about this book? A couple years ago my grandma got into a car accident… and she ended up dying…” hearing that made me lol. You know, the real problem with Slade House is that it’s the only Mitchell novel that doesn’t stand on its own two legs. I don’t think you can enjoy Slade House without reading The Bone Clocks first, and if you do it’ll mostly be just a weird book where at the end some rando appears and kills them all. That said, Slade House is definitely then most David Mitchell that David Mitchell ever David Mitchelled. As he kept going deeper and deeper into genre, as he kept bringing the sole Leit motif to the front, as he kept making predacity more and more the central theme of his oeuvre… in a way, Slade House, the one with the literal soul vampires, is a culmination of his work. It’s peak Mitchell.
I really love utopia avenue but something about the third planet never hit for me? I like the elf chapters a lot, but a lot of the jasper stuff with marinus just wasnt it for me!
@@arinavogelbacher7262 I love all the horology stuff because the bone clocks is my fave, and jasper was the best character for me personally overall, but I think something about the way knock knock was resolved felt tangential and I found it a bit frustrating? Not sure. Stellar book though!!
My favourite contemporary author. And THOUSAND AUTUMNS is his best book, hands down.
I just started reading Mitchell this year and I’m honestly blown away by his craft of writing and storytelling. Here’s my ranking of all the books I’ve read so far!
1) Utopia Avenue. Picked it up randomly at the library and haven’t been the same since. This is becoming my favorite book of all time tbh. I’ve never read characters, especially Jasper, who feel so real. It’s very clear Mitchell has a lot of love for this time period, but it doesn’t feel derivative of real people and events.
2) The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. Such a fascinating dive into a historical period I knew nothing about.
3) Black Swan Green. Poignant and true to life depiction of adolescence.
4) Cloud Atlas. Don’t shoot me, but I think he’s done everything in this book better in his later work. I still recognize this is a fantastic book, but it feel flat for me at times.
Bold rankings Claire! Mitchell is fire because he can change your life. That's my criteria before committing to someone's bibliography.
Holy shit lmao, I'm the one that made this tier list!! I made it cuz I wanted to tweet out rankings of all of my favorite author's books after I finished Utopia Avenue. It's so funny to see someone using it for a RUclips video, this is great. Anyway, my rankings go:
8- Slade House
7- Cloud Atlas
6- The Bone Clocks
5- Black Swan Green
4- Ghostwritten
3- Utopia Avenue
2- The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet
1- number9dream (actually my favorite book of all time lmao)
I absolutely love every single one of these books except Slade House, which I only like. I love the Mitchellverse, but I prefer when it's a bit subtler in execution. Horology is super cool, but I didn't like how Slade House felt like you had to read the Bone Clocks to know what was going on. And Cloud Atlas, while I love it, has always felt a bit more style-over-substance to me. It's a fantastic book, but until Slade House I definitely thought it was the weakest of his books. But then again, it's the book that turned me onto Mitchell in the first place, so I gotta give it some credit for that. As for number9dream being my absolute favorite, it's been several years since I actually read it so I'm a bit hazy on the details, but what I'm not hazy on is the impact that book left on me. Something about it just felt so different and profound to me. I really really loved it, and nothing I've read before or since (except maybe one thing, but it's not technically a book per se) has made me feel the same way. But, David Mitchell is David Mitchell, and everything he pumps out is fantastic! I can't fault anyone for having a different ranking from mine (unless Slade House cracks the top half of the list lmao), cuz all of these books are just so damn good.
Hey Ace, thanks for making this! Saved me the work of having to do it myself! I like your list. But, you should read number9dream again!
Great Video. David Mitchell is such a terrific author.
My ranking would be:
1) The Bone Clocks
2) Number9Dream
3) Cloud Atlas
4) Slade House
5) Ghostwritten
Have to read Utopia Avenue, Thousand Autumns and BSG.
thanks for sharing😀 1. Black Swan Green 2. Utopia Avenue 3. Ghostwritten .. love them all!
