DAVID MITCHELL'S POST-SECULAR WORLD buddhism, belief and the urgency of compassion;buddhism, belief and the urgency of compassion

"Since the publication of Ghostwritten (1999), David Mitchell has rapidly established himself as one of the most inventive and important British novelists of the 21st century. In this landmark study, Rose Harris-Birtill reveals the extent to which Mitchell has created an interconnected fictional world across the full run of his writing. Covering Mitchell's complete fictions, from bestselling novels such as Cloud Atlas (2004), The Bone Clocks (2014) and number9dream (2001), to his short stories and his libretti for the operas Sunken Garden and Wake, this book examines how Buddhist influences inform the ethical worldview that permeates his writing. Using a comparative theoretical model drawn from the Tibetan mandala to map Mitchell's fictional world, Harris-Birtill positions Mitchell as central to a new generation of post-secular writers who re-examine the vital role of belief in galvanizing action amidst contemporary ecological, political and humanitarian crises. David Mitchell's Post-Secular World features two substantial new interviews with the author, a chronology of his fictions and a selected bibliography of important critical writings on his work."--Bloomsbury Publishing. "Since the publication of Ghostwritten (1999), David Mitchell has rapidly established himself as one of the most inventive and important British novelists of the 21st century. In this landmark study, Rose Harris-Birtill reveals the extent to which Mitchell has created an interconnected fictional world across the full run of his writing. Covering Mitchell's complete fictions, from bestselling novels such as Cloud Atlas (2004), The Bone Clocks (2014) and number9dream (2001), to his short stories and his libretti for the operas Sunken Garden and Wake, this book examines how Buddhist influences inform the ethical worldview that permeates his writing. Using a comparative theoretical model drawn from the Tibetan mandala to map Mitchell's fictional world, Harris-Birtill positions Mitchell as central to a new generation of post-secular writers who re-examine the vital role of belief in galvanizing action amidst contemporary ecological, political and humanitarian crises. David Mitchell's Post-Secular World features two substantial new interviews with the author, a chronology of his fictions and a selected bibliography of important critical writings on his work"-- Provided by publisher Since the publication of 'Ghostwritten' (1999), David Mitchell has rapidly established himself as one of the most inventive and important British novelists of the 21st century. In this landmark study, Rose Harris-Birtill reveals the extent to which Mitchell has created an interconnected fictional world across the full run of his writing. Covering Mitchell's complete fictions, from bestselling novels such as 'Cloud Atlas' (2004), 'The Bone Clocks' (2014) and 'number9dream' (2001), to his short stories and his libretti for the operas 'Sunken Garden' and 'Wake', this book examines how Buddhist influences inform the ethical worldview that permeates his writing. Using a comparative theoretical model drawn from the Tibetan mandala to map Mitchell's fictional world, Harris-Birtill positions Mitchell as central to a new generation of post-secular writers who re-examine the vital role of belief in galvanizing action amidst contemporary ecological, political and humanitarian crises.0'David Mitchell's Post-Secular' World features two substantial new interviews with the author, a chronology of his fictions and a selected bibliography of important critical writings on his work Cover Half Title Series Title Copyright Dedication 1 Dedication 2 Content Illustrations Preface Acknowledgements David Mitchell’s Fictional World: A Chronology Introducing David Mitchell’s Fictional World 1 Enter the ‘World-Machine’: Navigating David Mitchell’s Narrative Islands 2 ‘Right Yourself as Best You May’:Voicing Tragedy in David Mitchell’s Libretti 3 ‘Looking Down Time’s Telescope at Myself ’:Reincarnation and Global Futures in David Mitchell’s Fictional Worlds 4 ‘What a Sick Zoo’:Escaping the Panopticon in David Mitchell’s Macronovel 5 ‘Little Things that Speak of the Big Things’:Towards a Mandalic Literature Appendix A: David Mitchell’s UK Book Sales Appendix B: Tibetan Buddhist Mandala Sand Painting Appendix C: Enlarged Mandala Appendix D: Sand Mandala Construction Appendix E: Wake Act 2 Photograph Appendix F: Wheel of Life Mandala Appendix G: An Interview with David Mitchell, 2015 Appendix H: An Interview with David Mitchell, 2016 David Mitchell: Selected Critical Reading Works Cited Index