Cloud Atlas

Much has been said about the structure of this novel, so I'll try to keep my thoughts on the subject to a minimum. Basically, I don't think that the structure contributes anything to the overall experience beyond providing some “hey, cool” moments where one story references another. Therefore, I see the novel as a set of short stories connected by some common themes rather than a single, grand narrative. As such, each story should be judged individually.

The one strength that flows throughout the book is the use of language. Each story takes place in a different setting and time period, which allows Mitchell the opportunity to write in different styles and voices. I particularly liked the archaic language used in “The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing”–it was challenging but not frustratingly so. The stories that take place in the future were not as stylistically interesting for me–I've read a lot of sci-fi and the use of invented words has become familiar.

“The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish” was the weakest story. While I did enjoy the character's snarkiness and intelligence, the stakes did not stack up to the more life-and-death situations that the other stories convey. Maybe it's meant to be a comedic touch to see a curmudgeonly old man overreacting to his plight, but I felt like it didn't fit in with the others.

My favourite story of the lot is “Sloosha's Crossin' an' Ev'rythin' After.” Initially, the future-hillbilly language was hard to get into, but it grew on me. Once I warmed up to it, the innocence of the narrator and his society became evident. The idea of a primitive post-apocalyptic society, contrasted with the high-tech society of the Prescients, worked really well in building a sense of danger. In a world that has already lost so much, every action that they take is amplified because of the risk of losing it all.

This review is not a fair review. I thought I was going to like it, love it, maybe, but I didn't. And the reason I didn't like it has nothing to do with the beautiful writing or the big themes or the fascinating characters in this book; it had all of that and more. It's a four-star book.

I blame myself. I forced myself to read this book this summer. I assigned it to myself for summer reading.

So don't bother reading this review. Try someone else's review. I read it when I wasn't ready for it and that ruined the experience for me.

I started reading this a couple of years ago and remember putting it down, unable to finish. I managed to reread and complete reading it this year. It wasn't the book... perhaps it wasn't meant to be read then. Or perhaps, it just wasn't my cup of tea. The intricacies and the uniquely shaped story-line require you to be engrossed within the world that's created. However, that wasn't the case for me as I didn't find myself engrossed enough for the pages to turn themselves. I appreciated the thought-process put into creating this book. All the shorter stories each had their own stylistic approach which was interesting, given that it was written by the same author, within the same book. Traveling through time, the interlocking lives... I found it to be a pretty unique concept.

Comprised of several stories split and interspersed, each has its own unique voice. The thin threads linking them across time are visible enough, carrying through themes of faith, humanity and a will to power. Grand themes set against a canvas of centuries.

Mitchell at turns channels Melville, with ships at seas in the 1800s all the way to pulpy noir, dystopian sci-fi ala Brave New World and oral folktales peppered with island patois. It would be easy for this to just fall apart but Mitchell keeps the reins tight.

It sounds too clever by far but it is still, at its heart, a fantastic read.

Whoops! Another book/reader mismatch, unfortunately. As I have no doubt this work has fervent champions, I think I'm safer saying this is a mismatch rather than trying to argue it is a poorly constructed work, but I'll do my best in the few remaining moments I feel like devoting to discussing this book. 🤷🏼‍♂️
I was strongly reminded of my experience reading Klara and the Sun. David Mitchell and Kazuo Ishiguro appear to share the same ability to write beautifully but not in a way that transmutes perceivably calculated emotional manipulation into the natural form of becoming invested in the characters and therefore being impacted by their suffering. And suffering is the name of the game! Alas, the profound tidbits I believe Mitchell wanted me to come away with were subsumed in sheer volume of misery he seems to think was necessary to convey meaning, even as it marred the majesty of the prose. I appreciated the different times/worlds his imagination built, and the few characters who managed better endings. I don't have much stake in the idea of reincarnation, so the birthmark through line and the various somewhat arbitrary connections between stories didn't resonate for me.
I wish those who read it a better experience than I had. 

⚠️racism, antisemitism, colonialism, slavery, genocide, suicide, animal death