Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Stories 3-6 were entertaining, which might be the most insulting thing I could say about a book like this. But the connecting threads were tenuous at best, and you can literally get the "big idea" of the book by reading the last page and a half (start with "My recent adventures have made me quite the philosopher...") so that's the best I can say.
A quick Reddit search reveals that someone wrote their *entire* college thesis on David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas. I mean, damn.
Reading this book feels like an achievement, along the lines of Infinite Jest (but much better than that). I’ve always had the impression that Cloud Atlas was a really challenging, looong book with several different stories that fit together like Russian nesting dolls.
And it is—all of those things. You start in the 1800s and vignette your way through a few different plotlines into some distant unnamed future, then back again the way you came. Each character discovers or has some relationship with the previous character’s thread—except the final future segment, which is like the apex of a pyramid.
I could see how one might roll one’s eyes at this structure, like it’s gimmicky. One of the characters even makes a meta-reference to this critique, as if to defend himself in advance.
But *I* thought it was masterful. When I finished I just sat there in awe at what this writer was able to achieve. I was seethingly jealous and wide-eyed wowed at the same time—and if you’re a writer too, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Reading this book feels like an achievement, along the lines of Infinite Jest (but much better than that). I’ve always had the impression that Cloud Atlas was a really challenging, looong book with several different stories that fit together like Russian nesting dolls.
And it is—all of those things. You start in the 1800s and vignette your way through a few different plotlines into some distant unnamed future, then back again the way you came. Each character discovers or has some relationship with the previous character’s thread—except the final future segment, which is like the apex of a pyramid.
I could see how one might roll one’s eyes at this structure, like it’s gimmicky. One of the characters even makes a meta-reference to this critique, as if to defend himself in advance.
But *I* thought it was masterful. When I finished I just sat there in awe at what this writer was able to achieve. I was seethingly jealous and wide-eyed wowed at the same time—and if you’re a writer too, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
slow-paced
A difficult read due to work taking all my time - I would recommend reading this in as few sittings as possible! Certainly interesting
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was skeptical going in to this. If you’re following my reviews, you probably know that lit-fic and I don’t always get along. And it was a bit dense, especially at first.
I knew going in this was made up of a series of interlocking stories, which was probably another reason I was wary. It’s actually cooler than that, though. The book is structured in a sort of mirror. The first story is set in the 18th century and is told as a diary, and in the second, the characters have a copy of the diary, etc. This goes on all the way until far in the future in a post-apocalyptic story, and then links back the same way, so that it ends in the 18th century again.
Like all the long, dense books I’ve read this year, I’m sure I didn’t devote the right amount of time or mindspace to it. Next year somebody please remind me not to did this anymore. I should just read all the fluff all the time. What really got me was the ending. It really brought the whole book together and made me wish I hadn’t rushed a bit through the rest of it and put in the work.
I knew going in this was made up of a series of interlocking stories, which was probably another reason I was wary. It’s actually cooler than that, though. The book is structured in a sort of mirror. The first story is set in the 18th century and is told as a diary, and in the second, the characters have a copy of the diary, etc. This goes on all the way until far in the future in a post-apocalyptic story, and then links back the same way, so that it ends in the 18th century again.
Like all the long, dense books I’ve read this year, I’m sure I didn’t devote the right amount of time or mindspace to it. Next year somebody please remind me not to did this anymore. I should just read all the fluff all the time. What really got me was the ending. It really brought the whole book together and made me wish I hadn’t rushed a bit through the rest of it and put in the work.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I have been wanting to read this for over a decade as this film is one of my favourites and it did not disappoint. It swings between humour and seriousness so easily and the stories feel effortlessly linked. The style of each section varies a lot (I struggled with Zachary’s story initially as it was so different) but you get to know each of the main characters in a way that I don’t often see with multiple POV’s. The Sonmi story is even more heartbreaking than the film and hits harder than I expected (and I was prepared). I can tell that this is a book I will return to.
My favourite quote from the book is the final line: “Yet what is any ocean but a multitude of drops?”. It really summed the book up perfectly and I may have shed a tear or three. I am so so glad to have read it and wish I’d picked it up sooner.
My favourite quote from the book is the final line: “Yet what is any ocean but a multitude of drops?”. It really summed the book up perfectly and I may have shed a tear or three. I am so so glad to have read it and wish I’d picked it up sooner.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No