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books_with_mana 's review for:
Cloud Atlas
by David Mitchell
I enjoyed this novel as a writer, reader, and student of fiction/language. It flexed my brain with its unique structure. I did not realize how much I needed a break from the norm.
The expertise and flexibility in Mitchell's writing is enviable. He successfully wrote six different genres in one piece of fiction. Each of the different sections that contained different narrators with unique stylistic voices that furthered our understanding of the character. For example, Luisa Rey is a journalist and her section reflects as such. It is analytic, short, precise, witty, factual, and thrilling. It is all the makings of a typical noir novel and even reminiscent of some of today's thriller novels. The style Mitchell chose to write for Luisa Rey's part emphasized her character which gave us a better understanding of her. This was a fun tidbit that added to the journey.
Then, what sold me on the novel were its overlying messages about the human condition. The book tackled what human nature truly means and whether or not it should be changed. Arguably, as the novel progressed you could see the world we are familiar with get progressively worse with plenty of signs indicating the horrors to come. It takes an incredible turn when you begin to work your way backwards to the end of the novel, which is also the beginning, to leave one with a positive message that transcends time. Along side it's critique of Catholicism, aging, resurrection, corporate power, & the weak vs. the powerful it's no wonder why this book is going to be one of my treasured favorites that I reread until the day I die.
This is a book I recommend everyone should read because of its acute societal observations and predictions, but I would plead them to stick through it and everything will make sense in the end. There's something in here for everyone--the Sci-Fi nerds (like myself), sexual deviancy, literary references, action, theology, and more. Once you get past the anxiety of trying to figure out the structure of this book and how it is going to work, it becomes a fun, intellectual read. And as it progresses, how the different sections tie-in together becomes more and more clear. This book is definitely one worth giving a shot.
The expertise and flexibility in Mitchell's writing is enviable. He successfully wrote six different genres in one piece of fiction. Each of the different sections that contained different narrators with unique stylistic voices that furthered our understanding of the character. For example, Luisa Rey is a journalist and her section reflects as such. It is analytic, short, precise, witty, factual, and thrilling. It is all the makings of a typical noir novel and even reminiscent of some of today's thriller novels. The style Mitchell chose to write for Luisa Rey's part emphasized her character which gave us a better understanding of her. This was a fun tidbit that added to the journey.
Then, what sold me on the novel were its overlying messages about the human condition. The book tackled what human nature truly means and whether or not it should be changed. Arguably, as the novel progressed you could see the world we are familiar with get progressively worse with plenty of signs indicating the horrors to come. It takes an incredible turn when you begin to work your way backwards to the end of the novel, which is also the beginning, to leave one with a positive message that transcends time. Along side it's critique of Catholicism, aging, resurrection, corporate power, & the weak vs. the powerful it's no wonder why this book is going to be one of my treasured favorites that I reread until the day I die.
This is a book I recommend everyone should read because of its acute societal observations and predictions, but I would plead them to stick through it and everything will make sense in the end. There's something in here for everyone--the Sci-Fi nerds (like myself), sexual deviancy, literary references, action, theology, and more. Once you get past the anxiety of trying to figure out the structure of this book and how it is going to work, it becomes a fun, intellectual read. And as it progresses, how the different sections tie-in together becomes more and more clear. This book is definitely one worth giving a shot.