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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
The Cloud Atlas was not easy to get into, but by the third section I realized what was going on and by the time I got to the sections set in the future I was hooked. I ended up impressed and moved and loving the book.
The novel is told through stories that cross time, each written in the language of a different genre. The structure is linear, but then reverses backwards through time as the ending of each story is revealed. As A.S. Bryant advises in her review appearing in The Guardian, you have to "trust the tale." It is worth it!
The issues raised are deep and relevant: how humans perceive the world, what motivates human society and individuals, the way we condone and whitewash evil, the power of money, our denial of the uncomfortable truths. The stories take us to a future that has reverted back to tribal warfare. But ending where he began, in the distant past, we are shown that individuals who choose to do good can, perhaps, alter the course of history.
The novel is told through stories that cross time, each written in the language of a different genre. The structure is linear, but then reverses backwards through time as the ending of each story is revealed. As A.S. Bryant advises in her review appearing in The Guardian, you have to "trust the tale." It is worth it!
The issues raised are deep and relevant: how humans perceive the world, what motivates human society and individuals, the way we condone and whitewash evil, the power of money, our denial of the uncomfortable truths. The stories take us to a future that has reverted back to tribal warfare. But ending where he began, in the distant past, we are shown that individuals who choose to do good can, perhaps, alter the course of history.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
challenging
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:
Complicated
Wtf did I just read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Suicide
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I have to concede defeat. I'm just not going to finish this book.
I got 200 pages in, and it took me almost two weeks to get that far because this book slowly but surely turned out to have a lot of things that I just can't stand.
First of all, as I've noted in other reviews, any book that does the "all the characters are mysteriously connected" thing makes me insane. I knew that this book was going to have connected characters, but I thought it would be more along the lines of different dimensions or reincarnation or... I don't know. Something more novel than the diary you were just reading turns out to be read years later by another character whose letters turn out to be written to another character who turns out to be a character in a book (?!). There's also a mysterious comet shaped birthmark that I'm sure helps wrap up the connections, but I just don't care enough to find out.
The bigger issue for me was the incredibly gimmick-y thing with making each segment of the book a completely different genre. We go from historical fiction diary to present day mystery to (poorly done) science fiction. Hooray, David Mitchell, you can write in many different styles. Unfortunately, not a single one of the styles captivated me. Even if I did get into the flow of a segment of the book, it would end and then I would have to start all over with a new world, new voice, and mostly new characters with the exception of whichever singular character carried over from the previous story.
Bleh.
The terrible science fiction chapter, with bizarre language changes to make sure we know it's the future, was almost impossible to get through. When I saw the next section was written entirely in southern dialect, I was OUT.
I'm not sure who the intended audience is for this book, but it's not me. And I've decided to just accept that and move on to one of the many books that have been calling for my attention while I tried to convince myself to slog through just one more segment of Cloud Atlas, thinking surely it would get better and maybe the gimmicks would pay off.
I got 200 pages in, and it took me almost two weeks to get that far because this book slowly but surely turned out to have a lot of things that I just can't stand.
First of all, as I've noted in other reviews, any book that does the "all the characters are mysteriously connected" thing makes me insane. I knew that this book was going to have connected characters, but I thought it would be more along the lines of different dimensions or reincarnation or... I don't know. Something more novel than the diary you were just reading turns out to be read years later by another character whose letters turn out to be written to another character who turns out to be a character in a book (?!). There's also a mysterious comet shaped birthmark that I'm sure helps wrap up the connections, but I just don't care enough to find out.
The bigger issue for me was the incredibly gimmick-y thing with making each segment of the book a completely different genre. We go from historical fiction diary to present day mystery to (poorly done) science fiction. Hooray, David Mitchell, you can write in many different styles. Unfortunately, not a single one of the styles captivated me. Even if I did get into the flow of a segment of the book, it would end and then I would have to start all over with a new world, new voice, and mostly new characters with the exception of whichever singular character carried over from the previous story.
Bleh.
The terrible science fiction chapter, with bizarre language changes to make sure we know it's the future, was almost impossible to get through. When I saw the next section was written entirely in southern dialect, I was OUT.
