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Lisa of Troy's Reviews > Cloud Atlas
Cloud Atlas
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“I never said it would be easy. I only said it would be worth it.”
– Mae West
That is one of my favorite quotes, and it accurately describes David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas.
Utilizing a unique format, Cloud Atlas reads like a collection of short stories – the narrative thread is almost imperceptible, how these stories are connected.
The brilliance of this novel didn’t reveal itself until the last half of the book, and the beginning has more vocab words than the SAT test.
As a result of the structure, the characters were unevenly spaced, and when they reappeared, we should have been given a little tickler to get us to remember where we left off.
My battered copy of Atlas Shrugged had some v. interesting censorship. “Drink your own p--- if you get a thirst.” What utter nonsense! In the audiobook, this censorship was unceremoniously dropped. Thank G--!
Cloud Atlas is a sophisticated, ambitious novel with sublime characters, nailing the three elements of a perfect morally grey character: intelligence, great quotes, and humor. Allow me to leave you with a few of these quotes.
“Tapped on the pane and asked in French if she’d save my life by falling in love with me. Shook her head but got an amused smile.”
“Asked if I could borrow a policeman’s bicycle for an indefinite period. Told me that was most irregular. Assured him that I was most irregular.”
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– Mae West
That is one of my favorite quotes, and it accurately describes David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas.
Utilizing a unique format, Cloud Atlas reads like a collection of short stories – the narrative thread is almost imperceptible, how these stories are connected.
The brilliance of this novel didn’t reveal itself until the last half of the book, and the beginning has more vocab words than the SAT test.
As a result of the structure, the characters were unevenly spaced, and when they reappeared, we should have been given a little tickler to get us to remember where we left off.
My battered copy of Atlas Shrugged had some v. interesting censorship. “Drink your own p--- if you get a thirst.” What utter nonsense! In the audiobook, this censorship was unceremoniously dropped. Thank G--!
Cloud Atlas is a sophisticated, ambitious novel with sublime characters, nailing the three elements of a perfect morally grey character: intelligence, great quotes, and humor. Allow me to leave you with a few of these quotes.
“Tapped on the pane and asked in French if she’d save my life by falling in love with me. Shook her head but got an amused smile.”
“Asked if I could borrow a policeman’s bicycle for an indefinite period. Told me that was most irregular. Assured him that I was most irregular.”
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Reading Progress
November 6, 2021
– Shelved
February 28, 2023
–
Started Reading
March 23, 2023
–
Finished Reading
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Teres
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Mar 04, 2023 04:46AM
Hope it's better than Atlas Shrugged 😉
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This sounds like an intriguing read - and I do love books with words I have to stop and look up. Glad you enjoyed this one, and great review!
Yes, much better than Atlas Shrugged!
It definitely has a really unique format, and it kind of took my breath away when it all came together in the last half!
YES, lovely review, so glad you enjoyed this one! Thats odd the book censored, I'll have to see if my copy does ha. I'm thrilled you enjoyed this as it was a favorite of mine over a decade ago but I've been worried it wouldn't hold up, so now I'm encouraged to finally give a reread.
Great review! I’m definitely curious about this one.
Intriguing review - curious about this one as well.
Wonderful review, Lisa!😊
Great review!!! I've had a copy forever and have never really known what to expect--the beginning of your review cleared that up perfectly. 🙌 Also, I have to ask--did someone go in and black out the bad words?? 😅 🤨
Not a book I'd tackle myself Lisa. But your review was a learning experience for me.
Have you seen the 2012 film of 'Cloud Atlas'? Stars Hugh Grant, Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Susan Sarandon and others.Each actor plays several parts, as intercuts 6 different stories, set in 19th Century Pacific, 1930s England, 1970s Los Angeles, contemporary Britain and two in the future. The 'Cloud Atlas Symphony' that one of the characters has written is mentioned in a couple of them. However, the main link seems to be that most of the stories have a theme of people trying to assert their freedom. I saw it in a cinema and when the end credits rolled showing which characters each actor had played some people gasped, as in some cases so changed in appearance by make up, and playing types of characters they would not normally play, that it was hard to recognize them.
The film had mixed commercial and critical reception, it is quite long, and my reaction to it was quite strange. All through the film the individual scenes and stories seemed mostly OK but not outstanding, until the end credits began to roll and I realized that as a whole it added up to something momentous. I have since bought the film and rewatched it twice. I don't know if the film really says anything profound, but it feels as though it does.
There, have I just sneaked a film review into Goodreads? Lisa's review makes me think perhaps it is time I read the book.
You were not kidding about SAT vocabulary...!
