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sethryals's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
3.5
bibliobrandie's review against another edition
I got to page 250 and decided I just didn't want to finish. I wasn't enjoying the story or the characters. It took me a long time to get into the book, so that may have something to do with my problem finishing it.
jlhennessee84's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
lightning_pirate's review against another edition
5.0
If someone asks "what's your favourite book" - I will without fail say Cloud Atlas, if someone wants a recommendation - I will tell them Cloud Atlas.
I will read it when I'm sad, when I'm happy, when I want to be inspired, when I want to feel comforted... You get the picture - I love this book.
I will read it when I'm sad, when I'm happy, when I want to be inspired, when I want to feel comforted... You get the picture - I love this book.
laurasauras's review against another edition
4.0
I'm going to enjoy just about any book that has the central theme of "be kind" and "look after the world your reincarnation will inherit". The different sections had distinctly different styles and stories, so I enjoyed some more than others. The format of it was engaging, but probably would have benefited from my reading it quicker so I could keep all the plot points more firmly in my head!
wander_er's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing.
Six stories connected across time. About power and the abuse of power, and humanity's constant striving for the power to control others. The entire book is summed up by this quote from the final page:
'In an individual, selfishness uglifies the soul; for the human species, selfishness is extinction.'
Six stories connected across time. About power and the abuse of power, and humanity's constant striving for the power to control others. The entire book is summed up by this quote from the final page:
'In an individual, selfishness uglifies the soul; for the human species, selfishness is extinction.'
r0b3rta's review against another edition
5.0
A couple sleepless nights worth it for this book. He did a great job of weaving the stories together.
blameitonthebook's review against another edition
4.0
In total honesty, I did struggle with the first chapter as I wasn't sure how this book was going to go. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the writing being in the narrative of that time period/dialect and the book picked up pace quickly.
I was expecting some huge tying up of loose ends but after reading other reviews I realise that wasn't the intent of the book.
A great read!
I was expecting some huge tying up of loose ends but after reading other reviews I realise that wasn't the intent of the book.
A great read!
novabird's review against another edition
5.0
Mitchell makes post modernism writing accessible to nouveau readers of the genre, and gives us a novel of incredible scope of approximately four centuries. Within, “Cloud Atlas,” we find characterization portrayals in superbly distinct voices and genres; naïve/ lawyer/realistic writer, ambitious/ aesthete/composer, intrepid/investigator/journalist, wily writer and screenplay writer/actor, post-apocalyptic keeper/recorder of what remains, and slave/self-prophesying- savior/witness/interviewee. Each character is not only a message bearer towards the overall narrative structure, where non-completion is complemented by completion and provides a brilliant framework, but also encapsulates the medium of its era. “Cloud Atlas,” is a fantastical combination of the message and the medium.
These characters are presented as a continuity of souls, where there is not so much an opium induced belief in reincarnation towards the goal of Nirvana, (see page 90) neither an Eternal Return, instead there are evolutionary forces of both ascent and descent at play. This evolutionary theme is dramatized by human proclivity towards predatory motivations. The undertone is that progress is not unlimited.
It is this same Henry, who later on quotes from Psalm 8, that man has dominion over everything on the land and over every beast and also says,
I for one, hope that I never,
Rather I hope to always find diversity, instead of a mirror image or a doppelgänger.
“Cloud Atlas,” is an astonishing feat of creative innovation and masterly writing that buoys the darker message to humanity, thus keeping its cloudy/transitional tone of a warning prophecy anchored by an atlas of consequence.
For making me think deeply about human nature versus human behaviour and having to say, ‘Nay,’ to the premise of human nature as presented here. I find that I still have a belief in human nature. Even if we as individuals (most of us) are transient in making an impact and are as quickly shifting and adapting as clouds, we still want to anchor ourselves to a greater humanity and let fall our nurturing rain that sprouts forth the individual once again. I give this a very full and brimming 5
These characters are presented as a continuity of souls, where there is not so much an opium induced belief in reincarnation towards the goal of Nirvana, (see page 90) neither an Eternal Return, instead there are evolutionary forces of both ascent and descent at play. This evolutionary theme is dramatized by human proclivity towards predatory motivations. The undertone is that progress is not unlimited.
Spoiler
The idea that human nature is fixed and immutable and ultimately insignificant is a very dark ending“Come, Adam, a wise man does not step betwixt the beast & his meat.”
It is this same Henry, who later on quotes from Psalm 8, that man has dominion over everything on the land and over every beast and also says,
“As philanthropists, might it not be our duty to likewise ameliorate the savages sufferings by hastening their extinction?”
I for one, hope that I never,
“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.”
Rather I hope to always find diversity, instead of a mirror image or a doppelgänger.
“Cloud Atlas,” is an astonishing feat of creative innovation and masterly writing that buoys the darker message to humanity, thus keeping its cloudy/transitional tone of a warning prophecy anchored by an atlas of consequence.
For making me think deeply about human nature versus human behaviour and having to say, ‘Nay,’ to the premise of human nature as presented here. I find that I still have a belief in human nature. Even if we as individuals (most of us) are transient in making an impact and are as quickly shifting and adapting as clouds, we still want to anchor ourselves to a greater humanity and let fall our nurturing rain that sprouts forth the individual once again. I give this a very full and brimming 5
phelps1599's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5