I'm not sure who the intended audience is for this book, but it's not me. And I've decided to just accept that and move on to one of the many books that have been calling for my attention while I tried to convince myself to slog through just one more segment of Cloud Atlas, thinking surely it would get better and maybe the gimmicks would pay off.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Fascinating, challenging read. Starts with a 19th C. South Pacific travelogue, then moves in segments through 1930s France, 1970s California, early 2000s England, a future corporatocratic horrorscape in South Korea, and a "return-to-tribal-living" post-apocalypse in Hawaii -- then it swings back through each segment until we're at the travelogue again. Most of what kept me compelled was A) Mitchell's dizzying prose, and B) whether or not he was going to be able to stick the landing tying all this together. In all, he is saying some interesting things about structures of power, and the kinds of futures we can envision for humanity, though the threads get a little scrambled with the eventual reveal that these segments aren't even taking place in the same REALITY; one takes the form of a novel manuscript in the segment following, and then that segments is revealed to be a film ... and all that meta-meta stuff leaves for some wiry loose ends regarding thematic consistency.
In all, it didn't feel quite as brilliantly cohesive as The Bone Clocks, but I still really enjoyed it.
In all, it didn't feel quite as brilliantly cohesive as The Bone Clocks, but I still really enjoyed it.
I quite liked the book although there wasn't a eureka moment in the end. So don't wait for that while reading it.
The start was quite difficult to get through due to the language, it's the same for the middle of the book, but by then you are already so much intrigued that it is easier to get through.
I read it at the same time as a friend and that was quite easy to discuss happenings that were unclear.
The stories described in the book are all very different, so it's rather obvious you will have a favourite story. But all in all the book was a good read, that got me quite excited.
The start was quite difficult to get through due to the language, it's the same for the middle of the book, but by then you are already so much intrigued that it is easier to get through.
I read it at the same time as a friend and that was quite easy to discuss happenings that were unclear.
The stories described in the book are all very different, so it's rather obvious you will have a favourite story. But all in all the book was a good read, that got me quite excited.
You'll probably wonder as you read the first half of Cloud Atlas, "What is the point of having six completely different stories in one book?" By the time you finish the first chapter of the sixth story, it gets clearer. And as you delve deeper into the novel, you'll realize that the central theme has been present the whole time and it's the key that ties the book together.
Mitchell does a remarkable job at changing his voice with the narrative of each character. I can only imagine that he wrote them separately and then pieced them together afterwards. This theory explains my only criticism of the book. Each story fits with another like a puzzle piece. But there were a couple moments at the start of a chapter where the story pieces felt crammed together and contrived. Maybe it was just the cynic in me peering behind the curtain when I caught a glimpse of the man behind it. But these minor annoyances were long forgotten when I got into the chapter.
Cloud Atlas' theme is simple and effective. I'll avoid spelling it out, since every reading experience is unique and it should be discovered by the reader. There are points where the book verges on obtusely displaying it, but Mitchell makes it work with eloquent writing. I found myself rereading these snippets to fully absorb their meaning. If you're a quick, reckless reader, you might want to slow down so you can capture these beautiful moments. The key to Cloud Atlas is found within them.
Mitchell does a remarkable job at changing his voice with the narrative of each character. I can only imagine that he wrote them separately and then pieced them together afterwards. This theory explains my only criticism of the book. Each story fits with another like a puzzle piece. But there were a couple moments at the start of a chapter where the story pieces felt crammed together and contrived. Maybe it was just the cynic in me peering behind the curtain when I caught a glimpse of the man behind it. But these minor annoyances were long forgotten when I got into the chapter.
Cloud Atlas' theme is simple and effective. I'll avoid spelling it out, since every reading experience is unique and it should be discovered by the reader. There are points where the book verges on obtusely displaying it, but Mitchell makes it work with eloquent writing. I found myself rereading these snippets to fully absorb their meaning. If you're a quick, reckless reader, you might want to slow down so you can capture these beautiful moments. The key to Cloud Atlas is found within them.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No