The Cloud Atlas

I liked following the different stories and bouncing back and forth between them. I'm not totally sure what the thread that wove them all together was, but the individual stories kept me reading and the book as a whole was fun to read. Having seen the movie before reading the books, I had already formulated pictures of what all the characters looked like, which was probably helpful since there were many to keep track of.

The travel journal, the lover's letters, the thriller, the comedy, the sci-fi, and the after-collapse; six novellas in as many different genres and voices. A historic and dystopic vision of human nature, reminding us how it doesn't matter the century or the level of civilisation - humanity has always been about the strong crushing the weak. And yet, with some extraordinary human treats, how it is possible for the weak to succeed, even if posthumously, and with the help of sometimes a whole community.

There are a few gems for learning for those involved in struggles against the powerful nowadays.

Unlike other books ... this book is excellent and every one should read it.

Extremely interesting novel, which is surprisingly easy to read. The narrative structure appears complicated, as it is a sort of temporal palindrome (first chapter in same narrative threas as last, second chapter in same thread as penultimate chapter etc.), but it actually seems to make sense when you get stuck into it. Style-wise, it rather defies comparison. Shades of Atwood (the Somni chapters), O'Brian (the Ewing 19th Century nautical scenes) and even Tom Sharpe (the hapless Cavendish farce).

Maybe the structure is a sort of Ziggurat, with the same implications of rise and fall of both individuals and civilisations, and the aroma of human sacrifice in order to satisfy power.

But don't let that put you off. It really is a great read.