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Andrew Smith's Reviews > Cloud Atlas
Cloud Atlas
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Some have claimed this to be a masterwork. Others say it’s unreadable. For my part, I have more sympathy with the latter view. Before reading the book, I deliberately hadn’t read any reader reviews, but I had seen the film trailer that seemed to promise a helter skelter race through the ages with the hint of reincarnation and sci-fi shootouts abounding. Well, disappointingly, that's not quite what I found between its pages.
I don’t mind having to do some thinking when I’m reading and, as a fan of Haruki Murakami’s books, I’m willing to suspend belief and go with the flow, even when I’m not sure where it’s going – or later, where it is I’ve arrived. My problem with this book was that I just didn’t enjoy the journey, or rather, I didn’t enjoy most of the journey.
Of the six stories – all told in a different style and each tale using a vocabulary of its own – I only really warmed to the account of the British composer evading creditors in 1930’s Belgium. I found all of the others a bit of a struggle. It is very clever in the way the stories interrupt each other and flow chronologically to halfway and are then completed in the second half of the book in reverse order. And they all are fully completed, with common references popping up and an overall picture forming… if you’ve managed to stay with it long enough. But was it worth the effort? And that's where it fails for me - my answer is no, not really.
I’m pretty sure I’m not really clever enough to have fully appreciated this complex offering. I also believe a second reading would (if I could face it) increase my appreciation of the book and allow me to draw out elements I’ve missed. But I’ve subsequently read in-depth reviews from people far more erudite than me, and I’ve yet to glean much more than I had already managed to absorb.
Readers will clearly have their own reaction to this book, and some will take more from it than others. I didn’t take very much, but I’m sure others will have a very different experience. Good luck to them, I’m filing this on my ‘too fanciful by far’ shelf.
I don’t mind having to do some thinking when I’m reading and, as a fan of Haruki Murakami’s books, I’m willing to suspend belief and go with the flow, even when I’m not sure where it’s going – or later, where it is I’ve arrived. My problem with this book was that I just didn’t enjoy the journey, or rather, I didn’t enjoy most of the journey.
Of the six stories – all told in a different style and each tale using a vocabulary of its own – I only really warmed to the account of the British composer evading creditors in 1930’s Belgium. I found all of the others a bit of a struggle. It is very clever in the way the stories interrupt each other and flow chronologically to halfway and are then completed in the second half of the book in reverse order. And they all are fully completed, with common references popping up and an overall picture forming… if you’ve managed to stay with it long enough. But was it worth the effort? And that's where it fails for me - my answer is no, not really.
I’m pretty sure I’m not really clever enough to have fully appreciated this complex offering. I also believe a second reading would (if I could face it) increase my appreciation of the book and allow me to draw out elements I’ve missed. But I’ve subsequently read in-depth reviews from people far more erudite than me, and I’ve yet to glean much more than I had already managed to absorb.
Readers will clearly have their own reaction to this book, and some will take more from it than others. I didn’t take very much, but I’m sure others will have a very different experience. Good luck to them, I’m filing this on my ‘too fanciful by far’ shelf.
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Reading Progress
August 28, 2013
– Shelved as:
to-read
August 28, 2013
– Shelved
November 10, 2014
–
Started Reading
November 20, 2014
–
Finished Reading
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Emma
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rated it 1 star
Sep 13, 2015 11:33AM
That's the politest way of saying 'it's a load of pretentious rubbish' that i've ever read. Excellent review.
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Ha ha, thanks Emma. I should have written just that! Much more succinct than my drawn out moan :)
I did like this book but yours is certainly a heartfelt, honest review.
I know lots of people love this book, Sue. I really wanted to like it but just couldn't fathom it and the style certainly didn't suit me. But hey, different strokes for different folks, as they say.
If you aren't smart enough for David Mitchell then neither am I. Aren't we a fine group together;-)
Welcome to the club, Portia :-)
When I read it a few years ago, there were part of it I liked and were really well written, the other parts that were incomprehensible gobbledygook. Couldn't follow the plot much either, I gave it three, but feel that two would be more accurate. it is one of those that I think might make a better film than book.
