Number9dreamNumber9dream
Score Modern
What it's about
Eiji Miyake, nineteen, comes from a remote Japanese island to Tokyo to find the father he has never met. Broke and alone in the huge city, he lives above a video store and drifts through dreams, fantasies, video games, a run-in with the yakuza and memories of his drowned twin sister, while chasing clues to his father.
Why it's worth reading
It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. It's David Mitchell's dazzling second novel, which blends reality and imagination.
You'll love it if you liked
Cloud Atlas
Black Swan Green
KitchenGood to know
It's hard to tell what's real at times. There's yakuza violence.
By the numbers
- Readers20 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics32 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller14 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #262 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #389 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #1390 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2541 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Thought-provoking, Moving
More by David Mitchell
If you like this, read next
Anathem
Station Eleven
Exhalation
The Dispossessed
The Midnight Library
On the Calculation of VolumeExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Number9dream worth reading?
Yes. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. It ranks #2,541 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 57.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Number9dream about?
Eiji Miyake, nineteen, comes from a remote Japanese island to Tokyo to find the father he has never met. Broke and alone in the huge city, he lives above a video store and drifts through dreams, fantasies, video games, a run-in with the yakuza and memories of his drowned twin sister, while chasing clues to his father.
How long does it take to read Number9dream?
About 10 hours (418 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Number9dream?
If you liked it, try Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, Black Swan Green by David Mitchell or Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto.