Reviews tagging 'Dementia'

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

7 reviews

elisacarlene's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Violence, Mass/school shootings, War, Ableism, and Animal death

Minor: Dementia and Death of parent

orchidlilly's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 Really, truly, spectacular. This is such a beautiful interwoven story spun across multiple lifetimes. It was delightful to see how each life connected with the other. Each character feels tangible and real, they all have so much depth and personality. Each plot-line is gripping and it is impossible to not feel for the characters. Seymour especially, I think, is beautifully written. His mental illness is incredibly accurately done, and he is never once demonized for it. Each character, despite their actions, kind or otherwise, is written and treated with respect and empathy. It's such a beautiful tale of humanity and kindness and struggle, and all of it is portrayed with such well researched nuance and intelligence. Definitely one of the best books if you want to feel something that is neither fully happy nor sad, but a cathartic combination of both. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Misogyny, Violence, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Abandonment, Cursing, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racial slurs, Body shaming, Death of parent, War, Gun violence, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Religious bigotry, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Torture

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Islamophobia, Pedophilia, Classism, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Slavery, Alcohol, Dementia, Drug use, and Excrement

danaaliyalevinson's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I really enjoyed this book. I will say, it had a slow start, and it took me a good 100 pages or maybe a little more to feel drawn in. But once it had me it had me. I tend to like stories that are a bit more character driven, whereas this book was definitely more driven by plot. However, I like to rate on author’s intent rather than my personal preferences.

An interwoven tale of various people taking place over the course of 700 years, the one thing connecting them is a book, surviving against the odds through the ages. In many ways an ode to storytelling itself, I found especially the back half to be deeply moving and effective at showing us how stories shape the trajectories of our lives.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Mental illness, Violence, War, Classism, Confinement, Death, Dementia, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Mass/school shootings, and Panic attacks/disorders

cianarae's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Mental illness, Confinement, Murder, Gun violence, and Death

Moderate: Dementia, Miscarriage, and Death of parent

Minor: Slavery, Animal death, and Pregnancy

lindseyhall44's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Ableism, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Religious bigotry and Dementia

hollyd19's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Usually I find the descriptors “genre-bending” & “ambitious” entirely annoying, but both are truly apt for this epic saga across time and space, spanning from 1400s Constantinople to decades from now aboard a spaceship headed to a new planet after we’ve thoroughly wrecked this one. A collection of protagonists propel the narrative with a translated Ancient Greek story serving as the connective tissue between each. 

Author Anthony Doerr is immensely creative, and I was surprised at how well he gathered the threads of each story in a way that felt thoughtful without being overt. Each storyline has complicated human characters and well-developed sense of place. Admittedly, the beginning felt a little disorienting, jumping between an impressive number of characters in such a way that was initially hard to track. But if you stick with it, the convergence is worth it. More than once, I exclaimed out loud as a new revelation unfurled. 

Cloud Cuckoo Land dances between themes of fragility & resilience, hope & despair, bravery & fear. One endorsement mentioned the term “stewardship,” and that really struck a chord once I finished the book. Each character has something they are cupping tenderly like a fallen bird, trying to usher it through a complex and crumbling world.  
 
My main critique of this book is the handling of the neuro-diverse character.

While Seymour is never explicitly called autistic, he is coded as such. All of his concerns about the environment are entirely valid and the manipulation he experiences which leads him to the villain role is handled insensitively & even somewhat harmfully.

I wish that Doerr had been more thoughtful here. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and War

Minor: Confinement, Dementia, Excrement, Gun violence, and Pregnancy

unphilosophize's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

This book is so much different than Doerr’s first. 
I love the way the narratives intertwined 
Zeno’s story was by far my favourite
Comp to cloud atlas in feel. Also aspects of station eleven
I feel I need to think about this book more

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Minor: Dementia