AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Cloud Atlas
Title: Cloud Atlas
Author: David Mitchell
Audiobook Narrators: Scott Brick, Cassandra Campbell, Kim Mai Guest, Kirby Heyborne, John Lee, Richard Matthews
An American notary takes a trip across the Pacific Ocean. A young reporter discovers the scoop of a lifetime that might result in her death. A fabricated woman develops sentience and becomes a revolutionary. These people (and more) may seem completely different, but in David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, they find connections across hundreds of years of time.
I would explain how Cloud Atlas is a different type of book from what I normally read, but that would be merely stating the obvious. There aren't any other books quite like Cloud Atlas. Cloud Atlas is made up of six stories that take place in different points in time, beginning in the 1800s and working their way well into the future. The stories are spit in half. You read the first half of each story in the first half of the book, and then the second half of each story in the second half of the book. Though these story lines may seem completely separate, the more you read, the more connections are made between them.
I've read several books which make use of multiple viewpoints or story lines, but what makes Cloud Atlas stand out is the fact that these stories never fully intersect. In fact, for a story all about connection what impressed me the most about Cloud Atlas is how well each story could stand on it's own. Each tale has a unique style, making you feel as if you're reading six different novels. Luisia Roy's (the reporter's) story reads like a thriller, while the one following it feels more like a screwball comedy, and the one following that is more of a dystopia. Not only does Mitchell do an admirable job of writing in these different styles, but each story also seems to have it's own separate purpose. In the modern day storyline, we learn the importance of keeping our minds active in our old age. In the storyline about the 1800s, the main character learns the importance of respecting others, and trying to improve the world.
The challenge with dealing with six different stories written in six different styles is being able to pull in the reader each and every time. After all, not everyone who enjoys historical fiction is going to enjoy science fiction. My favorite story of the bunch was Somni~451's, which really shows my love for dystopias. I could have easily read 500+ pages just about her. I was less fond of the post-apocalyptic tale that followed it, mostly due to the confusing dialect of the main character (despite the best efforts of the audiobook narrator). Also after Somni's tale, I think anything would feel like a bit of a let down. I enjoyed the rest of the stories on one level or another.
Thoughts on the Audiobook- Random House audiobook made a good decision in casting separate narrators for each story, given the different feel of each of the tales. My favorite narrator would have to be the man who did Timothy Cavendish's tale, as he really captured the sarcastic attitude of the main character. The one drawback of such a format is as each story has it's own large cast of characters, I often found myself forgetting who was who when switching back and forth between tales. With an audio format, I was unable to flip back to previous sections to figure out what character was matched with what name,
Final thoughts: Cloud Atlas is an ambitious novel that brings together six very different stories and weaves them together into one whole. Although I liked certain stories more than others, I found much to enjoy in Cloud Atlas. I am looking forward to seeing how they are going to fit everything in one movie with the film adaptation is being released later this month. Four Stars
Next I will be Reviewing Avatar the Last Airbender: The Promise Part 1 by Gene Luen Yang
Author: David Mitchell
Audiobook Narrators: Scott Brick, Cassandra Campbell, Kim Mai Guest, Kirby Heyborne, John Lee, Richard Matthews
An American notary takes a trip across the Pacific Ocean. A young reporter discovers the scoop of a lifetime that might result in her death. A fabricated woman develops sentience and becomes a revolutionary. These people (and more) may seem completely different, but in David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, they find connections across hundreds of years of time.
I would explain how Cloud Atlas is a different type of book from what I normally read, but that would be merely stating the obvious. There aren't any other books quite like Cloud Atlas. Cloud Atlas is made up of six stories that take place in different points in time, beginning in the 1800s and working their way well into the future. The stories are spit in half. You read the first half of each story in the first half of the book, and then the second half of each story in the second half of the book. Though these story lines may seem completely separate, the more you read, the more connections are made between them.
I've read several books which make use of multiple viewpoints or story lines, but what makes Cloud Atlas stand out is the fact that these stories never fully intersect. In fact, for a story all about connection what impressed me the most about Cloud Atlas is how well each story could stand on it's own. Each tale has a unique style, making you feel as if you're reading six different novels. Luisia Roy's (the reporter's) story reads like a thriller, while the one following it feels more like a screwball comedy, and the one following that is more of a dystopia. Not only does Mitchell do an admirable job of writing in these different styles, but each story also seems to have it's own separate purpose. In the modern day storyline, we learn the importance of keeping our minds active in our old age. In the storyline about the 1800s, the main character learns the importance of respecting others, and trying to improve the world.
The challenge with dealing with six different stories written in six different styles is being able to pull in the reader each and every time. After all, not everyone who enjoys historical fiction is going to enjoy science fiction. My favorite story of the bunch was Somni~451's, which really shows my love for dystopias. I could have easily read 500+ pages just about her. I was less fond of the post-apocalyptic tale that followed it, mostly due to the confusing dialect of the main character (despite the best efforts of the audiobook narrator). Also after Somni's tale, I think anything would feel like a bit of a let down. I enjoyed the rest of the stories on one level or another.
Thoughts on the Audiobook- Random House audiobook made a good decision in casting separate narrators for each story, given the different feel of each of the tales. My favorite narrator would have to be the man who did Timothy Cavendish's tale, as he really captured the sarcastic attitude of the main character. The one drawback of such a format is as each story has it's own large cast of characters, I often found myself forgetting who was who when switching back and forth between tales. With an audio format, I was unable to flip back to previous sections to figure out what character was matched with what name,
Final thoughts: Cloud Atlas is an ambitious novel that brings together six very different stories and weaves them together into one whole. Although I liked certain stories more than others, I found much to enjoy in Cloud Atlas. I am looking forward to seeing how they are going to fit everything in one movie with the film adaptation is being released later this month. Four Stars
Next I will be Reviewing Avatar the Last Airbender: The Promise Part 1 by Gene Luen Yang