Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas contained - brace yourselves - a story within a story within a story within a story within a story within a story. The 500-page novel was essentially a collection of six short stories arranged like Russian nesting dolls, with each one interrupting the last one halfway through. I had high hopes for this one and I'm still excited to see the movie, but I think the best way to review it is to review my experience reading it. Roughly speaking, here were my thoughts after each, I dunno, quarter or so of the book.

One fourth done

Interesting - the author is using a different framing device or genre for each of the six stories. The first one was written like the diary of a man sailing around the South Pacific in the 1800s, the second one was a series of letters written from a pianist to his boyfriend somewhere in Europe in the 1930s, and the third story read like a conspiracy thriller - makes sense, as it's set in the 1970s. It isn't clear to me how these stories relate to each other, but maybe that's what the back half of the book is for. I'm on board, at least, for all three stories so far, and we'll have to see how they conclude.

One half done

Yeah, still no idea what makes this a novel and not just a collection of six short stories. I don't know if I like the way all of the stories have interrupted one another so far. Like I would never start reading six separate short stories before finishing them in reverse order - that's a lot to keep track of. But people rave about Cloud Atlas. Everything must come together in the end like a beautiful tapestry. Maybe this is even one of those books where reading it a second time lets you pick up on all kinds of new things. That's gotta be the case.

Three fourths done

Hmm... That's three of six stories wrapped now, and while I liked them just fine - especially those two set in the future - I'm still not seeing what links them all together into a novel beyond each story containing a very vague reference to the previous one. Those two stories set in a dystopian future - the fifth and sixth - were enjoyable and all, but nothing special. Maybe everything really comes together at the end.

All done

Meh. No such coming together. Oh well. The final story - so, the first story we started - ends with a poignant thematic thesis of sorts. People prey on weaker people, and that's the central flaw with humanity. That's true, and that matters, and I guess all six stories dealt with this theme to varying extents. (But what story doesn't?) I hoped for more, honestly. I can't call this a bad book by any stretch, but for all the acclaim that preceded it, I'm really left without anything memorable. Oh well!