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ravelin 's review for:
Cloud Atlas
by David Mitchell
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.