I looooove Mitchell and just finished Utopia Avenue, which I loved a lot. I think I also chose a great reading order which I feel like is important for his books! Cloud Atlas, Bone Clocks, BSG, Slade House, Thousand Autumns, then UA. I'm putting off the last 2 which are ironically his first two published. Should I read number9dream or ghostwritten first? Which to end on? AHHH I love this author and will be sad for my first round of reading his novels to end!
Luckily, he is still young and we will get at least another 7-8 books from him!
@@WriteConscious Didn't he write something that wouldn't be read for a hundred years as part of the Future Literary Project?
Am I alone in ranking his first novels, as well as "Swan" as his best,, and Cloud Atlas possibly failing because the second half doesn't really work?
If I were to make a list it would probably be the same as yours. Great vid!
Ayeeeee! Thanks Chris! Have a good day brotha!
Just found your video after rereading ghostwritten. Shame u have it ranked so low. And judging by the comments I am WAY off what the general consensus is 🤣 ghostwritten is absolutely the top for me. It’s pure and without polish and it feels like I’m reading something my best friend wrote. Or something I wrote and then forgot. Cloud atlas is number 2 for me, and I would put no.9 dream as my number three.
For context I’ve read them all except I put UA down halfway through years ago and never finished oops
Best to worst!
-the bone clocks
-utopia avenue
-black swan green
-number 9 dream
-cloud atlas
-slade house
-thousand autumns
-ghostwritten
Like this list a lot! Can 100% get down with this!
Ok so I probably shouldn't even be commenting because 1) I haven't read Thousand Autumns or Black Swan Green yet and 2) because my memory of Cloud Atlas, No 9 Dream and Ghostwritten is hazy at best. I read them years ago but!
Agree about Bone Clocks. It really stuck with me. I absolutely loved it. Agree about Utopia Avenue as no 3. It's one of my faves. Not sure Slade House should be bottom. I really enjoyed, it's just a little short. I think No 9 Dream is probably my least fave so far, then Ghostwritten, then Slade House, then Utopia Avenue, then Cloud Atlas. And Bone Clocks is up top.
I really need to finish them all and re-read the 3 I don't remember them so well though.
Black Swan Green is a super fast read and Thousand Autumns won't take you any time at all! I agree that Number 9,, Ghostwritten and Slade House are at the bottom and are interchangeable! Thanks for the comment David! Come back when you finish the other two!
@@WriteConscious I've got a bit of a backlog of books from the library but I'll certainly pop back when I get round to them 😄🙌
Cloud Atlas is my first. Is it downhill from there?
No! 2-4 others are just as good
It's pronounced de zoot, jasper says so in utopia avenue
“You know what’s really funny about this book? A couple years ago my grandma got into a car accident… and she ended up dying…” hearing that made me lol.
You know, the real problem with Slade House is that it’s the only Mitchell novel that doesn’t stand on its own two legs. I don’t think you can enjoy Slade House without reading The Bone Clocks first, and if you do it’ll mostly be just a weird book where at the end some rando appears and kills them all.
That said, Slade House is definitely then most David Mitchell that David Mitchell ever David Mitchelled. As he kept going deeper and deeper into genre, as he kept bringing the sole Leit motif to the front, as he kept making predacity more and more the central theme of his oeuvre… in a way, Slade House, the one with the literal soul vampires, is a culmination of his work. It’s peak Mitchell.
I really love utopia avenue but something about the third planet never hit for me? I like the elf chapters a lot, but a lot of the jasper stuff with marinus just wasnt it for me!
For sure! It wasn't as well done as Bone Clocks with the horology stuff
Oh really? I loved Jasper’s story. Definitely my favorite character
@@arinavogelbacher7262 I love all the horology stuff because the bone clocks is my fave, and jasper was the best character for me personally overall, but I think something about the way knock knock was resolved felt tangential and I found it a bit frustrating? Not sure. Stellar book though!!
Thanks for sharing, btw!
LETS GO!
They are all at number 8 for me 😂 sorry
🤣
It's been three years since Utopia Avenue, I hope he's not pulling a Crispin Hershey... ;)