Yes, it's certainly a mixed bag Paul. I haven't seen the film, but the trailer is superb (it's the reason I read the book). I might take a look at it at some point.
I'm really struggling with it too!
My advice, Rachel, is to keep in view that it doesn't improve, it doesn't really get any clearer and it doesn't really contain a worthwhile 'big message'.
You are nicer than I. Modern tome length experiments in nonsense are seldom worth the effort, IMHO.
And it definitely is NOT you. David Mitchell believes he is smart enough for all of us.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Jeanette :)His stories 'sound' so good in the blurbs... but this experience has put me off trying another.
I think readers like you are more open-minded and confident enough to express an honest opinion in an eloquent review,
Many thanks, Margitte :)At first I thought I'd missed something in this book, but now I think that maybe it just wasn't there.
Terrific review, Andrew. I just finished Slade House by the same author. I found it work to get through. Medical school was almost easier for me. I wonder if one needs a particular mindset. I have a sciencey mind, which is probably not the best match for Mr. Mitchell's writings. Anyway, your review made me feel better. (-:
Thank you, Christine. I've not tried any of his other books - one was enough! - but from the wildly differing reviews I've seen I'm thinking you are right in saying you need to be of a particular mindset to appreciate them. I'm not very sciency but I'm easily switched off (or maybe lost would be more accurate) when it delves into the complicated stuff. Your thoughts are a comfort to me too - I felt a bit if a dunce for not appreciating this one, until I realised I wasn't alone.
My background is engineering Andrew, so I am used to the science stuff. It wasn't complicated, just convoluted.
Yes - that's very well put, Paul!
Andrew wrote: "Thank you, Christine. I've not tried any of his other books - one was enough! - but from the wildly differing reviews I've seen I'm thinking you are right in saying you need to be of a particular m..."Gosh, me too, Andrew!!!
I don't think it's a matter of intelligence or not, but more of taste and inclination.
Cecily wrote: "I don't think it's a matter of intelligence or not, but more of taste and inclination."Yes, I'm sure you're right - it's just that this book made me feel stupid.
Oh dear. That's almost worse.
Great review! It could also apply to his book The thousand autumns of Jacob de Zoey. I've tried two of his books and disliked them both, so no more David Mitchell for me.
Thanks, Andrew. I’ve not read The Thousand Autumns... in fact I haven’t read any of his other books. This one was hard work and I haven’t felt the drawn to delve deeper into his catalogue. Maybe one day, but probably not.
I saw the movie,and it wasn't very watchable.
Wsm - I did wonder about that. In that case I’m glad I didn’t track it down and waste time on it. Thanks.
I felt the same as you , Andrew.
Did you find that his writing doesn't flow very well? I noticed that he interrupts mid sentence to add "he said", etc. and it makes his writing choppy.
Angela - too complex by half, isn’t it. I wanted more of the it’s I enjoyed and could have done without other chunks of it. But either way it made no sense to me.
Andrew - Yes, it’s pretty choppy and a mix of different styles. Quite odd really.
This sounds like too much of a project in order to gain meaning. No thanks. Excellent review Andrew and I hope you are reading something better now :)
Jan - thank you. It’s complex in structure but the stories themselves vary in how much they engaged me. And as whole piece I didn’t really get it. Not one of my favourites.
Thank you. Now I don't feel like I am all alone in the book-reading universe.
Jim - it’s one of those books I hoped I’d fully appreciate and love but it just didn’t work out that way. I think I’m a man if simpler tastes and prefer the stories I read to be something I can comprehend :)
Oh who is more erudite than you!
Jo-Ann wrote: "Oh who is more erudite than you!"Haha - too many to count I'm afraid, Jo-Ann :))
I on page 200 at the moment and completely agree with your review!
Katie - if you fathom out it's hidden to secrets, then please do let me know.
