Cloud Atlas
The epic bestseller, shortlisted for the Booker Prize
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4.3 • 119 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
'ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANTLY INVENTIVE WRITERS OF THIS, OR ANY, COUNTRY' INDEPENDENT
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Arthur C. Clarke Award, winner of Richard & Judy Best Read of the Year and a BBC Two Between the Covers Book Club pick
'Miraculous'
SUNDAY TIMES
'Gorgeous and life-affirming'
R. F. KUANG
'A masterful feast'
EVENING STANDARD
'Shamelessly exciting'
SPECTATOR
'Remarkable'
GUARDIAN
'Stunning'
DAILY MAIL
A novel of mind-bending imagination and scope from the author of Ghostwritten and Utopia Avenue
Souls cross ages like clouds cross skies . . .
Six interlocking lives - one amazing adventure. In a narrative that circles the globe and reaches from the 19th century to a post-apocalyptic future, Cloud Atlas erases the boundaries of time, genre and language to offer an enthralling vision of humanity's will to power, and where it will lead us.
*Please note that the end of p. 39 and p. 40 are intentionally blank*
PRAISE FOR DAVID MITCHELL
'A thrilling and gifted writer'
FINANCIAL TIMES
'Dizzyingly, dazzlingly good'
DAILY MAIL
'Mitchell is, clearly, a genius'
NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
'An author of extraordinary ambition and skill'
INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY
'A superb storyteller'
THE NEW YORKER
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
An award-winning book made into a 2013 movie, Mitchell’s novel pushes the boundaries of its genre. Made up of six interlocking stories breaking into one another and forming a complex, dazzling narrative, it all melds together into an unforgettable novel.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
At once audacious, dazzling, pretentious and infuriating, Mitchell's third novel weaves history, science, suspense, humor and pathos through six separate but loosely related narratives. Like Mitchell's previous works, Ghostwritten and number9dream (which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize), this latest foray relies on a kaleidoscopic plot structure that showcases the author's stylistic virtuosity. Each of the narratives is set in a different time and place, each is written in a different prose style, each is broken off mid-action and brought to conclusion in the second half of the book. Among the volume's most engaging story lines is a witty 1930s-era chronicle, via letters, of a young musician's effort to become an amanuensis for a renowned, blind composer and a hilarious account of a modern-day vanity publisher who is institutionalized by a stroke and plans a madcap escape in order to return to his literary empire (such as it is). Mitchell's ability to throw his voice may remind some readers of David Foster Wallace, though the intermittent hollowness of his ventriloquism frustrates. Still, readers who enjoy the "novel as puzzle" will find much to savor in this original and occasionally very entertaining work. Mitchell's novel may be more admired than read.
Customer Reviews
Very well written and enjoyable
Cloud Atlas is actually an awesome book. Every story- though some of the dialogue was hard to understand- was a great read and had a great plot. While it is quite serious, (An Orison of Sonmi 451 was great but the content was quite disturbing) I found it quite thrilling, enjoyable and also hilarious. It is a must read for all science fiction readers or any readers in general.
This book broke me
Perfectly written, Cloud Atlas captured my imagination along with my soul. Nested narratives within narratives had me flicking backwards and forwards to check detail, or to find the 'A-ha' moment.
I first read it while grieving my husband's death and it was one of the few books to completely transport my mind out of the mawing hole of grief for any length of time.
So how did it break me? I'm yet to read another novel that is so cleverly written. Nothing I've read since has been able to completely captivate me in the same way. I blame you for that, David Mitchell. And I thank you with my soul.
This is my favourite book.
A Tour de Force
Very entertaining, a good yarn or series of yarns, but much more than that. A series of interwoven stories point to dystopian futures but also to a vision, a hope of working towards a better future. I'll look for more by this author.